Saturday 24 September 2022 12:44 PM James Earl Jones, 91, signs over the rights to his iconic Darth Vader voice in ... trends now
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James Earl Jones has signed over the rights to his iconic Darth Vader voice in Star Wars to new AI technology, sparking speculation that he has retired from the role.
The actor, 91, who has voiced the villain since the original Star Wars film in 1977, most recently starring as the character for the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Matthew Wood from the films creators Lucasfilm, detailed James' wishes to 'keep Vader alive' after 'stepping back from the role.'
'Stepping down': James Earl Jones, 91, has signed over the rights to his iconic Darth Vader voice in Star Wars to new AI technology, sparking speculation that he has retired from the role
Lucasfilm's have been working with Ukrainian Respeecher, a new technology by a company of the same name, that takes archival recordings to create new dialogue.
Speaking to the publication, Matthew explained: '[James] had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character. So how do we move forward?'
He revealed that Respeecher has allowed for James' voice to be used in all future films, even 'those produced after his own passing,' after the actor gave his blessing.
On screen: The actor, who has voiced the villain since the original Star Wars film in 1977,
