Obi Wan Kenobi: Last News

Selome Hailu Indira Varma has been cast as Empress Natalya in “Dune: The Sisterhood” (working title), HBO Max’s upcoming “Dune” prequel series co-produced with Legendary Television. Empress Natalya is described as a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino. Varma is best known for playing Ellaria Sand in four seasons of “Game of Thrones” and recently starred as Tala Durith in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Other prominent credits include “Luther” on BBC and “Paranoid” on ITV and Netflix. Up next, Varma will appear in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and “Extrapolations” on Apple TV+. She is reppedmby Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and James Adams.

“Dune: Part Two” doesn’t hit theaters until November 3, 2023, but thanks to the box-office success of “Dune” last year, Legendary Pictures knows they have a hit on their hands. And that makes them confident enough to move ahead with their “Dune” series on the small screen with HBO Max.

EXCLUSIVE: Game Of Thrones, Obi-Wan and Carnival Row actress Indira Varma is the third actor to join anticipated prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood (working title) from HBO Max and Legendary Television.

Jon Burlingame editor Writing new music for the “Star Wars” universe would be daunting for any composer, considering its iconic scores by the legendary John Williams. Luckily for “Andor” composer Nicholas Britell, writer-producer Tony Gilroy and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy gave him “total freedom” to imagine a new, totally unique soundscape for the backstory of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the rebel spy first encountered in the 2016 film “Rogue One.” So, unlike “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the “Star Wars” series for which Williams wrote a new theme earlier this year, there isn’t a note of Williams music in “Andor,” which launched a 12-episode run last Wednesday on Disney+.

In some ways, James Earl Jones‘ baritone voice is as iconic to Darth Vader as the Sith lord’s helmet and red lightsaber. But now, after forty years, it’s time for someone else to take over the role — or at least, for someone to recreate the actor’s voice.

Star Wars character Darth Vader after 45 years in the role.As reported by Vanity Fair, the actor, 91, has signed off on archival voice recordings being used by young filmmakers, who plan to recreate Jones’ voice from his previous films for future Lucasfilm projects using artificial intelligence.“He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” Matthew Wood, a veteran at Lucasfilm, said. “So how do we move forward?”Lucasfilm first partnered with Respeecher, a Ukrainian start-up that uses AI technology to create new dialogue from old voice recordings, on Disney+ series The Book Of Boba Fett to replicate the voice of young Luke Skywalker.Jones’ voice was artificially recreated for Darth Vader in recent series Obi Wan Kenobi, although Lucasfilm said the actor “guided” the performance.

James Earl Jones is reportedly stepping back from voicing “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader.

James Earl Jones is reportedly stepping back from voicing “Star Wars”‘ Darth Vader.

BreAnna Bell James Earl Jones, who has voiced Darth Vader for nearly 40 years of “Star Wars” films, seems to be stepping away from the role. According to Vanity Fair, the 91-year-old actor has signed off on archival voice recordings being used by young filmmakers, who plan to utilize artificial intelligence synthetic speech technology to recreate Jones’ younger voice from his previous films for future Lucasfilm projects. “He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” Matthew Wood, a Lucasfilm veteran of 32 years, told the outlet. “So how do we move forward?”

according to Vanity Fair.The Ukrainian start-up Respeecher, which specializes in voice cloning for content creators, used archival recordings and an AI algorithm to generate Jones’s voice for Disney+’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series, released in May.This was done in collaboration with Disney-owned “Star Wars'” production company Lucasfilm, which explained that Jones “guided” the character’s lines in the show, but his actual voice was generated by Respeecher, according to AV Club.Although the project coincided with the early days of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, Respeecher’s employees saw it to completion.

Star Wars villain since 1977 and most recently took on the role for new Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which also stars Ewan McGregor. But there have been reports of the actor wanting to retire, with speculation that Lucasfilm was using AI to replace Jones and use his voice for the future now confirmed. The actor himself seems to have approved the move, with the people behind the advanced technology saying he even offers them advice on it.

James Earl Jones – one of the most distinctive voices in the history of film – appears to have made steps to step back from voicing the Star Wars character, Darth Vader, after nearly 40 years in the role.

It looks like James Earl Jones will no longer be providing the voice of Darth Vader.

Amazon Studios has closed a three-year first look film deal with Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell’s Safehouse Pictures.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Yet another “Star Wars” series arrives on Disney+ today, this time a “prequel of a prequel” that centers around Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor following his home planet’s destruction and the rise of the Rebel Alliance. “Andor,” whose first three episodes premiered on the streamer on Sept. 21, stars Luna as the eponymous Rebel leader. It’s mostly set five years before the events of “Rogue One” with the exception of some flashback scenes tracing Andor’s childhood. Written by “Rogue One” co-writer Tony Gilroy, the series serves as an enthralling set-up to the dramatic mission that takes place in the 2016 film, which sees Cassian’s “Star Wars” legacy solidified when he successfully steals the Death Star plans.

Caroline Framke Chief TV Critic “Andor” is, both by design and circumstance, immediately different from its “Star Wars” television predecessors. Where “The Mandalorian,” “Boba Fett,” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” wove their biggest reveals into the larger fabric of the Lucasfilm universe, “Andor” doesn’t rush toward those moments that might make fans gasp out of pure recognition. Instead, it does something more surprising still: it tells the story of people who have nothing to do with Solos, Skywalkers or Palpatines, but whose lives matter nonetheless. Of course, at least part of the reason the series can take its time this way is because haunted hustler Cassian Andor (Diego Luna, also an executive producer) isn’t a brand-new character at all. As the reluctant hero of 2016’s “Rogue One,” which portrayed the rebel pilot mission to steal the Death Star plans which drive “A New Hope,” Cassian’s “Star Wars” legacy is already written. We already know Cassian’s life will eventually intersect with someone like rebel leader Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly, returning for more in-depth work in “Andor”). We already know his fate — dramatic and hopeful and unforgettable in those final minutes of “Rogue One” — and that it’s well and truly sealed.  

Is there a dark secret lurking behind your guilty pleasures? Hulu’s new series “Welcome to Chippendales” reveals the true story of adult entertainment’s best-known dance troupe. The project focuses on founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who would find success before becoming embroiled in a criminal scandal.

READ MORE: Everything we know about the Star Wars Andor series as Disney confirms new release dateThe Star Wars films kicked off with the original way back in 1977, followed by further movies, including prequels and sequels, and TV spin-offs. Over 45 years the franchise continued to pick up new fans.Beloved characters include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Princess Leia Han Solo.However, it's perhaps not widely known that another Star Wars favourite, Han Solo's wookie companion Chewbacca, was inspired by Lucas' pet dog, who was often sitting next to him as he wrote the films.He has told how the Alaskan Malamute, a large, hairy and sweet breed, was his own companion and that the pooch inspired him to give Hans Solo a sidekick.Also, Chewbacca’s name derives from sobaka, the Russian word for dog.Lucas explained: "I had an Alaskan Malamute when I was writing the film.“A very sweet dog, she would always sit next to me when I was writing.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. It’s a good time to be a Disney fan. This summer alone, the entertainment giant dropped dozens of highly anticipated titles — some of which have been in the works for years.There was the return of “Obi Wan Kenobi” at the end of May; “Ms. Marvel” in June; and come fall, we’ll be gifted with long-awaited sequels like the Sarah Jessica Parker-helmed “Hocus Pocus 2” and Amy Adams’ “Disenchanted” (yes, that’s “Enchanted 2”).Despite all the exciting developments slated for the rest of 2022, it’s never too late to celebrate the classics. To hold you over, shop through some of the best Disney merch on the market right now, inspired by your favorite films and characters — from the new “Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook” to an “Aladdin”-inspired diamond jewelry collection.  Celebrate the anticipated “Hocus Pocus 2,” in which Sarah Jessica Parker will reprise her role as Sarah, with this three-figure Funko Pop set featuring miniaturized versions of the Sanderson sisters. 

posted a photo of themselves wearing a fan-made shirt with human, hobbit and elf ears with different skin tones.Also included on the shirt is the mantra “You are all welcome here,” written in Elvish.Astin, who was not in the photo, shared a Twitter pic of himself wearing a hat with the same legend.“You Are All Welcome Here,” Wood, 41, captioned his photo.The “Lord of the Rings” show also released a statement regarding the racist attacks.You Are All Welcome Here @LOTRonPrime @DonMarshall72 #RingsOfPower https://t.co/8txOhlHa2f pic.twitter.com/nWytILT0zG“We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment and abuse some of our cast mates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis,” the statement reads.“We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”The statement goes on to say that “Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien created a world where people from different races and cultures existed, along with the hashtag #youarewelcomehere.“From Middle-earth to a galaxy far, far away… #YouAreAllWelcomeHere,” the official “Star Wars” account responded on Twitter.“Rings of Power” isn’t the only show to receive racist backlash over cast diversity.In June, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” actress Moses Ingram was also subject to racist trolls over her role as Reva.

Thania Garcia Surprise! BTS’ “Permission to Dance on Stage” Los Angeles concert is now available to stream on Disney+ worldwide. The streaming service is kicking off their annual Disney+ Day by unveiling the BTS concert film, which showcases the boy band’s string of shows at SoFi Stadium in late 2021, where the group took over for a four-night run. The concert film, produced by HYBE and directed by Sam Wrench and Junsoo Park, is said to be “stage-focused” and includes performances of the group’s biggest hits like “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” Tickets for BTS’ mini-residency at SoFi Stadium sold out immediately for all four nights and notched a historic boxscore total that, according to the Billboard Boxscore, was the largest gross for a run of shows at a single venue since 2012.