ost studios put up Web sites to tout their new movies a month or so before the premiere date. But Lucasfilm Ltd., the house that George built, is no ordinary studio. As if anticipation weren't already sky high for the first of Lucas's three upcoming Star Wars prequels, the studio has put up a new Web site to give users tantalizing glimpses of the new film's production, now underway in England, Tunisia and Italy.
Star Wars: Episode 1 is part of the official Star Wars
Web site and contains news from the film's set, production background,
bios of cast and crew and details of the film's creative development. The site, which is mainly text and still photography, is updated
regularly. Currently, there is a news item that a storm disrupted shooting
on the Tunisian set that serves as the backdrop for Luke Skywalker's home
planet of Tatooine--eerily similar to a tempest that disrupted shooting
of the original film. There are also interviews with key crew members and items about such things as hangups importing droid props into Italy.
There is the transcript of a news conference Lucas gave in Italy in
July, where he revealed a palace in the Reggia di Caserta that would double
as the home of the young queen played by Natalie Portman. And there is lots of information on the by-now well-reported key actors, as well as news that Star Wars veterans Frank Oz (Yoda), Warwick Davis (Wicket) and Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) may make return appearances in some form, and revelations that a host of new and veteran
British and American actors--including Terence Stamp and Samuel L.
Jackson--are being considered for roles in the new film.
Get rid of the flack
What eager fans will find sorely lacking are actual details of the new film's plot, characters, settings and designs, or even its working title (Web speculation says it's Star Wars: The Balance of the
Force). An enterprising fan is likely to find more information about these from the scores of unauthorized Star Wars sites already on the Web.
But what is here carries the imprimatur of the force behind the Force. For example, this key plot development: the first film will
introduce R2-D2 and C-3PO. "You find out where they came from and how they got started," Lucas said at the Italian press conference.
There are also a handful of frustratingly vague photographs of the actual
production at the Leavesden Studios in London. But an informative
discussion of the design of the Imperial city of Coruscant includes several
of designer Doug Chiang's enticing sketches, as well as news that the new
film's designs will hew closer to the spirit of illustrations by the
original Star Wars' legendary Ralph McQuarrie.
Then there are the eyewitness dispatches from writer and resident "probe droid" Jon Bresman, who has apparently been given leave to hang out on the set and record his impressions for posterity. His observations so far have been limited to the kinds of chatty breathlessness users would expect from a studio publicist:
"Creature Effects Supervisor Nick Dudman named a creature after his wife, Sue Oakes. George particularly liked the name Swokes... Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker) decided to take a lightsaber to Howard Roffman, Lucasfilm Ltd. Vice-President, Licensing, during a recent break in filming. ... Jake had nothing but kind words to say about his vanquished foe: 'He has the best job in the whole world--he gets to make Star Wars toys!'"
Such annoyances aside, however, it's better
than nothing to have any official look at one of the most eagerly awaited
films ever.
