EPISODE III: READY FOR LANDING?

Anakin Skywalker's legendary piloting skills are certainly being put to a formidable test as the wrecked Invisible Hand prepares to crash-land on Coruscant, of which Artoo and the rescued Supreme Chancellor Palpatine are likely very stressed accompanying passengers, in this interesting screen combination from Episode III.

DELETED SCENES: THE BIG LEAP!

As the enemy Invisible Hand vessel comes under fierce attack from Republic forces high above Coruscant, our trapped Jedi heroes and the newly rescued Supreme Chancellor Palpatine must traverse dangerous areas inside the vessel whilst continuing their perilous escape attempts, during one of many opening deleted scenes from Episode III.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: BRIDGE BATTLE!

On the bridge of the Invisible Hand, our Jedi heroes, plus Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, have the dreaded General Grievous in their hands and spring a trap to finally capture him so as to end this long-running Clone Wars, of which all kinds of hell erupts in the best Star Wars lightsaber action tradition. 

A great shot showing the on set lightsabers and the blue clad stunt doubles playing Grievous's lethal Magna Droids.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: THE SLAYING OF SHAAK TI!

Facing the wrath of General Grievous.

Having landing, against all odds, on General Grievous's command ship during the epic Battle of Coruscant, Obi-Wan and Anakin are en route to discover what bas happened to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and his Jedi protector in Shaak Ti. Ti's fate is soon revealed, however, as the two Jedi soon prove helpless in preventing their friend from being slain by the brutal lightsaber-wielding evil of the Separatist droid leader, General Grievous.

The original slaying of Shaak Ti was one of a large number of scenes for the movie set aboard the Invisible Hand involving Anakin and Obi-Wan which were either deleted, trimmed down or reshaped/re-filmed. This original introduction to Grievous was replaced with an all-new sequence for the character partly filmed in additional photography that would be set on the vessel's bridge. 

Derek Thompson's June 18th, 2003 storyboards for the scene.

Shaak TI referencing in the original Episode III filming script from Nick Gillard's collection.

Concept art for the scene.

Anakin and Obi-Wan stop in a corner and witness the captured Shaak Ti.

Actress/Supermodel/designer Orli Shoshan on set as Shaak Ti. 

The shocking death scene.

Orli remains in the dead position as the technicians mill around the FOX Studios set.

Obi-Wan and Anakin prepare their next unexpected move.

EPISODE III: DROIDEKA ATTACK!

Now aboard the Invisible Hand enemy cruiser, Anakin and Obi-Wan, on their way to rescue the Supreme Chancellor, soon encounter more enemy attack fire, this time from newly arrived, formidable Droidekas, in this scene from EPISODE III.

DELETED SCENE: ESCAPE DESCENT!

Having been cornered by General Grievous and unable to stop his brutal slaying of Jedi Master Shaak Ti, our heroes Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi now escape to another level of the Invisible Hand- an unexpected move during a deleted scene from EPISODE III that eventually made it to 2005 DVD release.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TRAPPED BY THE RAY SHIELDS!

Our Jedi heroes, now galactic legends, in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker have rescued Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, but now find themselves all too easily captured in General Grievous's ray shield activation, during this scene from EPISODE III.

CLASSIC IMAGE: LIFT CONFRONTATION!

"Roger, Roger!"

The last words those Battledroids will ever hear, not from their own electronic mouthboxes, however, but from an in-synch Obi-Wan and Anakin as they finishing cutting the small squad to pieces with their lightsabers, inside one of the lifts of the Invisible Hand. A fun little moment from EPISODE III that made its way properly onto Blu-ray in 2011.

THE 'SITH' AT TEN: "ALL BATTERIES FIRE!"

No, its not the belly of a gunship from PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN, but the principle's the same, as Battle Droids on the Invisible Hand do the grunt's work in firing heavy weaponry at an opposing Republic cruiser, in this scene from EPISODE III's opening Battle of Coruscant.

THE 'SITH' AT TEN: THE HEADLESS FIGHTER!

Battle Droids, well they're easy to take out. But as for General Grievous's Magna Droids? They're a lot more labour intensive, as Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers in this early scene of conflict from EPISODE III.

THE 'SITH' AT TEN: FIERY APPROACH!

As the damaged Invisible Hand enters Coruscant's atmosphere and begins an intense crash-landing approach, Republic Emergency firespeeders come to the rescue and put out some of the vessels worst raging fires, in a scene from EPISODE III.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: A JEDI DROWNING POOL!

Obi-Wan Kenobi is feeling the squeeze underwater, threatened by a Super Battle Droid within a flooded area of the Invisible Hand, in this deleted animatic scene from EPISODE III.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO SENSE A SITH...

Newly arrived-well crash-landed!- on The Invisible Hand, and having dealt with a squad of Battle Droids, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker push on with their efforts to find and rescue the captured Supreme Chancellor, in a moment from EPISODE III.

CLASSIC DESIGN WEEK. PIC SEVEN - THE INVISIBLE HAND BRIDGE

Out in the UK this week is the long-awaited, new nice price edition of the lavish and informative STAR WARS: BLUEPRINTS hardcover book by J.W. Rinzler. In celebration of the must-have title, we're having a week-long tribute to the six film's classic production designs.

With anticipation and expectations running so high, the third and final Prequel, REVENGE OF THE SITH, saw the action and drama taken up a notch as the final days of Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi, along with the emergence of dark terror Darth Sidious, were apocalyptically revealed. New and diverse planets, spaceships and technology would also be seen in this originally planned curtain call for the saga, with the film getting off to a fine note of galactic warfare above the Republic homeworld of Coruscant, as Jedi heroes Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi make their adrenaline-charged pursuit of the fiendish Droid general, Grievous, in order to rescue the capture Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

On set at the FOX Studios in 2003, our heroes face the Magnaguards.

To show the interior of Grievous's ship, soon known as the Invisible Hand, Production Designer Gavin Bocquet and his team originally created a stretch of corridor that could be filmed from alternate angles and be redressed to serve as other areas of the ship (backed up with blue/green screen for ILM CGI and model work that would extend height and length). But a relatively last minute pre-production series of script changes and ideas from George Lucas soon saw the need for an additional bridge area where our heroes, now captured with the Supreme Chancellor, are brought before Grievous and have one final lightsaber battle against the villain before he/it escapes the wrecked ship, which our heroes then safely pilot, well... crash-land, onto Coruscant.

Again augmented by CGI (i.e., control panels and window displays, alongside other droid creations), the Trade Federation Bridge proved a necessarily tight but impressive space when built at the FOX STUDIOS, Australia in 2003, helping to launch EPISODE III with verve and crowd-pleasing Jedi action.

Get hold of STAR WARS: BLUEPRINTS here: Star Wars - The Blueprints: Amazon.co.uk: J.W Rinzler: Books

DELETED SCENE: LASER FIRE!

In the bowels of the Invisible Hand, Obi-Wan and Anakin, on their way to rescue the captured Palpatine, encounter heavy fire from Battle Droids in a deleted moment from EPISODE III.

DELETED SCENE: UNEXPECTED ESCAPE!

Having watched General Grievous slay their friend Shaak Ti, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, surrounded by Battle Droids (not yet CGI added to the film), use their lightsabers to cut an escape route down to the level below-a deleted scene from EPISODE III that would later be partially completed for the eventual DVD release (though frustratingly not included in the 2011 Blu-ray set!)

Clip: Star Wars E3 Cut Scene - Shaak Ti's Death and Droid Escape - YouTube

CLASSIC IMAGE: A PRECARIOUS SITUATION...

A newly awakened Obi-Wan Kenobi quickly hangs on for dearer life to Anakin Skywalker, within the tight spot that is the topsy-turvy lift shaft within the heavily damaged Invisible Hand cruiser, during a tense moment from EPISODE III.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DROID-BASHING!

Crashing into the hangar deck of the Invisible Hand Separatist cruiser, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker make quick destructive work of a legion of enemy Battle Droids in this super angle shot from the opening sequence of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CLASSIC IMAGE: GRIEVOUS ESCAPE!

In the only remaining escape pod, the always cowardly General Grievous departs from his partially destroyed cruiser, the Invisible Hand, with its trapped Jedi occupants still aboard the doomed, about to crash vessel!

CLASSIC IMAGE: DROID IN COMMAND

The ever faithful Artoo Detoo stays by Master Anakin Skywalker's side quite literally in his Jedi Starfighter as they pierce the defences of General Grievous's Invisible Hand cruiser and skid across its landing bay in the opening scenes of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.