Star Wars Episode I in the making
Brand new monster-aliens are being created for the new movie, and old friends are given a
make-over. On the shelves of the puppet-shop we find a guard from Jabba the Hut's palace,
a younger version of Yoda and a couple of new aliens.
In the creature effects department protocol droids are pieced together.
Somehow I don't think this is what the puppet's hands are supposed to be used for.
A new kind of gun for speeders is being developed in the special effects department at
Lesden Studios. In image 2 they test the new gun. From left to right:
Chris Newman (Assistant director), Tim Clayton
(Documentary filmer), Geroge Lucas and Peter Hutchinson
(Special effects supervisor).
A rare shot of what the inside of a prop engine looks like and in the second image they are
testing the angle and lighting ideas with "sit-in"s for the real actors on a small prequel set.
"Squidhead", also known as a quarren in the creatureshop and on Tatooine with some other strange new
creatures.
Nisha and Nifa Hindes are the same species as the famous dancer Oola; namely Twi'lek.
Known as Wicket the Ewok from ROTJ and the movie "Willow" among others, Warckick does several parts in the
Phantom. Here he's a native from Tatooine.
You may remember him as Zod in Superman, or from "Pricilla, queen of the desert"... Terence Stamp,
playing surpreme chancellor Valorum, with Lucas on the set.
Building a Coruscant city scene.
These are pictures from the sets in Tozeur, Tunisia. The Star Wars team packed up their gear and returned
to Tunisia for the prequels. This time around though, they have more than one small street to
work with.
City scenes, looking like the Special Edition Mos Eisley, and tents used as wardrobe
in the desert, looking like something out of "Laurence of Arabia". My only question is;
Where's Peter O'Toole?
Large cranes were used to lift cameras high up to get the right kind of panorama-shots needed
to be able to enjoy the elaborate sets to the fullest. A lot of the sets however were destroyed
in a sandstorm in the middle of production. Lucas took it as a good omen since the same thing
happened to the set of A New Hope.
One of my favorites: Mumaw (hammer-head) is making a come-back in the prequels.
Here a shot of him/her/it in the hot Tunisian desert.
Speaking of deserts... I'm sure Kenny Baker had an eerie feeling of deja-vu when he climbed
back into R2-D2 for his 4th time around as the soul of R2-D2. Poor Kenny, had to hide under
an umbrella to escape the desert sun. I'm sure he must have thought to himself at one time
or another during the shoot: "Why am I doing this... again?" :-)
Indoors again, Kenny supervises the development of a remote-controlled R2.
Working on a Naboo palace doorway.
Anakin's mother Shmi Skywalker is played by Swedish (Yay!) actress Pernilla August, who won
the best actress award at the Cannes Film festival in '92 for her performance in Ingmar Bergman's
"Den goda viljan" (The Best Intentions).
Jake Lloyd's first actiongjob was with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1996 movie
Jingle All the Way.
Threepio looks mighty funny in the second image without chestplates and other golden metal parts
missing in this picture taken in Anakin's home.
Speaking of droids... this is one of the battledroids that one of the crewmembers is playing with.
(Trying to get it to read the script.)
Here's Ewan McGregor at Leavesden Studios. Notice the green saber in his hand.
Also if you haven't already, I strongly suggest you check out the behind the scenes
moviefiles in the Video section, where you get to see Ewan
in full action. Apparently he takes his role very seriously, he broke several swords
during saber-practice.
Here's Ewan practising with his saber. During port-production of the film it was discovered that Ewan
made saber-noices in the duel scenes (how hasn't?). It had to be edited out.
Ewan - getting ready for some stunt work and having his making touched-up (even Jedi get glossy
I guess). Ewan is by the way the nephew of Denis Lawson, who played Rebel pilot Wedge
in the original trilogy.
Obi Wan-Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) teamed up.
Gonk!!! Yes, the ledgendary box is back and all is well with the world.
If you're looking for Prequel news and rumors, try the always
exellent JediNet or
Counting Down. Also
I highly recommend picking up a copy of the "Star Wars - Behind the
magic" and "Insider's Guide" CDs that has a great Episode 1 media.
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