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September 1996 Lucasfilm announces that Leavesdon Studios in Britain will be used to film portions of Episode 1.
Late 1996 ILM celebrates its twentieth anniversary.
November 1996 Lucafilm announces that ILM is developing revolutionary computer software that will be used to create the 2000-plus effects sequences that will be seen in the film.
1997 Fans learn that Ewan McGregor will play the role of the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi and Liam Neeson will play the role of a venerable Jedi Knight. Natalie Portman won the pivotal role of the young Queen while Samuel L. Jackson will appear as a Jedi Master in Episode 1.
June 1997 Principle photography for Episode 1 begins. Lucasfilm’s unique style of ultra secrecy is utilized on the set. Despite this security, the plot line of the film is leaked bit by bit to the Internet. By the end of 1998, many web sites have posted accurate summaries of the Episode 1 script.
September 6, 1997 The first phase of principle photography for Episode 1 ends.
April 1998 Lucasfilm announces that 20th Century Fox has won the rights to release the Prequel Trilogy. Fox is rumored to receive only a small distribution fee and will not share in the box-office gross. Fox had lost the right to future Star Wars films when Rupert Murdoch bought the studio in the mid-1980’s. Fox’ contract with Lucas had a “key man” clause that terminated their rights to future Star Wars films if the studio were acquired by new owners.
While some believe that in 100 years Star Wars will be a religion, the humble Lucas states that one day Star Wars “will be nothing more than a pretty minor footnote in the pop culture of the 1970s and 1980s.”
1998 starwars.com announces that Episode 1 will be released in North America on Friday, May 21, 1999.
September 1998 starwars.com announces that Episode 1 will be subtitled The Phantom Menace. This subtitle is presumably inspired by the old Republic serials that Lucas grew up watching.
November 1998 starwars.com announces that TPM’s first teaser trailer will be sneak previewed in 200 of the nation’s most state-of-the-art movie houses. The trailer is subsequently released in cineplexes nationwide and is broadcast in full length on many TV outlets such as Entertainment Tonight, Hard Copy, CNN, etc. Lucas later states on starwars.com that he is overwhelmed by the phenomenal response that the fans had after viewing the first trailer.
1999 George Lucas announces that he will probably direct Episode 2 and has begun to more fully “develop” the story for Episode 2.
January 1999 Lucasfilm’s promotion of TPM remains low key to avoid over-hyping the newest Star Wars film.
February 1999 In the Star Wars Insider, Rick McCallum states that Lucasfilm will release a more “traditional” movie trailer by March or April 1999.
March 12, 1999 Lucasfilm releases the second TPM promotional trailer.
First Week of May 1999 Lucas shows SW1: The Phantom Menace (TPM) to theater owners.
May 16, 1999 TPM is exhibited in several cities to raise money for children's charities.
May 19, 1999 TPM makes its theatrical debut in North America and breaks many box-office records.
Many diverse, “insider” sources have divulged snippets from the actual script of The Phantom Menace. It becomes evident from these leaks that TPM will be very similar to A New Hope as Lucas had earlier promised. While Obi-Wan Kenobi serves the role of a venerable Jedi Knight who introduces the young Luke Skywalker to the ways of the Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn serves as a venerable Jedi Knight who introduces the young Anakin Skywalker to the ways of the Jedi. Meanwhile, while Han Solo served as the wise-cracking renegade in ANH, Obi-Wan Kenobi acts as a wise-cracking renegade in the first prequel. Just as Princess Leia is rescued from the bad guys in ANH, Queen Amidala (Leia and Luke’s future mom) is rescued from the bad guys at the beginning of TPM. Likewise, R2-D2 and C-3PO reprise their roles from the first film. R2 helps the heroes when needed while C-3PO serves as comic relief in his brief appearance. Just as the cheif villain in ANH was named “Darth,” we learn that the chief bad guys of TPM are named “Darth.” There are actually two Darths in TPM: Darth Maul and Darth Sidious. While the exploits of Luke Skywalker are key to the defeat of the death star, the exploits of Anakin Skywalker are key in Naboo’s defeat of the Trade Federation’s fighters. Hence, there are many similarities between the first Star Wars film - Episode 4: A New Hope -and the newest one - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Lucas states that: “There was a cinematic innovation in the first Star Wars film that made people say, ‘Gee, I’d never seen that before. I have the opportunity to do that again with the prequels. The fun part for me is to say, ‘You want me to come back and do that for you? I can do that. I’ll do it. Here.”
Just as Star Wars set box-office records in 1977, expect the Phantom Menace to re-write most box-office records by the end of 1999. Lucas has had all the time, money and technology available to make this the grandest adventure ever to grace the silver screen. Yet no director has ever faced the tremendous burden of making the most anticipated film of the century. Only time will tell if Lucas was up to this near-impossible challenge. We all must believe that the Force is still with him.