RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
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.
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
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 4 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.