BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
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.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
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.