One of the main actors in Peter Jackson’s trilogy will lend his voice to a well-known character from the Lord of the Rings in the animated film The Rohirrim War. However, he has been dead for several years already, and artificial intelligence has not even been used to bring him back to life.
Among the influential wizards of Middle-earth, the name of Gandalf regularly arises as the supreme wizard. But another wise man, much more evil, also has a crucial role in the intrigues of the Lord of the Rings : the famous Saruman, played by actor Christopher Lee in Peter Jackson’s trilogy.
It turns out that the voice of the actor, who unfortunately died in 2015, will soon be used in the license’s next animated film, The Rohirrim Warwhich is scheduled for release on December 11, 2024 in theaters. But by what magic will its unique timbre be brought back to life? Certainly not thanks to AI.
The Rohirrim War : a highly anticipated film
As soon as the project was announced, The Rohirrim War had something to delight fans, with the return of Éowyn as narrator, the female character of Hèra at the heart of the story and the presence of Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) as well as Philippa Boyens (co-writer of Peter Jackson’s two trilogies) at the helm.
If the reappearance of Saruman the White had already been announced, further details were given during New York Comic Con, which was held from October 17 to 20, 2024. It was on this occasion that Philipa Boyens confirmed that Christopher Lee would lend his voice to the character, using vocal archives from his previous performances. The producer claimed that this decision was taken following a letter received from the actor, before his death in 2015, as well as discussions with his wife, Birgit Kroencke.
Reuniting Christopher Lee and Saruman, without AI
To bring Christopher Lee back from the dead, The Rohirrim War will benefit from lines of dialogues recorded by the actor pour The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Philippa Boyens explained that she was able to delve into these archives, Gizmodo reports : “I was able to hear his voice again, not only during the dubbing, but also in discussions he had with us during recording. »
It all started with a simple sentence from Saruman to Galadriel in The Hobbitin which he asks her “Do you need assistance, miss?” »during their meeting with the Necromancer, in Dol Guldur. The creators of The Rohirrim War thus used the multiple takes of this line of dialogue, in particular, to bring Christopher Lee and Saruman together again.
At a time when AI is heavily criticized in artistic circles and has already been used to controversially bring deceased actors back to life, this filming anecdote reminds us that, sometimes, nothing beats authenticity . Note that dubbing in the French version will also raise questions since Michel Le Royer, who gave his voice to Christopher Lee in French, also died in 2022. Will another actor then be chosen to replace him? The mystery remains, for the moment.
Source: www.numerama.com
