All posts tagged: Darth

Hollywood actors’ union sues Epic Games over Darth Vader’s AI voice in Fortnite: ‘Refused to bargain in good faith’

Hollywood actors’ union sues Epic Games over Darth Vader’s AI voice in Fortnite: ‘Refused to bargain in good faith’

Published by Parlour News

In a case that feels straight out of sci-fi satire, the voice of Darth Vader has landed at the centre of a real-world legal battle involving AI, actors’ rights, and one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. Darth Vader in Star Wars The Hollywood actors’ union, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists or the SAG-AFTRA, has filed an unfair labour practice charge against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, after the company allegedly used AI to replicate Darth Vader’s voice in the popular online game Fortnite, without notifying the union or the original performers. What’s happening?  Fortnite recently added a fully voiced Darth Vader character to the game. But this version doesn’t rely on the familiar timbre shaped by years of actors’ performances. Instead, it uses conversational AI, allowing players to interact with the Sith Lord in real time. Once recruited to a team, Vader can answer player questions about the Force, the Galactic Empire, or even in-game tactics. The move, however, has stirred up more …

SAG-AFTRA files complaint over Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader

SAG-AFTRA files complaint over Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader

Published by Webster

SAG-AFTRA wrote in a statement that it understands its members and members’ estates wish to use AI technology in any way they choose. “However,” SAG-AFTRA’s statement continued, “we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games.” While the AI “revolution” slowly replaces human workers with oftentimes inferior products, and despite some members’ distaste for the practice, SAG-AFTRA has embraced the idea of using AI trained to replicate an actor’s performance. It has established contracts and partnerships with several AI companies with the idea being members can use this technology with specific contract-guaranteed protections. So the act of using an AI to replace Darth Vader’s voice performers (both the late James Earl Jones and those brought in after his death to match his performance) isn’t what SAG-AFTRA is objecting to. Rather, it’s the fact that this was done without Epic Games sitting down with SAG-AFTRA at …

SAG-AFTRA files complaint over Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader

Fortnite is using AI to let you chat with James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader

Published by Webster

Though Darth Vader has previously appeared as an NPC (and a battle pass skin) in Fortnite, Epic Games announced today that the character’s latest outing will be a bit different thanks to the use of AI. After finding and defeating Vader on the map, players can recruit him onto their teams and speak directly with him using Fortnite’s in-game audio chat functionality. And Vader will respond in an AI recreation of James Earl Jones’ iconic voice whose answers vary depending on what players. Per a FAQ about the interactive feature, Epic says that Vader’s answers will be based on audio recordings of player’s voices that are sent directly to Gemini. Player audio and transcriptions of their voices will not be stored, though Epic will have access to transcriptions of Vader’s responses for instances in which players report what the character says. The company also says that it will “not use any of your interactions with Darth Vader to train AI models.” Additionally, players under the age of 13 or their country’s age of digital consent …

Fortnite is getting a Star Wars Battle Royale with Darth Jar Jar

Fortnite is getting a Star Wars Battle Royale with Darth Jar Jar

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Star Wars is once again descending on Fortnite. This time, it’s through the Star Wars-themed Galactic Battle, a new Battle Royale season that starts May 2nd and features Darth Jar Jar and the debut of Force Lightning, a new in-game ability. The news was appropriately revealed at Star Wars Celebration in Japan. As with most Fortnite seasons, this one had been heavily rumored in the runup. For the uninitiated, Darth Jar Jar is a goofy fan theory that holds that Jar Jar Binks was secretly a Force user and possibly the real villain of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Ahmed Best, the voice of Jar Jar Binks since Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, said on stage at the event that he improvised some Darth Jar Jar lines for the portrayal. When asked to list any of his favorites, he said, “‘I am the phantom menace’ was totally [improvised],” adding that the line was something he’s “been meaning to say for over 20 years.” Galactic Battle will include X-Wings and TIE Fighters that players …

Is There A Connection Between Darth Plagueis & Qimir? Actor Manny Jacinto Shares His Thoughts

Is There A Connection Between Darth Plagueis & Qimir? Actor Manny Jacinto Shares His Thoughts

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Here’s What Manny Jacinto Feels About An Alleged Connection Between Darth Plagueis & Qimir (Photo Credit – Instagram) The Acolyte was a Disney+ original series that aired on the streaming service from June to July. The show took place in the High Republic era of the Star Wars universe and chronicled the decline of the Jedi order thanks to the machinations of the Stranger/Qimir, played by Manny Jacinto. The Acolyte season 1 ended with an appearance from Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord first mentioned by Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith. While this scene intended to foreshadow a potential second season, Disney has not renewed the series so far so far. As reported by Collider, Manny spoke at the San Francisco FanExpo and answered some fan questions about the connection between The Stranger (aka Qimir) and Darth Plagueis. However, Manny also held out hope that The Acolyte would eventually return for future seasons and was consequently hesitant about giving too much away. Manny Jacinto Still Hopes For A New Season Of The Acolyte When speaking …

Empire State Building pays tribute to James Earl Jones aka ‘Darth Vader’ : Remembers the Star Wars theme collaboration | Hollywood

Published by Parlour News

James Earl Jones who played as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga is no more. The actor has been praised on multiple occasions for his phenomenal impact on the film industry and his fans are dearly missing him in his absence. Star Wars team and Empire State Building pay tribute to James Earl Jones aka Darth Vader(Instagram) The news was also confirmed by Star Wars’ official website and the Empire State Building Instagram and Twitter/X accounts, which paid the artist a heartfelt tribute. Fans all over Reddit also remembered the Star Wars and Empire State Building collaboration where an image of Darth Vader was lit up on March 21, 2024. What was posted by Star Wars’ website and Empire State building? Today, Empire State Building posted a tribute to the late voice actor James Earl Jones on its Instagram and Twitter/X accounts. Both the posts captioned as, “Rest in Peace Lord Vader.” The image showed the building lit up in red colour, portraying the image of Darth Vader from the Star …

James Earl Jones, actor & voice of Darth Vader & Mufasa dies at 93

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James Earl Jones, the actor who voiced iconic characters like Star Wars’ Darth Vader and The Lion King’s Mufasa has passed away. He died with his family and loved ones around. He was 93. Reports suggest James Earl Jones passed away at his home in Dutchess County, New York. Media outlets have attributed the news to Jones’  representatives. There has been no confirmation of the cause of death. The CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger shared a statement to announce the passing of James Earl Jones. He wrote, “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history.” He added, “A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences.” James Earl Jones’ career spans over 6 decades. Apart from films Jones had a prolific career in …

James Earl Jones, Iconic Actor and Memorable Voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, Dies at 93

Published by Parlour News

James Earl Jones, the iconic voice behind Star Wars‘ Darth Vader and The Lion King‘s Mufasa, has died. He was 93. Jones was surrounded by his family when he died, his representative said. No cause of death was shared. “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history,” said Bob Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. “A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences.” Jones had a distinguished career that spanned some 60 years and took him from a small-town theater in northern Michigan to the highest reaches of Hollywood. Voicing Darth Vader In the mid-1970s “Star Wars” creator George Lucas cast towering British actor David Prowse as the guy inside Darth Vader’s black suit, but decided he wanted …

James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader and acclaimed actor, dies at 93 | Entertainment News

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James Earl Jones, the famous actor known for his deep voice as Darth Vader and other memorable roles, has died at the age of 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed that Jones passed away on Monday morning at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley. The cause of death has not been announced. Jones had a long and successful career. He was one of the first African American actors to gain recognition on daytime television with his role on “As the World Turns” in 1965. Over the years, he won many awards, including two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Despite facing challenges like a severe stutter and racial prejudice, Jones became a celebrated performer. He was known for his roles in films like “Field of Dreams,” “The Great White Hope,” and “Roots: The Next Generation.” He also provided the iconic voice for Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” films and King …

James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, dies at 93

Published by Parlour News

James Earl Jones, the legendary actor known for his iconic voice roles as Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, passed away this morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, at the age of 93, per Deadline. FILE – James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died at age 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Monday morning, Sept. 9, 2024, at home. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, File)(AP) Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones possessed one of the most recognizable voices in cinematic history. James Earl Jones’ career on stage and screen His deep, commanding tone brought iconic characters to life, such as Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King (1994), and other roles like Voice Box in Robots (2005) and The Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk (2009). Beyond animated roles, Jones also starred in live-action films, including The Sandlot (1993) as Mr. Mertle and Coming to America (1988) as King Jaffe …