James Earl Jones has apparently relinquished the role of lead Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader to AI voice technology. The 91-year old actor and EGOT winner originated the character with his vocal performance in 1977’s Star Wars. In a report by Vanity Fair about the Ukrainian start-up Respeecher, it was revealed that the process of transitioning the vocal responsibilities from Jones to the company’s proprietary AI algorithm has been ongoing since the Sith Lord’s revival in the 2022 Star Wars prequel series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Respeecher programmers employed an algorithm that uses archival recordings to create new dialogue. Jones provided his singular, sinister take on Darth Vader for a number of Star Wars spin-offs throughout the years, but his last contribution came in 2019’s The Ri...
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers through the season finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Part VI.”] Sure, it’s a metaphysical impossibility in the real world (for anyone outside of an X-Files episode), but it’s still a good thing that none of us know for certain how our friends and family are going to die. It’s the kind of knowledge that would hang over every interaction, make us wonder if every decision they make is one which will bring them ever closer to their ultimate fate — it’d be hard to connect with your friends and family, if you knew how they were all going to die. It might make it hard for you to care about what happens to them. Which brings us to the season finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi, an action-packed hour of television where all of its major climaxes had, for a Star Wars fa...
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3.] The morning after the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi premiered on Disney+, writer and executive producer Joby Harold went to Disneyland with his kids. “We were at Rise of the Resistance, doing the Star Wars Disney of it… Please click the link below to read the full article. Obi-Wan Kenobi Writer on Reviving Vader and Leia For the Disney+ Series Liz Shannon Miller [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=...
In a galaxy not so far, far away, Moses Ingram is boldly speaking out in the wake of hateful and racist comments made at her expense since the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In a series of videos posted to her Instagram story, the actress — who plays Reva, aka Third Sister — defended herself against Star Wars fans who’ve called her a “diversity hire,” “loser,” and other hate-filled snubs. “Long story short, there are hundreds of those,” Ingram said, referring to the racist comments. “Hundreds. And I also see those of you out there who put on a cape for me, and that really does mean the world to me, because there’s nothing anybody can do about this. There’s nothing anybody can do to stop this hate, and so I question what my purpose is in even being here in front of you saying that this is...
Tatooine, show your teeth. Leia’s a princess, Flea’s the thief. Okay, so Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea’s role in the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series is actually a bounty hunter, but it didn’t fit the rhyme scheme. In the weeks prior to the Disney+ shows premiere, rumors circulated that the musician/actor would be making an appearance in Kenboi. With the first two episodes of the series now streaming, we can confirm that Flea is indeed officially part of the Star Wars universe. If you haven’t watched the episodes yet, we’re going to leave a spoiler warning here. If just knowing Flea is a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away isn’t enough for you and you want to know how he’s tied to Obi-Wan, read on. Advertisement Obi-Wan Kenobi picks up 10 years after the events Star Wars:&...
The Jedi Order has been destroyed, Darth Sidious reigns as Emperor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is forced into hiding in the first teaser trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi. The hottest new destination in that galaxy far, far away comes to Disney+ May 25th. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set between the events of the Star Wars movies Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, when Luke Skywalker is just a boy, and his father Anakin Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) is filling the galaxy with terror. “The fight is done,” Kenobi sighs in the teaser. “We lost.” But just because he’s been beaten, that doesn’t mean he’s safe. As seen in the Star Wars: Rebels animated series, the Emperor has founded the Inquisitorius, an organization of force-sensitive hunters who track do...
Since announcing the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, Disney+ has scored another big name for its upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series. John Williams, the legendary composer behind Star Wars‘ award-winning scores, has written and recorded the theme song for the new series, Variety reports. Williams won an Oscar back in 1977 for his score for the original Star Wars, and was nominated for his work on both the rest of the original trilogy (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) and the franchise’s last three films (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.) While the composer has stayed loyal to the series, writing the theme for the 2018 standalone film Solo: A Star Wars Story and even a Disneyland theme park in 2...
Disney+ has set a release date for its highly-anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series. Starring Ewan McGregor as the titular Jedi Master, the series will premiere on May 25th. The story begins ten years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, according to a logline provided by Disney. Alongside McGregor, Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Darth Vader. The cast also includes Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, as well as Moses Ingram, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie. Advertisement Related Video Disney initially previewed Obi-Wan Kenobi by sharing a sizzle reel with production art during its Disney+ Day virtual presentation in November. A full-length tra...