'ATTACK' AT 20: DEATH OF A SKYWALKER!

A mother and son reunited... if all too briefly.

Following the trail of the elusive Tusken Raider tribe that have kidnapped his mother, Anakin finally discovers their distant location and begins a solo rescue mission. Though successful, their reunion is sadly brief. Overjoyed to see her son after so long, Shmi Skywalker's brief happiness sees her sadly die in her son's eyes, due to the intense injuries inflicted on her by the Tuskens. Sure enough, Anakin's path to the Dark Side is confirmed when he mercilessly seeks revenge on the primitive group, killing all of them with his lightsaber using retaliation, even slaughtering the women and children!

Anakin find the far out Tusken encampment.

The dramatic scene was shot on a small set comprising a small area of sand and with one tent at the Australia FOX Studios in 2000, the backgrounds around the tent being later enhanced by model and matte work for the finished film. 

The Tusken encampment where Shmi has been captured.

Concept art for the encampment by Ed Natividad from 2000.

A look at members of the Tusken Raider nomad community.

One of the Tusken females in a costume reference/publicity image.

Closer look at the mask of a Tusken female.

“There is something about Pernilla August (playing Shmi) that is hard to explain. She has an aura about her and when she walked onto the set, it affected everybody. Hayden loved her. Emotionally, this scene is a big turning point, because this is what sets Anakin off. And I think to have the character of his mother played by Pernilla made it that much more emotional for Hayden.” 

Rick McCallum - Star Wars: Mythmaking book - 2002

Anakin is shocked by what has happened to his mother.

The injured Shmi, tortured as a trophy prize by the Tuskens.

A tender moment between a reunited mother and son.

One final gesture of love from mother to son.

Lucas and Pernilla August on set during this tense, sad and emotional scene's filming.

“My mother (Shmi Skywalker) pretty much dies in my arms and my immediate reaction is to go ballistic. I walk out of town and murder all of the Sand People. There isn’t too much to it. I haven’t seen the film so I don’t now how long it’s played out, but when we shot it it was just me in front of a blue screen pretending there’s Sand People there and killing them. It’s just me with a lightsaber going “Aargh!” to nothing. I have no idea what it looks like but as long as I look like a bad-ass Jedi, then cool.” 

Hayden Christensen - Arena Magazine interview - June 2002

Anakin goes on his murderous rampage.

The killing spree begins, and the balance of the Force is unsettled...

'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.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: REPORTING TO THE JEDI COUNCIL!

His meeting with Valorum over, Qui-Gon, with Obi-Wan, now reports to his superiors at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant about the mysterious warrior intent on capturing Queen Amidala- whose identity might be related to the return of the Sith (a scenario the Jedi find incredulous to believe), and the potential vergence in the force located around a mysterious boy...

1997 quasi-religious design concept for the Jedi Council area, by Ed Natividad.