BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
James Earl Jones, who for decades has provided Darth Vader's iconic, menacing voice, will not record new lines for new "Star Wars" projects.
Instead, Jones' voice will live on artificially through an AI program that can recreate his voice, so Vader can deliver new lines of dialogue and maintain the commanding bass sound that made him a widely feared villain, Vanity Fair reported.
Ukrainian startup Respeecher was tasked with creating a version of Jones' voice as it sounded in the original trilogy for the recent Disney+ miniseries "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which takes place several years after Anakin Skywalker becomes a Sith lord.
Jones, 91, last recorded a Vader voice cameo for the 2019 sequel "The Rise of Skywalker," sound editor Matthew Wood told Vanity Fair. The actor signed off on Lucasfilm's plans to continue to use his voice for Vader in the years to come through archival recordings and new dialogue created through AI, the outlet reported.
"He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character," Wood told Vanity Fair. "So how do we move forward?"
Jones was involved throughout the process of perfecting Vader's voice for "Obi-Wan Kenobi," Wood said, helping guide the teams involved with recreating his sound and staying updated on Lucasfilm's plans for Vader in the future.
Lucasfilm has revived certain characters' voices through AI before -- the younger voice of Luke Skywalker in "The Book of Boba Fett," on Disney+, was also fine-tuned by Respeecher. In 2016, Lucasfilm used CGI to recreate the visage of the late Peter Cushing's villainous Grand Moff Tarkin for the prequel film "Rogue One," though the character's voice was provided by actor Guy Henry and not an AI program.
Jones, an EGOT-winning actor, has voiced Vader since 1977's "A New Hope," though his role was uncredited for that project. Since then, he's provided Vader's voice in every project in which the character appears, from the original trilogy to the animated series "Star Wars Rebels." He's also credited as Vader in "Obi-Wan Kenobi," though he didn't record any new dialogue for the part.
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.