Netflix воссоздала голос Джина Уайлдера через ElevenLabs для реалити-шоу о Вонке

Netflix will release "Wonka's Golden Ticket" — a live competition inside the sets of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory — on September 23, 2026. The voiceover for the show belongs to Gene Wilder: ElevenLabs recreated the voice of the deceased actor with the consent of his family.

What kind of show is this and where does the AI voice come from?

"Wonka's Golden Ticket" continues Netflix's trend of reality shows based on fictional "challenges" — following "Squid Game Challenge". Participants compete within sets recreating the chocolate factory from Roald Dahl's novel. According to the teaser released in June 2026, the sets are real, not digital — but Wonka's voiceover is entirely generated by an AI neural network. Netflix turned to ElevenLabs — a leading developer of voice cloning technologies. According to Deadline, the work was conducted with official consent from the Wilder family. Previously, ElevenLabs participated in projects where the voices of Michael Caine and Stan Lee were recreated.

• Premiere — September 23, 2026 on Netflix
• Gene Wilder's voice was recreated by ElevenLabs with official consent from the actor's family
• The show's sets — real structures, without CGI
• ElevenLabs previously cloned the voices of Michael Caine and Stan Lee
• The show continues Netflix's partnership with the Roald Dahl Company, established in 2021

Is it legal to clone the voice of a deceased celebrity?

The legality of AI voice cloning remains a gray area in most jurisdictions, but the presence of heirs' consent significantly reduces legal risks. Netflix and ElevenLabs bet on this approach: none of the mentioned projects were conducted without permission from rights holders. Following a wave of scandals in 2023-2024, when unauthorized deepfakes of celebrity voices spread across the internet, major players began requiring explicit consent as a mandatory condition. Lawsuits by actors against platforms that used unauthorized AI versions of their voices accelerated the formation of industry standards. The market for "licensed voices" is turning into a separate segment: the key asset here is legally formalized agreements with rights holders, rather than just the quality of voice cloning technology.

"This is a continuation of our collaboration with the

Roald Dahl Company," — Netflix on positioning the show within the major franchise that launched in 2021.

ElevenLabs is actively expanding its work with archived voices of celebrities and developing a specialized voice marketplace, where iconic recordings are available for licensing. Collaboration with Netflix — the world's largest streaming service — confirms growing demand for such products and draws the attention of other major studios to this tool.

What does this mean

Voice cloning of deceased celebrities with the consent of heirs is moving beyond isolated experiments and becoming a routine production tool for major media companies. Netflix uses Wilder's voice as a marketing asset: the nostalgia of viewers who grew up watching the 1971 film ensures the show instant recognition without needing to hire a live actor. For ElevenLabs, this is another major case that strengthens the company's position as a standard supplier in the rapidly growing AI audio segment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Gene Wilder's family consent to voice cloning?

Yes. According to Deadline, Netflix coordinated the project with the actor's family before beginning collaboration with ElevenLabs. This distinguishes the project from unauthorized deepfakes and significantly reduces legal risks.

When will "Wonka's Golden Ticket" be released on Netflix?

The premiere is scheduled for September 23, 2026.