Netflix has brought Gene Wilder back to help promote the streaming service’s new “Willy Wonka” reality competition series.
Sadly, Wilder died in 2016 at the age of 83.
Netflix, with permission of Wilder’s family, has recreated the actor’s voice through a partnership with ElevenLabs for “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket,” Reuters reported.
“More than five decades after Gene brought Willy Wonka to life, people of all ages and backgrounds around the world continue to find joy, laughter and inspiration in his performance,” Karen Wilder, his wife, said on behalf of his estate.
“Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people’s lives, and that connection has endured for generations,” she said.
The series is also a collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company, which was acquired by Netflix in 2021, according to Reuters. It is also being produced in a partnership with the Gene Wilder Estate and will feature Rusty Goffe, who is reprising his Oompa Loompa role.
Twelve golden ticket winners and a partner they choose will have to perform games, tests, and temptations in Wonka’s world, as they enter Wonka’s pure imagination in his chocolate factory, Variety reported. One person wins “Wonka’s life-changing” grand prize.
The first trailer dropped this week. The show premieres on Sept. 23.
Watch the trailer, and hear the AI Wilder, here or below.
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