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SAG-AFTRA is objecting to the use of AI to regenerate the late James Earl Jones’ bass intonations of Darth Vader in Epic Games’ “Fortnite.”
SAG-AFTRA said the studio behind “Fortnite,” Epic-owned Llama Productions, “chose to replace the work of human performers with AI technology. Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.” As such, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Llama Productions.
Reps for Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jones, who died in 2024, had signed off an agreement to allow his archival voice recordings to recreate his ’ younger voice from his previous films for future Lucasfilm projects. Jones’ family had granted permission for the use of his voice in “Fortnite,” according to Epic Games. “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,” his 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 this iconic character.”
But SAG-AFTRA said “Fortnite’s” use of Jones’ AI-generated voice was not cleared by the union.
In its statement, the union said, “We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles. However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games.”
English (US) ·