# Gene Wilder fans slam Willy Wonka Netflix series over AI voice > Source: > Published: 2026-06-30 19:31:09+00:00 # Gene Wilder fans slam Willy Wonka Netflix series over AI voice [Netflix](/topic/netflix)is facing backlash for using an AI-generated voice resembling[Gene Wilder](/topic/gene-wilder)in its new competition show,*Wonka's The Golden Ticket.*- The show, set to release on September 23, features an AI voiceover in its trailer that mimics Wilder, who famously played Wonka in the 1971 film *Willy Wonka**& the Chocolate Factory.* - Fans have expressed outrage on social media, with many calling the AI voice an "obscenity" and criticizing its lack of emotion and depth. - Gene Wilder, who died in 2016 at age 83, had retired from acting in 1991, citing his dislike for the direction Hollywood films were taking. - Wilder had also previously dismissed Tim Burton's *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*reboot, expressing his disapproval of the director.