CLASSIC IMAGE: THE SWEET TASTE OF VICTORY!

The conquest of Naboo by the Trade Federation lackeys Nute Gunray and Rune Haako's Battle Droid forces has been an overnight success with little to nothing in counter attack response from the planet's populace. The decadent and greedy aliens now arrive in Theed City to inspect their new prize for plunder, in this brief but effective moment from EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: WHICH ONE'S THE DECOY?

Though captured by the Neimoidians, the tide of battle and potential victory is turning back into Queen Amidala's favour with the unexpected arrival of her decoy, in another great moment from the Battle of Naboo sequence for EPISODE I. 

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE SITH'S SLIPPERY SERVANTS!

In the best filmic tradition of slippery secondary baddies- crafty and duplicitous alien versions of Peter Lorrie and his noir ilk, if you will - the mysterious Sith's accomplices in Nute Gunray and Rune Haako are in this blockade of the peaceful Naboo purely for the promises of power and greed beyond anything seen with their Trade Federation heritage. But watch out for those two Jedi!

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 PACT OF GREED AND EVIL!

Queen Amidala has incredulously escaped the Naboo Blockade right under the noses of his incompetent Trade Federation allies. Now the shadowy Darth Sidious is angry. No mere young and naive girl will stop his plans of revenge on the galaxy, of which he swiftly brings out his apprentice, the equally intimidating Darth Maul, to find her 'lost ship'.

A memorable introductory moment for a formidable new enemy, from EPISODE I.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: ACCELERATED PLANS!

With the arrival of the Jedi Ambassadors to their vessel, it seems that Nute Gunary's ambitions to advance his powerbase via the blockade has failed. But his new ally in Sith Lord Darth Sidious has other plans, especially after having the Neimoidian remove cowardly lackey Daultay Dofine from his sight.

Presumably Ian McDiarmid was donning his Sith robes acting on the Trade Federation bridge set at Leavesden Studios for this sequence (his hologram visage added later by ILM), acting alongside Silas Carson, Alan Ruscoe and Jerome Blake. They'd all be wearing complex masks created by a team headed up by Stuart Freeborn's talented former protege in makeup effects, Nick Dudman.

CLASSIC IMAGE: SPINELESS VILLAINY!

No question about it, Nute Gunray, Rune Haako and their Trade Federation allies blockading Naboo are certainly the slimiest and most treacherous aliens seen in the Prequel Trilogy- an attempt by Lucas in EPISODE I to do something creatively different involving STAR WARS saga villainy, and proving an intriguing counterbalance to the powerful heavies seen with the Sith and the later introduced bounty hunter, Jango Fett.

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.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO BUILD A CRISIS...

From the safety of their vast command deck, scheming Trade Federation bosses Nute Gunray and Rune Haako communicate with the shadowy Darth Sidious over their continued occupation of Naboo, in a moment from EPISODE I.