James Earl Jones died last year but it appears that his iconic voice will live on.
In a notable move, The Walt Disney Co. and Epic Games say that players of its flagship game Fortnite will be able to recruit and speak to Darth Vader in the game, starting today.
The Vader character will use the voice of Jones, re-created with the help of generative AI. The companies noted in a blog post that they are doing so in “close consultation” with the late actor’s family.
Epic says that the dialogue in Darth Vader’s responses to users in the game will be created by Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model, and the audio itself is being generated by ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5 model.
“James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it,” the family of James Earl Jones said in a statement. “We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character.”
The future of Jones’ voice in film and other media has been an open question since his death, with the actor having voiced iconic characters like Vader and The Lion King’s Mufasa. Much of the conversation has centered around ensuring permission and sign-off from the estates of anyone whose likeness is being used.
The move also underscores how generative AI is changing what is possible in the entertainment business. In previous video games while Jones was alive, Disney and its partner game studios used voice actors, who would mimic Jones’ distinctive tone.
“Epic Games and Disney have worked together to thoughtfully develop this innovative feature with a strong focus on transparency, consent, and safety — ensuring that creators, Disney IP, and players are protected in interactive experiences,” Disney and Epic said in announcing the move.
Epic says in an FAQ that players under 13 or their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher, will need permission to talk with Vader, and users will be able to report anything said by the character in the game. When a user chats with the character, it will send the audio of the player’s voice to Gemini so that it can generate a response, but the player’s voice will not be stored to be used to train any AI models.
“James Earl Jones’ legendary vocal performance is a defining element of what makes Darth Vader one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history,” said Sean Shoptaw, executive vp Disney Games and Digital Entertainment. “Disney, Lucasfilm, and Epic Games are honored to bring his voice to Fortnite for millions of players to experience — showcasing how we responsibly embrace emerging technologies to expand storytelling while keeping people at the heart of the creative process.”
“We just launched the most expansive Star Wars collaboration Epic and Disney have ever done, and we are excited to introduce a new and immersive way for players to interact with a legendary Star Wars character,” said Adam Sussman, president of Epic Games. “Now players have a chance to chat in real time with Darth Vader in Fortnite, one of the most memorable characters in cinematic history.”
Disney and Epic Games are currently partnered on a new Star Wars season of Fortnite branded “Galactic Battle.” Disney already debuted upcoming episodes of an animated Star Wars Disney+ series inside Fortnite as part of the partnership.
Last year, Disney announced a $1.5 billion investment in Epic, with plans to build its new in-game universe with Disney IP. That project is still in development.
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