CLASSIC IMAGE: IN THE THICK OF IT!

Obi-Wan Kenobi heads the valiant surprise attack on the captured Theed hangar on Naboo, whilst young Anakin Skywalker rushes for blaster fire cover, in another great action shot from EPISODE I recently released in the excellent Paul Duncan written The Star Wars Archives book devoted to the Prequel Trilogy, available from Taschen Books.

Out now from Taschen Books.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: DROIDEKA TAKE OUT!

With Padme's forces pinned down in a corner of the hangar, Anakin's efforts to help his friend and break the siege pay off as he unleashes his fighter's weaponry on the Droidekas moments before the craft's auto pilot system takes him skywards. A great image showing a practical effect detonate on set during filming.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: PADME FIGHTS ON!

Unable to leave the main hangar, the royal party is cornered by Droidekas. Our dwindling in number heroes valiantly fight on, led by Padme whose skills with a blaster weapon will later be inherited by her equally cause-dedicated daughter, Leia Organa.

Steven Spielberg drops by on the filming, and has fun inspecting Padme's blaster pistol.

A close-up look at Amidala's very Flash Gordon-esque blaster pistol.

Lucas's longtime friend and filmmaking collaborator Steven Spielberg, taking a little diversion from shooting Saving Private Ryan in the UK, would visit and enjoy seeing the filming on the Theed Hangar set at Leavesden Studios.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: THE DUEL BEGINS...

"When we started on The Phantom Menace, I set out certain styles and particular faults for characters. Once you know the line of them, you know why they're going to do something. You know how they're going to behave in a certain way, what's going to make them angry or not angry. It's very easy to just knock through a fight. If you know the script and you know why they're there- where they're going, why they're going there - it makes the whole thing much easier."

Nick Gillard - Starburst magazine - 1999

"We came up with a mixture of Kendo, Samurai and every style there's ever been, and there's even a bit of tennis and a bit of tree chopping that you could swing at."

I wanted it more gritty that it was (before), more scary than it was. Much faster and much stronger.

Nick Gillard - Episode I DVD documentary - 1997

"When we wrote a fight for the actors, we'd do it to be a minute long, but it'll be in sections of five and six sections of six and seven moves only. So then, we go through very slowly and then start picking up the pace."

Nick Gillard- Episode I DVD documentaries - 1997

"They have to instantly be in check. There's no room for error in any of these fights. You won't see it because they're so fast. But if you slowed them down and freeze-framed them they can only parry there, they can only parry there. The moves are so natural and correct. There's only one place they can be."

Nick Gillard - Episode I DVD documentaries - 1997

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: BATTLING FORCES!

Now uncloaked, our Jedi heroes move into fighting position against the singular yet intimidating hostile force now properly revealed- a Sith Lord, and one ready for battle as his double-edge lightsaber is activated and an emergent animalistic murmur subtly heard.

The Duel of the Fates begins...

"I think the key was that we had a great villain who was also a great fighter. We cast a villain who was a sword fighter. When you have one of the character's who's really an expert at it, it definitely ups the ante for all the actors to do their thing."

George Lucas- 1997

Behold - the double lightsaber that blew audiences mids when it debuted in the film's first teaser trailer.

"The double-ended bit (of the lightsaber) was pretty much set when I got there (designed by Christian Gossett). The only difference was that the handle was going to be about the size of a standard lightsaber, so I asked George if I could have it bigger. It would be very hard to move something that small around my body and keep it balanced, because I'd have to hold it like that (holds his wrists close together in visual demonstration) and it would have been virtually impossible. That was my contribution to the lightsaber, basically. It allowed me to spin it around my head and do flourish movements."

Ray Park - Wizard magazine - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: MAKING AN ENTRANCE!

The hangar bay battle has been victorious for our heroes but their direct path to the throne room is now blocked by the entrance of that dark assassin prior encountered by Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine. And a formidable enemy he will further prove, as the Jedi soon ready for battle against the de-cloaked Sith Lord.

"Once I was in it (the make-up), it wouldn't bother me that much, except maybe at lunchtime when I'd try to catch some sleep. With the horns you couldn't lay down without ruining the couch or the bed. It would take about two hours to get into, about 45 minutes just getting it all off. Could've been longer, but I'd sometimes go home with some of it still on."

Ray Park - Wizard magazine - 1999

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: FIGHTERS AWAY!

"Get to your ships!"

Queen Amidala and the Jedi surprise attack on the Theed Hangar Bay has gone well, buying battle time for Ric Olie and his squadron pilots to take to the skies, and soon battle, against the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT!

The action, danger and lightsaber battles within the Theed hangar are well captured by Australian artist Matthew Hatton in this accomplished and exciting art that originally appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine back in 1999.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: STORMING THE HANGAR!

In the enormous hangar bay at Theed, our Jedi heroes protect Queen Amidala's force and provide vital lightsaber blast-deflecting skills as the battle to retake Naboo begins, in the memorable and action-packed finale to EPISODE I. Note the non-retouched lightsabers in this still, which was likely taken during rehearsal at Leaveden Studios in 1997.

Visitors watching the exciting filming would include directing friends Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, plus George Lucas's enthused young son, Jett.

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: GUIDING 'THE QUEEN'!

Escape from Naboo and a flight to the protective heart of the Republic at Coruscant looks to be the only way for Queen Amidala to save her people and planet, her actions guided by her closest Handmaiden, Padme, and venerable Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, who is suspicious of the Trade Federation's recent bizarre actions.

Playing the Queen in this scene would be British rising star Keira Knightley, who was on the film acting on and off for two weeks, and was twelve years old at the time. She also did double duties as a clothes reference model for costume designer Tricia Biggar.

With thanks to General Grievous Tributes for the screen caps. All images copyright: Lucasfilm Ltd.

https://www.starwars.com/news/a-guide-to-the-royal-handmaidens

"I loved the first Star Wars. The problem for me was because I was in it the magic had gone! But I loved the first Star Wars and my mum was really into it. That’s why I took the part-though I didn’t know what the part was when I took it. I don’t know what it would have been like if I hadn’t been in it, but the Force wasn’t the Force when we were filming it. And they didn’t have lightsabers, and that really annoyed me."

Keira Knightley - Film Review magazine - May 2005 

BEHIND THE SCENES: RACING FOR DEPARTURE!

On the EPISODE I Theed hangar bay set at Leavesden Studios in Summer 1997, George Lucas and the film crew get set up for a scene involving Jake Lloyd and Celia Imrie (as fighter pilot Bravo Four) rushing to her ship with her trusty Astro Droid, as the Battle for Naboo begins. The completed brief scene ultimately ended up being deleted for timing and pace reasons.

DELETED SCENE: A TRIUMPHANT RETURN!

The Trade Federation control ship has been destroyed and the war for Naboo has been won. As Queen Amidala's brave pilots return to the Theed hangar, the identity of the pilot who took down the enemy with such bravura skill and bravery is surprisingly revealed to Ric Olie: that boy Anakin Skywalker!

A nice little scene filmed at Leavesden Studios, UK in 1997 for the finale to EPISODE I that was deleted but ultimately made its way to the 2011 Blu-ray set.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A QUEEN FIGHTS ON!

Cornered by the Droideka forces of the Trade Federation she and her loyal soldiers may be within the Theed hangar bay, but Queen Amidala nonetheless fights on against overwhelming odds, during the action-packed finale to EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FIGHT-BACK!

In the Theed City hangar on Naboo, Queen Amidala's loyal troopers, and members of an established resistance cell, gather together to take the fight back to the Trade Federation, in this action scene from EPISODE I.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE LIBERATORS!

He said he couldn't fight a war for her, but by the end of EPISODE I's exciting battle in the Theed City hangar bay, noble Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn has at the very least helped to give Queen Amidala and her now liberated soldiers and pilots of Naboo the chance to fight back against their Trade Federation oppressors.

CLASSIC DESIGN WEEK. PIC FIVE - THE THEED HANGAR BAY

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 some of the six film's classic production designs.

Now a firm part of movie and box office history, the Classic Trilogy passes the STAR WARS adventure and excitement torch to George Lucas's next generation of equally iconic heroes and villains-making drama and conflict from the events leading up to A NEW HOPE- the Prequel Trilogy, whose first film, The Phantom Menace, would begin top-secret filming at London's Leavesden Studios in 1997 (Leavesden ultimately replacing the sadly smaller in scale Elstree Studios-now more a TV making facility, its STAR WARS STAGE long since demolished). Norman Reynolds is departed as Production Designer, but his legacies for innovation, imagination and dedication continues through Gavin Bocquet, already having an association with Lucasfilm through the YOUNG INDIANA JONES TV series, proving he has "the right stuff" as the sagas new UK visual successor, seeing in his era with digital film-making techniques to a degree then unparallelled in their combined use of partially built sets with CGI, matte work and models. A bold, if controversial, new age in making blockbusters had begun.

The other side of the Leavesden Hangar- an unseen angle in the movie showing Naboo soldiers fighting Battle Droids (here played by men in white suits, before CGI overlay). 

The largest practical set built for EPISODE I, the Theed Hangar of the under-siege peaceful planet of Naboo, plays host to several big action sequences, primarily the finale, as our Jedi heroes fight emergent Sith Warrior Darth Maul in an incredible three-way lightsaber duel, whilst Queen Amidala, alongside her handmaidens and brave warriors, liberate the building in order to send their glistening fighters up against the in-orbit Trade Federation droid control vessel, whose robot soldiers are overwhelming the planet.

With thanks to BlueHarvest.Net and StarWarsUniverse websites for the images.

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