CLASSIC IMAGE: THEIR PATHS AHEAD!

The Battle of Naboo has seen a great victory for the races of that planet previously attacked by the Trade Federation, and ushered-in a meteoric rise to power for that friendly and benign Senator Palpatine, now elected to the highest office in the Galactic Republic as the newly inaugurated Supreme Chancellor. With the further discovery of the latent gifted Jedi powers of young Anakin Skywalker, it seems that peace and justice will surely and swiftly prevail in the galaxy...

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: SUPREMACY ON CUE!

As additional material/re-shoots for EPISODE I continues at Leavesden Studios in early 1999, Ian McDiarmid returns to film a new near-finale scene of the newly elected Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's arrival on Naboo, added to hint at the future father-figure 'friendship' he will have with young Anakin by the time of EPISODE II.

On the ship's ramp following Palpatine and his blue armoured senate guards are the Jedi Council members. Samuel L. Jackson was not available for the new scene, as part of the Order's arrival on Naboo, so instead an unknown extra filled in for him all too noticeably! Yoda was played by a proud Warwick Davis, in a special mask and costume, for a walking shot that never made the final cut, of which no behind the scenes stills have so far been released of this moment.

"We will watch your career with great interest!"

CLASSIC IMAGE: A TIME OF POLITICAL CRISIS!

Being all too far, far away from the galactic events taking place with the Naboo blockade initiated by the greedy Trade Federation's Nute Gunray, Coruscant's Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine are keen to meet and discuss the building hostile situation with Queen Amidala's newly arrived fugitive party, in this elegantly framed, scene-setting moment from EPISODE I, and our first proper look at the man who will soon become Emperor.

DELETED SCENE: GUARDIANS-IN-SERVITUDE

Newly arrived on one of the sky platforms at Coruscant, Queen Amidala's loyal retinue guards the main ramp to her starship, whilst Supreme Chancellor Valorum's blue armoured bodyguards begin their ceremonial flank. A deleted scene from EPISODE I, of which a brief moment showing George Lucas directing can be found on the 2011 Blu-ray release. Note later THE HOBBIT star Richard Armitage as the helmeted guard on the left of the ramp.

BEHIND THE SCENES: CORUSCANT DEBARKATION

At Leavesden Studios in Summer 1997, the EPISODE ONE crew film the landing of the Royal Cruiser carrying the fugitive Naboo Queen and her Jedi protectors to Coruscant, watched by Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and the arriving Supreme Chancellor's blue costumed Royal Guards: one of the earliest scenes to be filmed for the movie involving the entire main cast.