THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: AN UNEXPECTED BATTLE ZONE!

From their supposedly safe domain in the Royal Palace, the villainous leaders of the Trade Federation in Rune Haako and Nute Gunray, along with the recently arrived Darth Maul, watch the communication screen with surprise as Queen Amidala herself leads a commando style attack on Theed City.

Early work sculpting the face of Rune Haako.

Nute Gunray unmasked! Note the headgear protection during filming breaks.

"While on set I used my own voice, which I adapted to sound like an old man (as Ki-Adi Mundi). George said we could use that, rather than record over it. At that point everyone realized that I was quite versatile (as a voice actor) and asked me later, much later when they were doing the post-production work on The Phantom Menace, if I would do the voice work for Nute Gunray as well.

The application of the prosthetic faces for both characters (Nute Gunray and Ki-Adi Mundi) is quite different. For Nute Gunray it was kind of like wearing a helmet, because it went over my whole head. Throughout the three films (the crew) was able to adapt and change the technology for the mask as the ability to do so improved. They would simply fit it over my head, pull the skin over the mask, and then wire up all the mechanics for the face to move on. It was a simple application that took about 15 to 20 minutes. It wasn't very comfortable to wear as I was actually inside something."

Silas Carson - Star Wars Insider magazine - 2006

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS...

As Palpatine 'persuades' Queen Amidala to initiate a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Valorum, due to his seeming lack of power, influence and apathy in their continuing crisis, amidst the packed and angry stadium of senators, the visibly stunned leader, flanked by aides Mas Amedda (Jerome Blake) and Sei Taria (Kamay Lau), returns to his senate podium seat, soon realising (in an ultimately deleted moment) that his old friend Palpatine has betrayed him.

A decisive moment for evil as the political events of EPISODE I play out.

"George (Lucas) was looking for something visually interesting and dynamic for the senate chamber scene, so we pulled the unused idea of the flying platforms from Tatooine, put them on Coruscant, and refined the designs to make them look big, bowl-shaped enclosures."

Doug Chiang - The Making of EPISODE I book - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: A CHARMING 'BONGO' RIDE!

It's all just too much for hapless Jar Jar Binks to cope with as he and the Jedi negotiate the dangerous sea depths of Naboo's infamous 'planet core'- an ambitious sequence and a first for a Star Wars movie with EPISODE I's early-on underwater setting- bringing challenges and puzzles that effects supervisor Dennis Muren and his team would enjoy solving through models and CGI.

Preparing the scene with stand-ins Silas Carson, Jerome Blake and John Fensom.

DELETED SCENE: POLITICAL TIME-WASTING!

In his senate podium on Coruscant, the greedy and quite repulsive Twi'lek senator Orn Free Ta (played by Jerome Blake) and his equally dubious retinue observe political goings-on, in unused second unit footage filmed at Leavesden Studios, for EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: "ORDER! ORDER!"

Within the massed gathering of an atmosphere charged Senate on Coruscant, a shocked Chancellor Valorum slumps back in his seat after hearing Queen Amidala's declare her "No Confidence" vote against his leadership, in an all too brief appearance in EPISODE I from distinguished actor Terence Stamp.

CLASSIC IMAGE: "A SITH HERE?!"

Nute Gunray and his Trade Federation lackey Rune Haako receive grim word from their shadowy "ally", Darth Sidious, of the impending arrival of Darth Maul on Naboo. A tense moment from EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: COUNCIL OF EVIL!

Ian McDiarmid films a tense scene as Darth Sidious (his hologram appearance added in Post Production), conferring with his blundering Neimoidian allies about the escape of Queen Amidala, from EPISODE I.