'ATTACK' AT 20: INTRIGUE AND MYSTERY ON KAMINO!

With help from an old friend on Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi is firmly on the trail of the assassins after Padme Amidala. Newly arrived on the mysterious and archives-hidden water world of Kamino, he meets the local ruler Lama Su and is shocked to discover that the alien cloners had ten years earlier been paid by the Republic to create an immense army for their needs - an order that was never instigated. Further shocks come with the reveal that a now deceased Jedi, Sifo-Dyas, was a key initiate for the order!

As Obi-Wan sees the impressive army in all its various of stages and training, he is then taken to meet the man whose body pattern was uniquely chosen as their clone primer: a seasoned bounty hunter named Jango Fett...

“Natalie and Hayden got to go to Italy and Tunisia. I got to be the only one in bluescreen and being poured on by rain for most of the time.” 

Ewan McGregor - Empire magazine - June 2002

“I just did lots of blue screen stuff in the pissing rain. I wonder if George has got it in for me somehow.” 

Ewan McGregor - Premiere magazine - June 2002

Undoubtedly, the Kamino-based sequence of the film was one of Attack of the Clones highlights, whose mystery, epic scope and storytelling legacy would greatly, and successfully, influence the future of the saga in the realms of Star Wars television, from The Clone Wars animated series to The Bad Batch, and even aspects of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Drenched in rain, Obi-Wan arrives drenched at Tipocca City.

Obi-Wan is met by the friendly Taun We (voiced by Rena Owen).

Close-up image of Taun We and the superb digital detailing.

“Studying these slow and graceful movements (of Audrey Hepburn in the movie My Fair Lady) gave me a starting point for how to give the Kaminoans their smooth and graceful way of regally gliding from one place to the other.” 

CGI animator Kevin Martel on the development of the Kaminoans - Star Wars Insider Issue 66 - 2003

Discovering news of 'the army' of clones being created by the Kaminoans.

From birth to training, the inspection of the army begins.

The young Clones learn everything needed for warfare.

The adult clones gather in the mess area.

The 'magnificent' clone army revealed.

A concerned Obi-Wan surveys the army. The image of McGregor was flipped in post production for unknown reasons in the final film.

As McGregor originally filmed the scene at the FOX Studios, Australia in 2000.

Some behind the scenes imagery linked to the Kamino plotline...

Production painting of Tipocca City by Doug Chiang, a city firmly built from materials that can long-term withstand the corrosive weathers affecting it.

Tipocca city design by Ed Natividad.

Another great piece of establishing conceptual art.

“George (Lucas) wanted the first half of the movie to look ‘blue’ and the second half to look ‘red’. Coruscant (at night) and Kamino were the blue planets, Tatooine was a neutral warm, and Geonosis was always going to be red.” 

Artist Ryan Church on the 'look' of Episode II - Star Wars Insider Issue 96 - 2003

Adam Savage and the ILM model shop delivers more highly detailed, stunning work.

Preparing to film the model interior of Lama Su's meeting area at ILM. 

A very Close Encounters-ish design rendering for the Kaminoans by Doug Chiang.

Dermot Power's concept work.

TOUCHDOWN FOR 'LUKE SKYWALKER & HIS FRIENDS' AT SELFRIDGES - MAY 1980 EVENT AND FOOTAGE.

'Luke Skywalker and friends' meet the UK fans in May, 1980.

Nowadays, our favourite Star Wars actors charge considerable fees for autographs and posed photos at various convention events worldwide, but it was a different story back in May 1980, for the then still relatively unknown cast (despite the mega-fire success of the original 1977 film they'd starred in) of The Empire Strikes Back, the majority of whom would attend a special film promotion in London, freely signing for members of the British public at West End London's then prestigious Selfridges department store, the venue also playing host to a superb exhibition of props, costumes, models, production painting art and partial set staging from the film in the lead-up to its exciting release.

Bar the absence of Billy Dee Williams (who would arrive in the city later in the promotion and attend the film's exclusive Royal Premiere), and possibly Kenny Baker (?), the cast looked jovial enough at the public event, and would sign mint-new copies of the film adaptation by Donald F. Glut, published in the UK by Sphere Books. Producer Gary Kurtz and director Irvin Kershner would also be at the successful signing but would stay in the background. Later, the team would attend a special advance daytime screening of Empire, mixing with the public and, amazingly for the time, not mobbed by anyone as they entered the Dominion Theatre!

The special exhibition proved impressive too, from costumes, storyboards and props (including full costumes of the all-new Imperial Snowtroopers, Boba Fett, and models including the AT-AT’s, a Snowspeeder and a re-painted Artoo unit from the Rebel base interior scenes). It would run for a month, parallel to Empire's unleashed book, TV and film radio publishing campaign. With the eventual closure of the exhibition, the ITV television children’s film programme Clapperboard interviews some of the key UK cast and crew involved in the movie. Amiable presenter Chris Kelly, an obvious fan of the film, talks to Anthony Daniels, and, rather brusquely, Dave Prowse about their experiences working on the movie, whilst Brian Johnson about the challenges of the Walker battle/ Hoth sequences. The programme also shows the main trailer for the movie, several key clips, and footage supplied by Fox of the Hoth filming at Norway with the Second Unit, covered by Michel Parbot and his crew, which is not as good in picture quality as the same footage also supplied to the BBC for their John Williams/ Empire documentary which would air the Sunday before the film's London release.

If anyone has any memories of attending this special event, which we believe to have been May 3rd, please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you...

The remote controlled Artoo meets the fans.

Anthony Daniels in a posed for the press image with his alter-ego.

The Threepio body shell would be used with Artoo for promotional images for the exhibition.

Images from the 1980 Selfridges press pack.

The Clapperboard ITV TV special at the exhibition, where presenter Chris Kelly talks to Dave Prowse about the original Vader costume and the lightsaber effects.

Also for the same show, Brian Johnson with two of the original ILM models for the film, and talking about the complex special effects.

Whilst Anthony Daniels discusses Threepio's first conceived origin on the droid planet of Affa...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tng3vt17LFo

CLASSIC IMAGE: WHICH ONE'S THE DECOY?

Though captured by the Neimoidians, the tide of battle and potential victory is turning back into Queen Amidala's favour with the unexpected arrival of her decoy, in another great moment from the Battle of Naboo sequence for EPISODE I. 

'STAR WARS' AT 45: CHEWIE'S BAD HAIR DAY!

By the time of the first Star Wars' UK filming conclusion in Summer 1976, the original Chewbacca yak-hair made costume and one of the masks created by Stuart Freeborn had begun to deteriorate. This condition was highly noticeable by 1977 as the character (potentially inhabited by Peter Mayhew once again, the actor having spent time that year promoting the film in America) partook in a series of special images primarily for licensing use, taken by legendary music photographer Bob Seidemann. Presumably due to a lack of approved Chewie posed publicity images taken during principal photography in 1982, some of these 1977 shots even got used to promote the character on selected items of Return of the Jedi merchandise during 1983/84. Because of the similar scruffy look to the character in the Battle of Endor scenes for Jedi, the 1977 Chewie shoot would, either by accident (photo library caption error?) or design, still be partially linked to that film as part of image publicity usage in magazines/merchandise by the time of the Special Editions' release!

During the original Star Wars' American-based post-production phase, the Chewie mask was also used for some kind of reference (and partying) by ILM, which probably added further to the wear and tear. By the time of The Empire Strikes Back's UK pre-production in early 1979, Freeborn would already be developing a new Yak hair suit and mask for the heroic Wookiee.

A ROTJ T-shirt using the 1977 Chewbacca shoot.

Vintage Star Wars Chewbacca character blow up from 1977.

The classic behind the scenes image, presumably linked to the 1977 Bob Seidemann poster shoot campaign shot in the US, of which the decaying Chewbacca costume was used.

The mask being referenced at ILM (for unknown reasons) by Steve Gawley and colleague-possibly early 1977. Images: Dave Berry.

Clowning about at ILM!

THE CLONE WARS: A GUNGAN TRAITOR?

Our heroes return to Naboo where they must unravel a conspiracy that sees the Gungan civilisation imperiled by a traitor in league with General Grievous, of which Jar Jar Binks and Captain Tarpals must show more courage and resilience than ever before, in this interesting episode from Season Four: Shadow Warrior.

EPISODE IX: INTO THE ASTEROIDS (AGAIN!)

Under relentless First Order pursuit, the Falcon, piloted by Poe Dameron, flees enemy fire skimming the smuggling vessel into an asteroid belt, in this lovely unused concept art by Andree Wallin linked to The Rise of Skywalker's opening hyperspace jumping sequence. 

'SOLO': INSIDE THE CALRISSIAN FALCON!

They say a home reflects its owner, and that's certainly true of suave smuggler Lando Calrissian's 'pleasure' vehicle that is the sleek Millennium Falcon, as seen in these great on set behind the scenes images from Solo: A Star Wars Story, at a time in the film before his beloved speedy craft is ultimately wrecked to hell by a certain young hothead named Han Solo!

Above and two great shots of the The Last Jedi's Falcon main hold interior redressed for Solo.

Learning about the bigger picture!

Chewie doesn't like to lose!

Donald Glover inspects his ship in early promo image for the film.

Ron Howard and Lucas pose near the chess board.

Howard goes through a scene with the film's talented DOP, Bradford Young.

Main corridor view from the hatch towards the hold.

Howard and Lucas pose during filming.

Ron Howard filming Beckett's race to the power room.

Ron Howard in the gorgeous Falcon cockpit!