One of the late James Earl Jones’ most iconic and beloved roles was that of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Jones, who passed away on Monday at the age of 93, voiced the character in the series, and his distinctive voice and performance will live on through artificial intelligence.
According to Vanity Fair, Jones has signed a deal to transfer the voice rights to Darth Vader to Lucasfilm, the production company behind the Star Wars series, and Ukrainian startup Respeaker in 2022.
The company’s sound editor Matthew Wood told the outlet that after recording a short line in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, Jones “stated that he was considering no longer playing this particular character.”
James Earl Jones dies at age 93
James Earl Jones’ singing voice as Darth Vader will live on through artificial intelligence. (Getty Images)
Wood said he showed Jones ReSpeaker’s work and Jones agreed to the use of archival recordings of his voice, adding that he kept him informed of plans for the character and listened to his advice on how to stay consistent with Jones’s past work.
Darth Vader appeared in the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” after Jones officially retired that year. Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, also had his voice “rejuvenated” by a respeaker to appear in Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.”
“He did mention that he was considering scaling back on this particular character.”
Representatives for Lucasfilm, LeSpeeder and Jones’ estate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The news that Jones has ceded his voice rights, at least for the role of Darth Vader, has raised concerns among actors following last year’s strike focused on AI replacing actors, and the ongoing strike by video game performers.
“If game and movie companies had given all actors the same agreements and compensation transparency that they gave James Earl Jones, we wouldn’t be striking,” Zeke Alton, a voice actor and member of SAG-AFTRA’s interactive media contract negotiating committee, told The Associated Press.
“This proves they can do it. They just don’t want to do it for people who feel they don’t have the power to negotiate for themselves.”
Other actors worry that voice-matching jobs, a steady source of work for voice actors, will disappear. But voice actor Crispin Freeman, who matched the voice of Orlando Bloom in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” told The Associated Press that even if there is less work, the technology won’t diminish “the ability for future artists to carve their own path in new roles.”
While some actors are concerned that Jones’ contract could mean they lose out on future work, others hope that his deal with Lucasfilm as the voice of Darth Vader can set a useful precedent for future negotiations. (Michael Zorn/InVision)
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But the Star Wars franchise could face a legal battle over bringing another actor back.
The New York Times reported earlier this week that Lucasfilm, the makers of the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and its British production company Lunak Heavy Industries are facing a lawsuit over the use of an AI recreation of the late actor Peter Cushing in the prequels.
Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin in the original Star Wars, passed away in 1994, but his likeness was used in Rogue One, thanks to special effects and a body double in British actor Guy Henry.
Cushing’s friend Kevin Francis is suing the filmmakers through his company, claiming the late actor never gave anyone permission to recreate his image without his permission. He is also suing the administrators of Cushing’s estate, who is now deceased, and his former representatives.
Peter Cushing appeared in the first Star Wars film alongside Carrie Fisher, David Prowse (who played Darth Vader during filming) and James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader). (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
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The outlet reported that Cushing signed an agreement with Francis in 1993 authorizing him to portray his friend.
The high court upheld a previous ruling denying a motion by Lucasfilm and Lunak Heavy Industries to dismiss the lawsuit.
Representatives for Francis and Lucasfilm did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Cushing’s appearance in Rogue One was just the beginning of a string of controversial film appearances by deceased actors.
Earlier this month, Alien: Romulus director Fede Alvarez defended the film’s use of an AI-created likeness of the late Ian Holm.
Ian Holm, who co-starred with Sigourney Weaver in the original Alien and passed away in 2020, had his likeness recreated by AI in the recently released Alien: Romulus. (Robert Penn/20th Century Fox/Koval/Shutterstock)
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“We’re not trying to do the impossible and recreate that person’s acting talent, because this is a different character,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “The only thing they have in common is the resemblance.”
Alvarez said he had contacted Holm’s widow, Sophie de Stempel, to ask for her input and approval.
“We have done this with great respect and always with permission from his family, his children and his widow, who said, ‘We would like to see him again,'” he said.
While the Cushing lawsuit is ongoing in the UK, in California, a new bill dealing with the publicity rights of actors, both living and dead, is expected to reach Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk soon.
WATCH: SAG-AFTRA president explains why last year’s ‘devastating’ Hollywood strike was ‘necessary’
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The state Senate passed two bills in August: AB 1836, which would restrict the use of AI to create digital replicas of deceased entertainers without the consent of their families, and AB 2602, which would strengthen consent requirements for living entertainers to create AI replicas.
“These two bills are our legislative priorities on behalf of our members and those outside of the union and will require explicit consent in California. We look forward to Governor Gavin Newsom signing these bills into law,” the actors’ union (SAG-AFTRA) said in a statement on its website.
The union also supports new federal legislation, the Anti-Counterfeiting Act, which was recently reintroduced in Congress.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
