EPISODE II: LOVERS IN PARADISE!

The magical beauty of Lake Varykino on Naboo is the perfect hiding place for a young Senator and her obsessed Jedi protector, in another lovely Italian location filmed shot capturing Anakin's first awkward pass on Senator Amidala, from Episode II. 

EPISODE I: COSTUMED ROYALTY!

A look at just one amazing costume for Queen Amidala seen in EPISODE I. Stunning image by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair magazine.

Never has there been a Star Wars film before or since where the costume design of the characters has been so important to the overall storytelling function than in The Phantom Menace, and especially with regards to the life and duties of Naboo's beloved Queen Amidala, as played by a very young Natalie Portman, who instantly fell in love with the designs, and inspired her acting choices, brought to her in full creation by Trisha Biggar over three months filming in 1997. 

Three shots taken by Nigel Parry for Lucasfilm to use in publicity.

A French film magazine cover from 1999.

EPISODE II: POLITICALLY CHALLENGED!

Now returned to Naboo, Senator Amidala confers with the new Queen Jamillia about the state of the Republic and a place to hide from potential assassins, much to the chagrin of her Jedi Knight protector Anakin Skywalker, in a memorable moment once more filmed in Italy for Attack of the Clones.

Note the Italian background actor filling in for Oliver Ford Davies as Sio Bibble. Davies would be added to the film in Post Production.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: A GALAXY IN MOURNING...

The funeral procession begins through Theed City on Naboo.

Dignitaries from across the galaxy assemble alongside the devastated peoples of Naboo to mourn the loss of their heroine in politics, the woman who saved their planet from Trade Federation domination thirteen years earlier as their former Queen: Padme Amidala. Her passions and legacy to stop tyranny will live on with the birth of the slowly-building Rebellion against the Galactic Empire, of which her two now secretly hidden and Jedi-powers children, Luke and Leia Skywalker, protected on separate worlds, will ultimately be amongst its greatest heroes and leaders.

"I think they call it the "End Dress." It's really, really beautiful. I think Trisha (Biggar) wanted to get an ocean sense. Someone said to me that it was very 'Orphelia.' With the flowers and the hair, it looks like I'm drowning."

Natalie Portman - Dressing the Galaxy book - 2005

"My favourite costume that Trisha designed for the Prequel Trilogy is the one Natalie wears in her funeral. It's a very moving shot in which her open coffin slowly glides under the camera. I remember asking Trisha why she chose the specific fabric and color for that dress. She looked at me in bewilderment, and very gently explained that the colour - this beautiful azure blue - and the rippled fabric matched the ethereal and melancholy landscape of the Naboo lake retreat at Lake Como, where Padme and Anakin fell in love. This is where Padme had wanted to escape with Anakin, and the funeral gown symbolizes her spiritual return to that lake."

Rick McCallum - Dressing the Galaxy book - 2005 

Filmed at ILM, around 50 Lucasfilm staffers were called in to play Naboo inhabitants for background crowd scenes, some wearing multiple, differing costumes when photographed. Amongst the people would be veteran Star Wars behind the scenes chronicler J.W. Rinzler, who recalled: "The group was shot at different angles and elevations, so the filmmakers could replicate us wherever they wanted to in relation to wherever the camera was." 

Iain McCaig's approved costume design for Padme, given a "Fabuloso" stamp by Lucas.

Goodbye, Padme.

Clutching the Japor snippet that was once supposed to bring luck.

Behind the scenes of the costume tests and filming.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: PADME AND THE DELEGATION OF 2000 TAKE ACTION!

Padme gets serious in diplomacy with this memorable outfit.

On Coruscant, the Clone Wars continue on despite the defeat of Count Dooku, with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's senatorial powers seemingly undiminished nor scaled back, as he had prior promised he would. Now is the time that a group of war-weary senators, ultimately led by Padme Amidala (garbed in one of her most striking diplomatic outfits), meets with Palpatine, watched by the leader's loyal friend and bodyguard of sorts in Anakin Skywalker, to discuss the future and an end to the galactic warfare. The Delegation of 2000 sadly fails in their task, brushed aside by Palpatine, of which Padme feels frustrated that Anakin is not in her corner on the subject, adding strain to their relationship.

Anakin watches as Palpatine brushes the Delegation's genuine concerns away.

The Delegation of 2000 has been soundly defeated.

An intriguing deleted sequence that we all wish had been put back into the film, boosting Natalie Portman's role in the film, and especially after so much prior production publicity linked to this sequence had been given to the fans, including the appearance of a Mon Calamari senator. 

Revenge of the Sith at 20: Revisiting the Cut Scenes | StarWars.com

Posed publicity/costume reference images by Keith Hamshere.

Continuity polaroid of Natalie Portman in costume for the deleted Scene 89.

Costume camera test scene.

"The biggest change was that, when I wrote the first draft, I had way too much stuff. It was a longer movie. I had a whole thing about Padme helping to start the Rebellion. Obi-Wan also had a whole piece, and there was more about the Emperor. And R2-D2 and C-3PO had bigger roles. But I realized that, one, I had too much material, and two, it was extraneous. Also, the film - which is the third act - really had to be about Anakin and his fall from grace. Anything that didn't deal with that had to get out. So I cut everything except Anakin's story."

George Lucas - Starlog 337 - August 2005

Portman in her stunning costume for a posed photo shoot with the costume team (including designer Trisha Biggar and Ivo Coveney), for Vanity Fair magazine's coverage of Episode III. Image by Annie Leibovitz.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: A JEDI'S CONCERN...

A concerned Obi-Wan Kenobi in Padme's apartment on Coruscant.

Before being called to leave Coruscant to search for General Grievous on Utapau, Obi-Wan Kenobi makes a morning visit to Senator Amidala at her apartment. The reunion is a warm one at first, but Obi-Wan's concerns for his moody former Padawan are clear - Anakin's personality and feelings are especially clouded, not just by his troubled obligations to the Jedi, Obi-Wan and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, but also in his relationship with Padme, a situation of which Obi-Wan is fully aware that the couple are in love and will keep secret, maintaining their friendships. He asks Padme to keep an eye on Anakin and offer support during his important absence.

Ultimately cut for time and pacing reasons in 2004/5, the intriguing character-based scene (shot around July 2003), bizarrely never made it onto any DVD or Blu-ray deleted scene extras (especially strange as Padme actually references the meeting to Anakin in the film). 

Old friends happily reunited.

A page from the filmed but deleted sequence filmed at the FOX Studios, Australia.

Multiple camera filming of the scene.

The Jedi Council contact Kenobi informing him of his urgent mission to Utapau.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: ANAKIN'S DARK PREDICTION...

What should be a time of private joy and celebration for Anakin - known as 'the hero without fear' during the Clone Wars - and newly reunited with his secret wife in Senator Padme Amidala, is soon shattered when the Jedi has disturbing premonitions of her dying in upcoming childbirth. It's a grim scenario that the young but Force powerful boy is determined not to let happen, and especially after the prior visions of his mother's torture at the Sandpeople on Tatooine were left in too little time to recognise and heed...

"You see her (Padme) as a woman, and less girlish, falling in love. The way Padme is in Episode III is a combination of being a woman and being a politician, which we didn't see much of before."

Natalie Portman - Star Wars Insider Number 82 - July/August 2005

EPISODE II: MEETING THE NABERRIES!

Outside Padme's family home, Pooja (Hayley Mooy) and Ryoo Naberrie (Keira Wingate) enjoy the company of R2-D2 in a noted deleted scene from EPISODE II.

Taking a much welcome respite from both the darkness and important political decision-making surrounding her, Padme Amidala lets her true self show when she brings her Jedi protector Anakin Skywalker along with her to a peaceful suburban area of Naboo to meet her parents, sister and her nieces. A charming sequence, ultimately cut for ongoing problematic time and pacing reasons (filmed at the Australian FOX Studios and with location scenes at Lake Como, Italy in 2000), this would have helped further develop Padme's character whilst solidifying her own secret affection for the handsome Anakin, a fact that doesn't go unrecognised by her loving family, nor the potential building danger of her current in-hiding situation...

Arriving at the district house containing Padme's family, on the outskirts of Theed City on Naboo.

Despite their roles being cut, kudos to Prequels casting director Robin Gurland for the choice of fine local Australian talent playing Padme's family. Bar Claudia Karvan's character, the rest of the onscreen family would briefly return for their daughter's onscreen funeral on Naboo, at the end of Revenge of the Sith. 

Padme enjoys a warm reunion with her older sister.

The duo watch as Anakin enters the dining area.

Anakin meets the intrigued Naberrie women.

The playfully inquisitive Sola (Claudia Karvan) soon teases her sister Padme about the handsome young man in her life.

Anakin enjoys the family atmosphere he wishes he could've had as a child, in a lovely moment adding further nuance to his character.

Padme's father Ruwee Naberrie (Graeme Blundell) readies dinners at table.

The meal begins as curiosity about Padme and Anakins's friendship and his protectorate status are asked.

A lovely shot of Natalie Portman from the scene.

Jobal (actress and singer Trisha Noble) is worried when she hears that her daughter's life is in danger, which Padme tries to play down... 

... yet Anakin must ultimately convey the seriousness of the situation to the family to her father.

A seasoned former diplomat, Ruwee confers with Anakin about Padme's situation with Anakin, in a scene filmed on location at a luxury house and its gardens at Lake Como, Italy.

Sola sees Padme's clear affection for her Jedi protector.

A brief moment that appeared in one of Episode II's first trailers.

Natalie Portman has fun being directed on set by George Lucas in 2000.

Natalie Portman's deleted scene wardrobe as Padme.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE FLIGHT FROM NABOO BEGINS...

Now liberated from droid guards by her new Jedi protectors in Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, the young Queen Amidala, flanked by her trusted handmaidens, must make a brave decision that will see her removed from her world, her people, her society, as a phantom menace makes its powerplay via the Trade Federation's unforeseen invasion of Naboo. From this worsening scenario playing out, Qui-Gon's instincts also reveal that she will be killed if she stays. 

A great scene from Episode I, and an important moment for the series key female heroine/s.

A brief look back at the film from actor/writer/director Sofia Coppola, who played the handmaiden Sache, who can be seen in the above image second to the far right.

Sofia Coppola Looks Back at Forgotten Star Wars Cameo, Relationship With George Lucas

Sofia Coppola as Sache (seated right) as a security officer (Carmine Coppola) checks communications. A scene shot on location at Caserta Palace, Italy. 

For more on the invasion of Naboo linked to Queen Amidala and her enigmatic Handmaidens, check out last year's popular hardback release from E. K. Johnston, Queen's Peril.

Get it here: Star Wars: Queen's Peril: Amazon.co.uk: Johnston, E K: 9781368057141: Books