Latest news with #voiceacting
Arab News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Manga Productions empowers Saudi voice actors with dubbing contest
JEDDAH: Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the Misk Foundation, has launched the Saudi Dialects Dubbing Contest to empower local voice talent and highlight the Kingdom's linguistic diversity. The initiative aims to create audio content that reflects Saudi society by celebrating its rich regional dialects, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The contest features scenes from the hit animated series 'Asateer2: Future's Folktales,' which has gained international acclaim with more than 150 million views across five continents and eight platforms. Participants are invited to dub using dialects from regions such as AlUla, Hail, Makkah, Jeddah, the Eastern Province, Qassim, Asir, Tabuk, and Jazan. The four-week contest will run through digital challenges, with active public participation on social media. The company aims to train aspiring voice actors under the guidance of its professional team. Outstanding contestants will be invited to join future Manga Productions projects, further boosting local creative talent. Sara Waldaddah, head of the creative department at Manga Productions, said the initiative aligns with the company's mission to support national talent and highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural and linguistic richness. She said that scenes from 'Asateer2: Future's Folktales' are ideal for the contest, as the series celebrates Saudi heritage through stories that reflect national values and encourage voice acting in native dialects. Waldaddah added that the goal is to transform this linguistic diversity into a creative force that reinforces the Kingdom's cultural identity and shares it with regional and global audiences. Abdulaziz Al-Muaina, head of marketing and communications at Manga Productions, highlighted the Kingdom's rich geographical and cultural diversity reflected in its many dialects. He said that the contest aims to showcase this diversity by providing a platform for Saudi voice talents to creatively celebrate the Kingdom's beauty and generosity. Participants are invited to submit voice recordings in local Saudi dialects by choosing a scene and uploading entries at Use of AI tools for voice generation or editing is strictly prohibited to ensure authentic submissions.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Princess Peach actor revealed, weeks after Nintendo got heat for breaking the recasting news to her old actor of 17 years on Mario Kart World's launch date
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. After Mario Kart World recast the long time voice actor for both characters, it's finally been revealed who the new voice actors for Princess Peach and Toad are. The Nintendo Switch 2 has brought big changes to the Super Mario series from a voice acting perspective. Of course, it started with Mario, Luigi, and the rest of Charles Martinet's roster being recast in one of the final big Nintendo Switch releases, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but Mario Kart World saw the end of Takashi Nagasako's run as Donkey Kong, with his replacement confirmed to be the Super Mario Bros. Movie's Japanese DK voice – Koji Takeda in Donkey Kong Bananza. It also saw Samantha Kelly be recast as Princess Peach and Toad. Now, well over a month after the game launched, it's finally confirmed who is taking over the reins of Peach and Toad. Last night, Courtney Lin announced on Twitter that they have taken over the role of Princess Peach and her baby variant in Mario Kart World. Lin has previously held roles in Genshin Impact, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Unicorn Overlord. Lin also recently took over the lead role as Panty Anarchy in the revival of classic anime Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. Lin said "Eternally grateful for Nintendo, for trusting me to help carry the legacy of this icon," adding, "These characters are so much bigger than ourselves. I am so honored and honestly can still hardly believe it. I have so much respect for all of the Peaches that came before me, especially the one I grew up with." However, Lin hasn't taken over all of Kelly's roles, as hours later, Paul Castro Jr. announced that he has taken on the mantle as some of the Toads in the series. Castro specifies that it's specifically the Male Toads, meaning Kelly's replacement for female Toad NPCs is still unknown. He also clarified that the playable Toad is a different voice actor, who is yet to be revealed. As for Toadette, Laura Stahl announced on Instagram that she is the new voice for the character. Stahl previously teamed up with Nintendo to play the female version of the protagonist Alear in Fire Emblem Engage. Presumably, the remaining voice actor replacements will announce their involvement in Mario Kart World soon, as it seems like the embargo on the information has been lifted in the last day. Move over Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza finally justifies my Nintendo Switch 2 purchase. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scarlett Johansson Talks About ‘One of the Hardest Films She Made'
Scarlett Johansson recently opened up about her most challenging film role during an interview. While promoting her latest project, Jurassic World Rebirth, the actress revealed which movies proved toughest to film as she reflected on clips from her notable works. The Black Widow star shared that her experience of working with Joaquin Phoenix in the 2013 film Her was one of the most challenging experiences. In her latest appearance on the South Korean show, You Quiz On the Block, Scarlett Johansson detailed why Her seemed like one of the toughest projects that she was a part of. She explained, 'It was one of the hardest films that we made because it was complicated.' Johansson further shared how they recorded her voice in the film. 'Sometimes I would record with [Joaquin Phoenix], sometimes I would record to the movie and do his performance… I would record to the movie,' Johansson added. Johansson gushed, 'It's interesting because as an actor, you have your voice, obviously, and you have your body. Those are the two tools you have to perform, and when you take one of those tools away, obviously you don't have your physicality; it's an interesting kind of challenge.' In Spike Jonze's directorial, Johansson portrays the role of Samantha, an artificially intelligent operating system. In the entire movie, viewers could only hear her voice and not see her. So, the Fly Me to the Moon star revealed how the voice acting role proved challenging. In another interview, Scarlett Johansson shared a different sort of tough experience for the 2003 film, Lost in Translation, which earned her a BAFTA Award for Best Actress. She dished to Vanity Fair about her co-star Bill Murray being in a 'hard place' while the filming went on. Johansson noted, 'Bill was in a hard place. Everybody was on tenterhooks around him, including our director and the full crew, because he was dealing with his…stuff.' Later, she met Murray at Saturday Night Live's 50th-anniversary special. Johansson revealed that her former co-star is 'such a different person now.' She added, 'I think life has humbled him.' Originally reported by Arpita Adhya on The post Scarlett Johansson Talks About 'One of the Hardest Films She Made' appeared first on Mandatory.
Malay Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
‘We put our bodies on the line': Video game actors win AI protections and pay raises after year-long Hollywood standoff
New contract includes AI consent and disclosure requirements Motion capture actors gain safety measures and medics for high-risk jobs Performers receive 15.17 per cent pay increase, with additional raises through 2027 LOS ANGELES, July 10 — Hollywood video game voice and motion capture actors signed a new contract with video game studios yesterday with a focus on artificial intelligence protections, the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, said in a press release, ending a near year-long strike. 'AI was the centrepiece of our proposal package,' video game voice actor and member of the negotiation committee Sarah Elmaleh told Reuters after the new agreement passed. Elmaleh, a voice actor for popular titles like 'Final Fantasy XV' and 'Call of Duty: Black Ops III,' said she knew it was crucial to ensure there was a baseline for how to ethically use AI in the gaming industry. The new protections include consent and disclosure requirements for AI digital replica use and the ability for performers to suspend consent for the generation of new material during a strike. 'This deal achieves important progress around AI protections, and progress is the name of the game,' SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in the guild's statement. The deal applies to video game studios Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games. The new Interactive Media Agreement, which goes into effect immediately, was approved by SAG-AFTRA members by a vote of 95.04 per cent to 4.96 per cent, ratifying the deal and ending the video game strike, which had been suspended pending ratification. The new contract also offers more performer safety measures, which was a specific concern for motion capture video game performers. 'There are folks who not only give their voices to these characters, but their bodies, and they put their bodies on the line for these characters,' Elmaleh said. Motion capture actors will have medics available during high-risk jobs. The deal also provides compounded increases in performer pay at a rate of 15.17 per cent upon ratification plus additional 3 per cent increases in November 2025, November 2026 and November 2027. The work stoppage of video game voice actors and motion-capture performers started following failed contract negotiations focused around AI-related protections for workers, bringing about another work stoppage in Hollywood following the dual writers' and actors' strikes in 2023. The strike brought a larger call to action across Hollywood as people in the industry advocate for a law that can protect them from AI risks. The NO FAKES Act, a bipartisan bill in Congress which would make it illegal to make an AI replica of someone's likeness and voice without their permission, has gained support from the SAG-AFTRA performers union, the Motion Picture Association, The Recording Academy and Disney. — Reuters
Reuters
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Industry video game actors pass agreement with studios for AI security
LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Reuters) - Hollywood video game voice and motion capture actors signed a new contract with video game studios on Wednesday with a focus on artificial intelligence protections, the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, said in a press release, ending a near year-long strike. "AI was the centerpiece of our proposal package," video game voice actor and member of the negotiation committee Sarah Elmaleh told Reuters after the new agreement passed. Elmaleh, a voice actor for popular titles like "Final Fantasy XV" and "Call of Duty: Black Ops III," said she knew it was crucial to ensure there was a baseline for how to ethically use AI in the gaming industry. The new protections include consent and disclosure requirements for AI digital replica use and the ability for performers to suspend consent for the generation of new material during a strike. "This deal achieves important progress around AI protections, and progress is the name of the game," SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in the guild's statement. The deal applies to video game studios Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games. The new Interactive Media Agreement, which goes into effect immediately, was approved by SAG-AFTRA members by a vote of 95.04% to 4.96%, ratifying the deal and ending the video game strike, which had been suspended pending ratification. The new contract also offers more performer safety measures, which was a specific concern for motion capture video game performers. "There are folks who not only give their voices to these characters, but their bodies, and they put their bodies on the line for these characters," Elmaleh said. Motion capture actors will have medics available during high-risk jobs. The deal also provides compounded increases in performer pay at a rate of 15.17% upon ratification plus additional 3% increases in November 2025, November 2026 and November 2027. The work stoppage of video game voice actors and motion-capture performers started following failed contract negotiations focused around AI-related protections for workers, bringing about another work stoppage in Hollywood following the dual writers' and actors' strikes in 2023. The strike brought a larger call to action across Hollywood as people in the industry advocate for a law that can protect them from AI risks. The NO FAKES Act, a bipartisan bill in Congress which would make it illegal to make an AI replica of someone's likeness and voice without their permission, has gained support from the SAG-AFTRA performers union, the Motion Picture Association, The Recording Academy and Disney.
