Tag: Star Wars

Navajo ‘Star Wars’ Cast, Set for July 3 Premiere

Indian Country Today Media Network

Casting for the Navajo-language version of Star Wars has completed, and Navajo Nation Museum director Manuelito Wheeler is confident in the selections. “All the people that were cast fit the voice perfectly and they gave awesome performances,” he said, according to the Navajo Times.

Several of those cast offered personal thoughts on the characters they are voicing. The actor chosen to play Obi-Wan Kenobi compared the old Jedi master to a Navajo medicine man, while the actress who’ll play Princess Leia said she felt that her own personality mirrored that of Carrie Fisher’s character. The actor chosen for Darth Vader is a coach at Rock Point High, and said that he identified with Vader’s leadership skills. The role of Han Solo — Star Wars‘ cocky “scoundrel” — went to James Junes of the comedy duo James and Ernie.

Radmilla Cody, former Miss Navajo Nation and a 2013 Grammy Nominee, auditioned — alas, unsuccessfully — for the part of Princess Leia. “It was quite the experience in the sense that it was fun, nerve wrecking, and exciting all at once!” she tells ICTMN. “At one point during the audition, I was reminded of the Miss Navajo pageant panel questions. I am excited for everyone involved especially Shi yazh Herman Cody who did the voice-over for Uncle Owen.”

Organizers are keeping the identity of the actor who’ll voice bronze protocol robot C-3PO a secret. According to AZCentral.com, some 115 Navajos attended the casting, which took place May 3 and 4. In all, 20 actors were chosen to lend their voices to the production, says Dan Bloom of TheWrap.com.

In a recent interview with NPR, Wheeler revealed some of the plans for the premiere. “The premiere sponsor that came forward was Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation,” Wheeler said. “They do that Navajo Nation Fair and the Fourth of July fair. So, I will premiere it at the Fourth of July celebration on July 3. We have a grandstand there on the fairgrounds and we are having a screen built on a semi-flatbed trailer. So, when we’re ready we’ll drive that out and set up chairs … and have popcorn for as many as we can make popcorn for.”

The following Navajo-speakers have been chosen:

Luke Skywalker: Terry Teller (Lukachukai, Arizona)
Princess Leia: Clarissa Yazzie (Layton, Utah)
Darth Vader: Marvin Yellowhair (Rough Rock, Arizona)
Han Solo: James Junes (Farmington, New Mexico)
Grand Moff Tarkin: James Bilagody (Tuba City, Arizona)
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Anderson Kee (Cottonwood, Arizona)
Aunt Beru: Elsa Johnson (Scottsdale, Arizona)
Uncle Owen: Herman Cody (Ganado, Arizona)
C-3PO: To Be Announced

 

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/06/12/navajo-star-wars-cast-set-july-3-premiere-149855

A coach as Vader?

Director unveils cast of Navajo ‘Star Wars’

 
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By Shondiin Silversmith
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK, May 23, 2013

T he Force proved to be strong with this group of Navajos as they earned the seven primary roles in the upcoming Navajo-language version of “Star Wars.”

Terry Teller, of Lukachukai, Ariz. will be the voice of Luke Skywalker.

“It is pretty pretty awesome,” Teller said happily, adding that he enjoyed the audition because it required him to really act. “Since it was going to be the first movie in Navajo I wanted it to be the best,” he said. “I challenged myself to play the role, as it needs to be. It was hard because I have never done anything like that before.”

Anderson Kee of Cottonwood, Ariz. will be the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Kee said the way the Obi-Wan Kenobi talks about the Force in the movie reminds him of a Navajo medicine man, especially when he says the words in Navajo.

“It was a new experience for me,” he said.

Clarissa Yazzie of Rock Point, Ariz. will be the voice of Princess Leia.

Yazzie said she enjoys Princess Leia’s sarcastic and dominating personality because she feels that her personality closely resembles Leia’s.

“I was excited to just be a part of the whole experience,” she said.

James Junes of Farmington, N.M. is the voice of Han Solo – and one of the very few experienced actors to win a part. Junes is part of the comedy team James and Ernie, and has had roles in low-budget films on the Navajo Nation.

Marvin Yellowhair of N.M. is the voice of Darth Vader.

Yellowhair said he wanted to be Darth Vader because he is the main character he remembers from Star Wars, mostly due to the fact that the villain is always in control and he is a leader. He said it related to him as a coach at Rock Point High.

“It felt so good being involved with this project,” he said.

James Bilagody of Ariz., another experienced performer, is the voice of General Tarkin.

The Navajo voice of C-3PO is a “surprise,” said director Ellyn Stern Epcar. “It will be unveiled on July third.”

“All the people that were cast fit the voice perfectly and they gave awesome performances,” said Manuelito Wheeler, Navajo Nation Museum director. “The directors, they chose the right people.”

Epcar is from Epcar Entertainment, a company based out of Los Angeles, Calif. She was hired under Deluxe Entertainment to direct the dubbed film. She said she has been doing this type of work for over 30 years.

“This isn’t a film this is about saving a language, this is about preserving a language,” said Epcar of the Navajo-dubbed Star Wars. “This takes on more importance of anything I’ve ever done. I feel profoundly humbled to be a part of this.”