By Gavin Boyle
Fortnite players can now interact with Darth Vader — voiced by the late James Earl Jones — through the use of generative AI which is mimicking the actor’s iconic voice and responding on the spot to users’ prompts.
“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, EVP, 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.”
Jones’ voice has been recreated in Fortnite through ElevenLab’s Flash v2.5 model which has been specially trained on the actor’s voice for the game. Players are encouraged to speak directly with Vader who will respond uniquely every time thanks to the prompts being passed through Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model which has been programmed to respond in a Darth Vader-esc way. The collaboration is approved and supported by Jones’ family.
“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,” Jones’ family 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 the iconic character.”
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This futuristic collaboration comes in the midst of one of Disney’s largest collaborations with Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, to date. Not only has the entire game been overhauled to fit a Star Wars theme, but Disney also premiered its new Star Wars show TALES OF THE UNDERWORLD on Fortnite, allowing players to access the show two days before it became available on Disney+.
“For the first time, Disney+ is premiering a show inside a game, launching alongside our largest Star Wars collaboration with Fortnite to date — giving fans and players an exciting first look at the kids of experiences they can expect as we shape a new future together,” Shoptaw said. “We’re building the next era of digital entertainment, where fans can play, watch, create and connect — and we’re just beginning to tap into what’s possible.”
“Disney and Epic are pioneering the future of social entertainment together, and this expansive Star Wars collaboration offers a glimpse into the type of interactive experiences we envision,” added Adam Sussman, the president of Epic Games, Fortnite’s developer. “We are reimagining what’s possible with immersive storytelling in Fortnite with one of the world’s most beloved franchises — stay tuned for a lot more to come.”
This close partnership comes after Disney purchased a $1.5 billion stake in Fortnite in February of 2024. This stake has allowed the companies to become close partners and will empower them to release more collaborations in the future.
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