Respeecher is the same company that was behind Luke Skywalker’s voice in “The Book of Boba Fett,” so it already had an existing relationship with Lucasfilm, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year severely complicated matters when it came to “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Its synthetic-speech artists were still wrapping up work on the series even as Russian soldiers were crossing over into Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Needless to say, this serves as a sobering reminder of real-world events playing out not only in tandem with but behind the very scenes of the entertainment we consume.
Matthew Wood, the supervising sound editor for Skywalker Sound, said Jones acted as “a benevolent godfather” overseeing Respeecher’s work on Vader’s voice for “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” “He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” Wood said. According to the report, however, they made sure to “inform the actor about their plans for Vader and heed his advice on how to stay on the right course.”
Jones famously overcame a childhood stuttering impediment to develop one of the most well-known voices in movie history. He also voiced Mufasa in “The Lion King,” in addition to playing live-action roles in films like “Coming to America.” Some “Star Wars” fans may have already consigned themselves to him retiring from the Darth Vader role due to his age, but now we have official confirmation that Jones is passing the baton, and all that remains to be said is: may the Force be with you, sir.
