Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman ... Padmé Amidala
Hayden Christensen ... Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Christopher Lee ... Count Dooku
Samuel L. Jackson ... Mace Windu
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
Ian McDiarmid ... Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
Jimmy Smits ... Senator Bail Organa
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
Ahmed Best ... Jar Jar Binks
Dave Bowers ... Mas Amedda
Graeme Blundell ... Ruwee Naberrie
Silas Carson ... Ki-Adi-Mundi/Nute Gunray
Kee Chan ... Senator
Joel Edgerton ... Owen Lars
Chantal Freer ... Elle
Christopher Kirby ... Giddean Danu
Rebecca Jackson Mendoza ... Royal Leader
Jay Laga'aia ... Captain Typho
Ling Bai ... Bana Breemu
Rohan Nichol ... Captain Wilhuf Tarkin
Genevieve O'Reilly ... Mon Mothma
Warren Owens ... Fang Zar
Matt Rowan ... Orn Free Taa
Bruce Spence ... Helpful Alien
Bodie Taylor ... Younger Clone Troopers
Kristy Wright ... Motee
Orli Shoshan ... Shaak Ti
Mary Oyaya ... Luminara Unduli
Nalini Krishan ... Barriss Offee
Matt Sloan ... Plo Koon
Kenji Oates ... Saesee Tiin
Mimi Daraphet ... Bultar Swan
Tux Akindoyeni ... Agen Kolar
Lily Nyamwasa ... Stass Allie
Sandi Finlay ... Sly Moore
Caroline De Souza ... Bail Organa's Aide
Paul Nicholson ... Po Nudo
Olive Levi ... Senator Fema Baab
Paul Spence ... Ask Aak
Marty Wetherill ... Passel Argente
Coinneach Alexander ... A Jedi Padawan
Josh Canning ... A Jedi Knight
Keisha Castle-Hughes ... Regal Leader
Dominique Chionchio ... A Jedi Knight
Ben Cooke ... Kit Fisto
Paul Davies ... Mon Calamarian Senator
Axel Dench ... A Wookie
Malcolm Eager ... A Naboo Guard
Lawrence Foster ... Blue Senate Guard
Nick Gillard ... Jedi Extra
Peter Jackson ... Blue Senate Guard
Claudia Karvan ... Sola Naberrie
Ali Keshavji ... Fire Ship Pilot
Michael Kingma ... A Wookie
Gervais Koffi ... A Jedi Knight
Jason MacPhee ... A Naboo Guard
Mousy McCallum ... A Jedi Padawan
Hayley Mooy ... Pooja Naberrie
Temuera Morrison ... Older Clone Troopers
Rena Owen ... Senator
Hamish Roxburgh ... A Naboo Guard
Lisa Shaunessy ... A Senator
Holly Stringer ... A Handmaiden
Sandy Thompson ... Rune Haako
Colin Ware ... Neimoidian Pilot/Gunray & Haako's Aide
Aliyah Williams ... A Jedi Knight
Keira Wingate ... Ryoo Naberrie
Behind the camera:
Director: George Lucas
Screenwriters:
Jonathan Hales, George Lucas
Producers: George Lucas, Rick MacCallum
Plot:
As the Clone War continues, Anakin Skywalker finds himself dangerously close to the Dark Side of the Force and comes into conflict with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
UPDATE:
From: Cinema Confidential: McGregor talks "Attack of the Clones". Catherine at Empire Online writes in to inform us of an
interview they did with Ewan McGregor. In the process, they talked about "Episode II - Attack of the Clones," due out this May. "Episode 1 had to do a
lot of work to set up all the political stuff with the Senate - and with a children's movie you have to be careful with all that stuff. This
time there's more of a spirit of the first three. It's definitely hotting up." One of the good things about the script for "Episode II" is that it's got a
lighter tone. "There was a big sigh of relief that we were able to get a lot more humor into it," Ewan adds, "Although I don't know about the Jedi
mullet."
UPDATE:
StarWars.com (http://www.starwars.com) has posted a new "Making of" documentary
entitled "Bucket Head," which talks about introducing Jango Fett and a young Boba Fett into the prequel trilogy. You can head
directly to the site address by clicking on the link below.
Meanwhile, TheForce.net (http://www.theforce.net) is reporting that the full-length trailer for
"Episode II - Attack of the Clones" is likely to be attached to copies of "Ice Age," opening March 15th. This follows
closely with the pattern that Lucasfilm went with in 1999 for "Episode I," with the full trailer being released in March.
"Ice Age" is a family, all CG-animated picture and is also being distributed by the same studio responsible for "Star
Wars," 20th Century Fox.
Moviehole.net
has an interview producer Rick MacCallum conducted with Australia's Empire magazine, to which he commented a little bit about "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones."
Regarding Hayden showing his dark side, MacCallum said, "I don't think anything has happened in Hayden's personal life that has manifested itself in that way, but there is definitely an instinct he understands, something about the downward spiral, that he taps in to. You'll see it. It doesn't manifest itself in this film completely - obviously that happens in Episode III - but there are many, many hints that something is not quite right with this boy."
And regarding what will surely be everyone's favorite bad guy this year, Jango Fett, "He's the ultimate accessory dude. Forget all the bulls**t we know today - colour mobile phones - this dude knows how to party. He comes to it with everything. He's my favourite, he's my dream - the ability to walk into a studio meeting with the gear on and say 'Dude, I've got an idea'. If one of those young punks start with, "Well, Rick..." BOOM! I would just open up...I can't tell you what I would open up, but it would be brilliant."
UPDATE:
In an interview with Empire Online (http://www.empireonline.co.uk), Hayden Christensen talked about what it was like trying to figure out who Anakin Skywalker is.
"Because of the fact that I'm more or less creating a character arc over the course of these two films, the second of which I really have no idea about, which makes it difficult at times," he said.
"Obviously you try to incorporate certain sensibilities that justify where I am now and what's to follow, to justify becoming Darth Vader. So a lot of it was a collaborative process with [director] George [Lucas]. He doesn't want to say, 'Here's the script, take what you want and go do it.' It's not that at all. He definitely says, 'Maybe you want to do this scene a little bit more like this, because in the next one, we're just going to add this into this.'" As for turning evil, he added, "Oh yeah, that's where the fun is. That's where you get to play--where you get to be imaginative with what you're exploring. It's easier in a lot of ways to play something more aggressive, more in tune with the dark side."
UPDATE:
Entertainment Weekly is breaking the news that the full-length "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," which will clock in at two and a half minutes in length, will debut not on the big-screen, but on television in between the March 10th episodes of "Malcolm in the Middle" and "The X-Files" on the FOX TV network, which would be roughly 9 P.M. Eastern Time.
Those wanting to see it in theaters can wait until March 15th, where it will be attached to copies of "Ice Age," 20th Century Fox's new animated CGI feature
UPDATE:
StarWars.com (http://www.starwars.com) has posted Part 10 to their series of their behind-the-scenes look at "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and for any Star Wars fan, this is a must see.
"Part 10" is subtitled "Good to G.O." and talks about the one thing we all love about Star Wars: Lightsabers.
UPDATE:
'Star Wars' Force Helps Restore Movie Industry Hope
Thu Mar 7, 2002
By Bob Tourtellotte
LAS VEGAS - The Force is with them -- movie theater owners, that is, as well as Jedi Knights.
A major meeting of theater owners joined the current enthusiasm for an economic recovery in 2002 on Thursday with predictions of bullish business
prospects and a blockbuster summer led by the new "Star Wars" and "Spider-Man" movies.
"We're very bullish about the future of theatrical exhibition," Peter Chernin, Chief Executive Officer of the Fox Entertainment Group with its 20th
Century Fox movie studio, told conventioneers earlier in the week.
Many of the theater owners attending the annual ShoWest convention this week are survivors of cut throat competition and increased spending to build new
movie houses in the late 1990s. Those years led most large U.S. chains into bankruptcy and many smaller, family-run businesses to their demise.
But the business battled back in 2001 with a record $8.4 billion box office and a 5 percent rise in admissions to 1.5 billion people, thus helping some
large chains recover from their bankruptcy wounds.
Theater owners and equipment suppliers, in general, shared Chernin's enthusiasm, although some of the local and regional chain owners remain
concerned about the high number of screens and competition for box office sales from the large chains.
Mark Kamiyama, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Pacer Cats, a maker of point-of-sale computer displays, said in the last two years
conventioneers had walked with heads down to avoid eye-contact with various companies selling products from $30,000 projectors to 50 cent popcorn.
But that has changed. Kamiyama said his company has written three or four large deals here at the convention, a dramatic improvement over last year.
"There is a different energy, you can feel it," he said.
SUMMER REINFORCEMENTS
Fortified by 2001, theater owners are looking ahead to the summer start on May 3 with Columbia Pictures' "Spider-Man," with Tobey Maguire playing the
high-rising comic book hero, and Fox's "Stars Wars: Episode 2 -- Attack of the Clones," on May 16.
They aren't the only films, though, being hyped by movie studios. New Line Cinema has a new "Austin Powers" spy spoof ready for July, and DreamWorks
will put up its animated "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" for the Memorial Day holiday.
Paramount has submarine adventure "K19: The Widowmaker," and MGM showed off World War II Epic "Windtalkers." For older audiences in May, Universal
Studios screened comedy "About a Boy," with Hugh Grant playing a 38-year-old single man whose life is changed through a friendship with a
12-year-old boy.
Summer is the most lucrative period for the movie industry because the youthful core audience is out of school, and in general, people have more
time for leisure activities. There's little doubt that 20th "Star Wars: Episode 2 -- Attack of the Clones," will be one of this year's smash hits.
In 1999, "Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace," in 1999, hauled in some $922 million worldwide, blasting the industry toward a record box
office.
Producer Rick McCallum showed early footage for "Clones" with the familiar faces from "Phantom Menace," although young Anakin Skywaker (Hayden
Christensen) has grown older and become a Jedi Knight alongside Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Director George Lucas again has raised the bar for digital special effects with futuristic cities teaming with aliens, and McCallum urged audiences to
see the film in a theater equipped with a digital projection system.
DIGITAL CINEMA SLOW TO ROLL OUT
That could be difficult, however. In recent years Digital Cinema, with its crisp pictures and bright colors promised by digital projection systems, has
been slow to roll out due to its cost and technology issues, as well as the industry slump.
Despite the optimism on the ShoWest convention floor and the apparent loosening of owners' pocketbooks, Digital Cinema is still two or more years
away from widespread adoption across the United States, industry sources and conventioneers said.
"Yes, the industry seems strong again, but that doesn't mean Digital Cinema starts tomorrow ... it's going to happen when it's right and not before,"
said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners.
Still, companies like Texas Instruments Inc., Boeing Co. and Technicolor Digital Systems, a venture of Technicolor and Qualcomm Inc., are tuning up
their business plans. And photography giant Eastman Kodak Co. entered the arena this year.
Elsewhere, owners of small chains like Chicago-based Nova Cinetech worry the number of screens operated by large chains will hurt their own revenues.
Also, as with last summer, many big movies will likely open on a wide number of screens then quickly close. That cuts into theater owner profits.
Still, the family-owned and regional chains say they have a secret weapon, the corporates can't match. "People are walking away from megaplexes because
it's impersonal," said George Smiley, co-owner of Nova Cinetech.
So, after several years blanketed by darkness, a light called profits is shining on theater owner fortunes. If the "Star Wars" Force can do what it
has in the past, then all will be good in movie Empire -- at least for the early summer.
UPDATE:
TheForce.net (http://www.theforce.net) has posted a listing of songs from the "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" score, with music written and composed by John Wiliams. The song titles contain SPOILERS so read with caution:
1. Star Wars Main Title and Ambush On Coruscant
2. Across The Stars (Love Theme from Star Wars Episode 2)
3. Zam The Assassin and The Chase Through Coruscant
4. Yoda And The Younglings
5. Departing Coruscant
6. Anakin and Padme 7. Jango's Escape
8. The Meadow Picnic
9. Bounty Hunter's Pursuit
10. The Tusken Camp and The Homestead
11. Love Pledge and The Arena 12. Confrontation With Count Dooku and Finale
UPDATE:
Thousands of Star Wars Enthusiasts to Gather at Celebration II in Indianapolis -- The Largest Star Wars Event in the Galaxy
Fan Event Marks 25th Anniversary of the Original Star Wars Film and the Release of the Highly-Anticipated Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2002-- Lucasfilm today announced that thousands of Star Wars fans from around the world will gather in Indianapolis, Indiana May 3-5 for Star Wars Celebration II, the largest get-together of Star Wars fans ever, to celebrate the release of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, which opens in theaters around the world May 16. The fan convention, produced by Wizards of the Coast, will also honor the 25th anniversary of the first film in the epic saga, Star Wars: A New Hope, first released in May 1977. More than 370,000 square feet of the Indiana Convention Center will be filled with hundreds Star Wars-related exhibits, displays, and events, which will make Star Wars Celebration II a special gathering for fans to express and share their enthusiasm for the Star Wars movies. Star Wars Celebration II will offer hundreds of activities, displays, and demonstrations. The event is sponsored by Suncoast, the store for movie lovers. Celebrities from all five Star Wars films will attend Celebration II, including Hayden Christensen, who plays gifted but rebellious 20-year-old Anakin Skywalker in Episode II; Master of Ceremonies Anthony Daniels, loved by millions of Star Wars fans around the world for his portrayal of the fussy protocol droid C-3PO; Carrie Fisher, who endeared herself to fans as the spirited Rebel leader, Princess Leia; Temuera Morrison, the New Zealand actor who plays Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones; Peter Mayhew, who starred as Han Solo's devoted Wookiee companion, Chewbacca; and many others from the Star Wars saga. ``Star Wars Celebration II is a unique and interactive three-day experience that allows fans to celebrate and take part in 25 years of Star Wars history,'' said Steve Sansweet, director of Content Management and head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm Ltd. ``This will be more fun for fans and families than anything else I can think of -- except, of course, for the first viewing of a new Star Wars movie.'' A number of activities will keep guests immersed in fun over the entire three days. Among the highlights are the Star Wars 25th Anniversary Concert featuring an evening of five-time Academy Award winner John Williams' stirring music from the Star Wars films, presented by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis and the Circle City Chorus. A Costume Contest will provide fans a highlight for their favorite and most accurate replicas of Star Wars attire and gear. Daniels, whose metallic gold C-3PO suit is one of the most recognized icons of the Stars Wars fantasy, will be onstage to introduce each creation. The Star Wars Archive Exhibit will feature props, costumes, and models from Episode II and from all the films in the saga. Curated by the Lucasfilm Archives staff, the Celebration II Archive Exhibit will capture the creative talents of the artists while celebrating the sweeping spirit of the Star Wars saga. The Star Wars in Pop Culture film room will showcase special video clips, trailers, cartoons, Star Wars music videos, and more. Collectors and fans can take a walk down memory lane as they browse the Star Wars Toy Museum sponsored by Hasbro. The huge display will feature all the Star Wars figures and vehicles produced throughout the past 25 years. There is also a separate collectibles programming track and auction. The Fan Film Awards ceremony will honor the creativity of fan films based on the Star Wars saga. A Star Wars Kids' Room will provide nonstop activities for youngsters and their families, including a chance to learn how to create Star Wars-like creatures from artists who worked on the films. Other activities include a theatrical presentation of a hilarious Star Wars in 30 Minutes, a computer gaming area, roleplaying and trading card game activities, and much more. For more information on Star Wars Celebration II visit www.starwarscelebration.com. Celebration II will be open to the public daily beginning Friday, May 3, from 10-8pm, Saturday 9-8pm and Sunday 9-4pm. The event will take place at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. This full-service convention and entertainment facility is located near Indianapolis' downtown hotels. Tickets are available online at www.starwarscelebration.com until April 19 then can be purchased at the Indiana Convention Center May 3-5. Registration fees are as follows: Three-day adult pass: $75 Three-day child pass: $35 One-day adult pass: $30 One-day child pass: $15 Admission is free for children six years and under. For more information, the public can call 866/334-JEDI. Event sponsor Suncoast will showcase its many Star Wars collectibles including exclusive leather-bound copies of the novelization of Attack of the Clones autographed by the author, R.A. Salvatore. Only 500 books will be printed, and they will all be for sale at the Suncoast booth. Throughout the weekend, Suncoast also will host several Star Wars author book signings including Salvatore, Troy Denning, Aaron Allston, Daniel Wallace, James Luceno and Mark Cotta Vaz. Suncoast stores are operated by the Minneapolis-based Musicland Group. The Musicland Group, a leading retailer of entertainment software products, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY - news). As of March 31, 2002, The Musicland Group operated 1,320 retail stores in 49 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands under the names Sam Goody, Suncoast, Media Play and On Cue. In addition to its four store formats, Musicland also operates four commercial Web sites including: SamGoody.com, Suncoast.com, MediaPlay.com and OnCue.com. Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the leading independent film and entertainment companies in the world. Lucasfilm's businesses include George Lucas' film and television production and distribution activities as well as the business activities of the THX Group. Lucasfilm's feature films have won 19 Oscars and received 52 Academy Award nominations, and its television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards. For more information on Star Wars, visit starwars.com. Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. (NYSE:HAS - news), is the worldwide market share leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories. Wizards of the Coast is a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products, as well as the owner and operator of one of the nation's largest specialty game retail chains. The company holds an exclusive patent on the play mechanics of trading card games (TCGs) and produces the world's best-selling Pokemon® and Magic: The Gathering® TCGs. Wizards of the Coast is also one of the world's leading fantasy and science fiction book publishers and is a publisher of adventure games such as the classic Dungeons & Dragons® games, family card and board games and electronic media products. Headquartered near Seattle, Washington, Wizards of the Coast has international offices in Antwerp, Paris, Milan, London and Beijing. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit the company's website and electronic retail store at www.wizards.com. Star Wars Celebration II is sponsored by Suncoast Motion Picture Company. Hasbro is an official co-sponsor of Star Wars Celebration II. The Star Wars trading card game is an official co-sponsor of Star Wars Celebration II. Lucas Arts is the official electronic game sponsor of Star Wars Celebration II. Master Replicas is the official sponsor of the Collectibles program for Star Wars Celebration II. Klipsch Audio Technologies is the official sponsor of the 25th Anniversary Star Wars Symphonic Concert for Star Wars Celebration II. Frito-Lay is the official sponsor of the Young Jedi Training for Star Wars Celebration II. ITT Technical Education is the official costume contest sponsor for Star Wars Celebration II. Star Wars and Indiana Jones(c)2001 Lucasfilm Ltd. & (R) or (TM) where indicated. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Pokemon is a registered trademark of Nintendo. Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc.
UPDATE:
'Star Wars' Faithful Camp Out for 'Clones'
Fri Apr 5, (Variety) - The waiting officially began Thursday with "Star Wars" devotees launching their line for the May 16 opening of "Episiode II -- Attack of the Clones" outside the Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
By late afternoon, half a dozen fans had joined the line at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Street. The group plans to pass the next six weeks by talking about "Star Wars" with passers-by, taking calls from the news media on a nearby pay phone and raising funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation. "We never run out of things to do," said a cheerful Rik Carter, who also stood in the same line for six weeks prior to the opening of "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" in 1999. "The phone never stops ringing."
UPDATE:
Star Wars Fans in Line for 'Episode II'
Thu Apr 11,10:08 Writer A handful of die-hard "Star Wars" fans already have started lining up to see the next movie in the sci-fi saga — more than a month before it opens.
"We're just really persistent people," said Luis Lecca, a martial arts instructor who has spent eight hours a day waiting and braving hecklers. "We see something we want to do and we do it."
About a week ago, about 70 fans pitched camp near the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theater, where the original "Star Wars" premiered in 1977.
They'll wait there in shifts to see the first show when "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" opens May 16.
The ritual began in 1999 when fans, some from as far as Australia, organized to form a ticket line six weeks before the last film in the series opened, said event organizer Peter Genovese, a 26-year-old college student.
Participants earn time on the line. The amount of time each spends waiting determines their position in the final line when tickets are sold, Genovese said.
Members of the group also are required to donate least $50 for the Starlight Children's Foundation, a nonprofit organization working with seriously ill children and their families.
When the last film in the series, "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," premiered in 1999, a line of 150 people collected about $25,000 for the charity, Genovese said.
Among six people lounging on the street Wednesday was Steve Elms, a computer network operator. Keeping contact with his boss through a cellular phone, he plans to camp out for the first week and the final week.
"I have no place else to go," said Elms, 39. "It's just fun sitting on Hollywood Boulevard watching the freaks and the tourists walk by."
It's not been announced when tickets for "Attack of the Clones" will go on sale.
In between trips for fast food and late-night debates on the intricacies of the "Star Wars" films, Noel Lamothe already is busy making plans for another cinematic outing.
"We're already talking about (a line in) 2005 for 'Episode III,'" he said.
UPDATE:
Time Magazine Movie Review and Interview with George Lucas
After seeing a rough cut of the film and reading the script, we can say that Clones seems poised to get the series back on track—and provide an exhilarating two hours of serious fun. It should easily ace the last movie in chills (when two icky centipedal creatures called "kouhuns" crawl into the sleeping Padme's bed) and thrills (when Anakin and Obi-Wan drag-race the changeling Zam Wessel across Coruscant's wonderfully varied urban nightscape).
Clones is populated with hundreds of computer-generated creatures, from new digital stars like the four-armed diner chef Dexter Jettster to familiars like Yoda, Watto the Junkman—and that vexing critter Jar Jar Binks, around whom the disappointment in Phantom Menace crystallized. Lucas blames the anti-Jar Jar sentiment on "37-year-old guys who spend all their time on the Internet. But you have to remember that when we did The Empire Strikes Back, some people hated C-3PO. When we did Jedi, they just loathed the Ewoks. There was no Internet to jazz it up, but there was the same conversation. Fans are very opinionated, and that's good. But I can't make a movie for fans." Nonetheless, Jar Jar has a far less prominent role this time. In movie theaters you will hear a cheer from Binks-ophobes when, as he launches into an anecdote, Padme cursorily cuts him off.
Rick McCallum confirmed rumors that Hugh Jackman will be
"involved" with this EP3.
UPDATE:
Natalie Portman has confirmed that Padme will be
pregnant for much of Episode III. That the babies were coming isn't a surprise, but this bit of details nails down the timeframe of
Episode IIIto the time around the birth of Luke and Leia.
UPDATE:
SCIFI.com (http://www.scifi.com) reports that David Prowse would be interested in playing Darth Vader again in "Star Wars: Episode III" should he be offered the role again. Prowse donned the Vader costume in all three of the original "Star Wars" films.
"I would love to reprise the Darth Vader role," Prowse told Reuters. "If I am 100 percent physically able, and they offer the part to someone else, I would be very disappointed."
Prowse, 66, has suffered through a number of health problems, however. He is scheduled to have a hip operation in September. "I should be walking properly by Christmas and can get back into the gym and training. I am going to surprise them all next year," he said. He added, "If Christopher Lee [who plays Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones] can handle a lightsaber at the age of 80, then so can I."
UPDATE:
Lucas talks "Star Wars: Episode III"; Neeson to return?
(From Cinema Confidential)
In an interview with Starlog Magazine posted on TheForce.net (http://www.theforce.net), George Lucas revealed that it was, indeed, Liam Nesson's voice as Qui-Gonn Jinn you hear in "Star Wars: Episode II" and that it sets up for something in "Episode III."
"All I can really say is that you’ll find out [more] in the next film," Lucas said. "If you thought really hard, you would probably be able to figure it out, but it really is a set-up for the next film. It’s connected with the whole ability to be brought into and become a part of the Force, but still be able to retain YOUR ability – which, up to this point, Anakin couldn’t do. We talked to Liam about [recording new dialogue], and we went back and forth [about it]. This [dialogue] is something we already had [from Menace]. Next time will be a little more complicated. "
Lucas also talked about the scene where Anakin will put on the Darth Vader helmet. "The scene where Anakin does actually become Vader is pretty good [as written in Lucas’ Episode III outline]. I mean, I like it. It’s a little in the vocabulary of…I don’t know how much I want to give away…but it’s in the vocabulary of a time – of the 1930s and 1940s. It’s a pretty neat little thing, I think, and hopefully it’s going to work."
Finally, Lucas revealed that Boba Fett will be back but don't expect to see him wearing the jet pack. “Boba WILL be in Episode III, but his role definitely won’t be larger. He’s in a transition period of becoming a bounty hunter. The next film takes place two or three years later, so Boba would only be 13 and still wouldn’t fit in the suit."
UPDATE:
No Hugh Jackman in Episode III
Friday, August 2, 2002
Star Wars: Episode III producer Rick McCallum ended the speculation that Hugh Jackman might star in the third prequel. Posting on the official Star Wars website, he stated...
No, we haven't spoken to him.
I've heard the recordings on the net of a fan asking me that question at Celebration II in Indianapolis. What happened was that I couldn't hear the question, even when he repeated it, and the moderator said to me, "I think he's asking about Sio Bibble (Oliver Ford Davies)," so I replied, "Yes, as of now" or something like that
I didn't realize he was asking about Hugh Jackman. That's a question I misunderstood.
UPDATE:
Production is scheduled to start in January, 2003. Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia will be where much of the set work is done. Other possibilities are Italy (Naboo) and Tunisia (Tattoine).
UPDATE:
James Earl Jones To Become Darth Vader's Voice Again
James Earl Jones has told the Toronto Sun that he has signed to become the voice of Darth Vader again for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode III. The next -- and final -- prequel will reportedly tell about Anakin Skywalker's transition to the evil half-man/half-robot who rallies the Dark Side. Jones said that producer/writer/director George Lucas told him: "When Anakin goes bionic -- that will be in the last five minutes of Episode 3 -- they will hear you."
UPDATE:
From
Yahoo Movies: In the fall of 2003 and the spring of 2004, the Cartoon Network will be airing a series of 3-minute shorts, 20 in all, called "The Clone Wars", which will eventually be released on DVD as a 60-minute serial-style epic. The storyline of the epic that those 20 shorts will form will be set in between Episode II and this film, with George Lucas giving the producers very specific guidelines of what they can (and can't) cover in those 60 minutes... but it sounds like they've got a fairly broad canvas to adapt otherwise.
UPDATE:
StarWars.com officially announced Wednesday that Peter Mayhew has signed on to reprise his role as Chewbacca from the original trilogy.
UPDATE:
Yahoo.com: Expect this film to see Anakin completely changing into Darth Vader, the rise of the Empire, the end of the Clone Wars, the fall of the Republic, the scattering of the Jedi, etc... it's going to seem pretty "down". There will also be the little rays of light, though, such as the introduction of Luke and Leia as infants. This movie starts three years after the ending of Episode II, during a massive battle that is part of the final days of the Clone Wars.
UPDATE:
Preliminary production is scheduled to start in June, 2003 (pushed back five months from January) at the Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia.
UPDATE:
Production started on June 30th, 2003 at the Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, but the bulk of the actors aren't expected to be showing up until later in 2003. Other possibilities for location work are Italy (Naboo) and Tunisia (Tattoine). The original target for the start of production was January, 2003.
Star Wars movie-maker George Lucas is insisting all the characters in the new sci-fi sequel sport shaggy seventies-style haircuts - so they look like the stars of the original films. Star Wars: Episode III actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, currently shooting the final installment on set in New South Wales, Australia, are showing off unfashionable "mullet" hairdos - because they were trendy when the first Star Wars film was made in 1977. An onset source explains, "The idea is that it will lead seamlessly on to the original Star Wars movie, starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, which was filmed in the Seventies and had certain hallmarks of that era. It's a bid for continuity. They are trying to capture the shaggy look that was popular then."
UPDATE:
Star Wars: Episode III Filming Reaches Halfway Point
StarWars.com Friday, August 8, 2003
According to the official "Star Wars" site, filming on Star Wars: Episode III has reached the halfway point. Many of the supporting cast members have completed their summer commitment on the film, and have departed from Sydney to move onto other projects. Additional shooting with some of these performers is scheduled for next year.
Samuel L. Jackson completed his shooting as Mace Windu, and Ahmed Best has finished as Jar Jar Binks. Also done are Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa, and Christopher Lee as Count Dooku. Completing their roles as Senators are Kee Chan, Rena Owen, Genevieve O'Reilly, Christopher Kirby and Warren Owens. Rebecca Jackson Mendoza has also completed her part. Peter Mayhew has finished his costume tests, and has returned to the United States. He will shoot his scenes as Chewbacca next year.
Next week, Natalie Portman, Anthony Daniels and Jay Laga'aia complete their work.
UPDATE:
The official Star Wars: Episode III site says that though the first phase of principal photography is drawing to a close, there are still supporting cast members joining the final Star Wars film. Three members of a loving family will return to the saga, though their previous appearance was only made public thanks to the DVD release of "Episode II". Claudia Karvan, Hayley Mooy and Keira Wingate will return as members of the Naberrie family. Claudia Karva will again play Padmé Amidala's sister, Sola Naberrie. Child actors Hayley Mooy and Keira Wingate will again appear as Pooja and Ryoo Naberrie, respectively, daughters of Sola. The family's brief appearance in "Episode II" was cut from the theatrical release, but included as deleted scenes on the DVD.
UPDATE:
Lucas Completes Filming Final 'Star Wars' Episode
22 September 2003
George Lucas completed principal photography of Star Wars: Episode 3 at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, Thursday and embarked on 18 months of post-production, the Australian Associated Press reported over the weekend. (A news release from Lucasfilm said that the shooting wrapped on Wednesday and claimed production was five days ahead of schedule. It quoted producer Rick McCallum as saying that "It's almost unheard of for a major motion picture to come in under schedule.") A photo of Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen, on his way to becoming Darth Vader, sporting a '70's-style blonde mane, eyes rolled upwards, was also released, causing numerous fansites to take note of how he appears to resemble Luke Skywalker, played in the original 1977 film (A New Hope) by Mark Hamill. The Sydney Daily Telegraph commented that "the prescient casting of Christensen ensured a very believable father and son would work across three decades."
UPDATE:
'Star Wars: Episode III' Wraps
30 September 2003 (WENN)
Shooting on the eagerly awaited movie prequel Star Wars: Episode III has finally wrapped - but studio bosses warn the film's a long way off completion. Director George Lucas imposed tight security measures on the Australian set in an effort to keep the storyline a secret, but producer Rick McCallum insists cinema-goers still have a long wait before discovering how main character Anakin Skywalker turns into the villainous Darth Vader. He says, "Shooting the film is only a small part of the whole process. George is enthusiastic about getting back to the Ranch and starting the next component. This will enable him to start thinking about what he needs to pick up when we shoot in March 2004. For George and I, this is only the mid-way point. We still have eighteen months to get through."
UPDATE:
Samuel L. Jackson On 'Star Wars: Episode III'
[Thu November 13, 2003 10:43PM]
Samuel L. Jackson speaking to TheForce.net about his role as Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode III.
He was asked about his experience working on the final Star Wars movie. "It´s been awesome! It was a lot more than I bargain for when I asked, you
know, to be in the films. George Lucas did an enormous kind of favor for me by creating this particular role because I was just asking for being in the film. I was willing kind of being a stormtrooper or whatever, run to a frame or something and say, I was in the film! That´s me, right there! He created this really interesting character for me that is an important character that, now, has...I guess, a place the 'Star Wars' lore that´s pretty prominent."
"I think in Episode III he´s definitely answered a lot of the questions that people had over the years about how this particular thing happened or why this person is this way, you know...who is connected to this and who is connected to that, but I think, he´s also done what a lot of people has asked and probably gone a little further in that people was so angry about the first episode because they thought it was just a kiddy movie and the second episode because is kind of, well...that didn´t answer all the things we need."
"So now, he has put all these things together and tied it up. It´s very dark and Shakespearean...and adult, and more violent than a "Star Wars" movie used to be. Hopefully they´ll be satisfied with this particular episode."
Episode III is currently in post-production and is expected to hit theaters May 25th 2005.
