"EVERY SAGA HAS A BEGINNING..."

Sunday 12 February 2023

'ATTACK' AT 20: THE JEDI INTERVENTION!

The Jedi arrive in the arena to face the army of lethal Battle Droids, in this lovely art.

It's not just Mace Windu who has arrived in the nick of time to aid our captured trio of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme within the Geonosian death arena. So too are a force of between 100-200 fellow Jedi (including lots of soon fan favourites), bravely going into conflict against overwhelming numbers of newly created Separatist Battle Droids...

The Jedi assemble. Conceptual art by Ryan Church.

The Jedi arrive and decloak in unused footage from 2000.

More deleted Jedi footage likely linked to their arrival in the arena.

This impressive (if at times unevenly structured) action sequence was culled together from all kinds of blue screen shot footage at Fox Studios, Australia and ILM during 2000-2002. Known and background Jedi used in a deleted sequence linked to the failed deactivation of the battle droids would instead literally be transplanted into various arena battle sequence moments as the conflict between Jedi and droids evolved under George Lucas's supervision. Some human Jedi actors would be completely replaced with CGI alien creations instead, or have CGI additions/alterations made to their visages.


Another of Ryan Church's action-packed concept art pieces for the epic arena battle.

Shaak Ti (model Orli Shoshan) and Luminara Unduli (Mary Oyaya) activate their blades.

Barriss Offee (Nalini Krishan) and Agen Kolar (Tux Akindoyeni).

Pablo-Jill (named after ILM veterans Pablo Hidalgo and Jill Brooks) with Kit Fisto (Ben Cooke)

Plo Koon (Matt Sloan) and Ki-Adi Munday (Silas Carson). The characters were added to this shot from ultimately unused footage of a droid control ship raid.

Bultar Swan (Mimi Daraphet) and colleague.

The Super Battle Droids take on the Jedi.

A unique member of the Battle Droid fraction joins the fray!

"Die, Jedi dogs!" A confused Threepio is caught in battle!

Ever smiling fan favourite Kit Fisto (stunt man Ben Cooke) brings aid to Threepio's difficult position on the battlefront.

Posed publicity image of Jedi Aayla Secura (Amy Allen), the character already a fan favourite Dark Horse comic creation liked by Lucas, who would be added to the film in various Jedi-related places during post production by ILM.

One of the more alien-looking Jedi who will later challenge Count Dooku, but be sadly killed by the blaster skills of Jango Fett.

The majority of the unarmed insects fly away in their panicked droves.


The battle is fierce as the enemy grows stronger and surrounding...

Meanwhile, in the midst of chaos, Threepio is reunited with his bodily self thanks to Artoo.

The scene as captured in studio, likely in reshoots at Ealing Studios, London - 2002.

Doug Chiang's design for the next evolution of Battle Droid - the Super Battle Droid!


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