Seven Jedi

[Glass Onion]

Here it goes, my attempt to answer the question: What if the Star Wars prequels were actually good. I realize that there may be plausibility issues here. And I apologize for that.

By the early nineties there had been something of a revival in the popularity of the Star Wars franchise, and it was this revival that motivated George Lucas to create a new series of films. According to Lucas co-writer Lawrence Kasdan, Lucas had decided to return to the series in 1992, and the first full draft was written that year. The script, jokingly entitled "Seven Jedi", was unashamed of its inspirations. As he had done originally, Lucas had decided to borrow some of Kurosawa's material in crafting the newest film. Kasdan was asked to polish the dialogue, and in the process some plot elements were changed. Kasdan also served as a sounding board for Lucas during the brainstorm portion of the projects' development.

According to Kasdan, the original script was somewhat too close to the source material. Putting the matter bluntly, Kasdan claimed that Lucas had written not a Star Wars film, but Seven Samurai in space. Lucas admitted that his initial script was in need of revision, reminding an interviewer that, "there's a reason you don't start shooting with your first draft." Lucas has said that during the initial writing process, he had been overcome with writers block. He wanted to write another movie, and indeed, if we are to take the director at his word, he had already crafted much of the overarching plot of the prequels before he had begun work on the first draft.

Lucas has said that he and Kasdan quickly decided upon a few plot elements. Lucas claims responsibility for the prequels' central conceit. The movie was to be Darth Vader's story, with the entire movie series retroactively becoming in Lucas' words, "the saga of Anakin Skywalker." Kasdan has said that it was him, and not Lucas, who decided that Anakin ought to be the protagonist of the prequel trilogy. He said initially, Lucas wanted the main character in the film to be Obi-Wan Kenobi. But Kasdan argued that if the films were to be about Anakin's fall, he ought to be the protagonist as well. Lucas and Kasdan decided to create a series "bible" before they began work on the exact plot details of any of the films. Consequently, Anakin's personality and the reasoning behind his eventual fall was determined before the plot of the first film was decided upon. Kasdan claims that they knew Anakin was an idealist, that he wanted to protect people, and that this desire had been warped into an authoritarian lust for power, leading to his temptation by the Dark Side of the Force. The pair also hashed out many of the details of the Emperor's rise to power in the early planning period. The general outline of the film series was therefore developed before Lucas or Kasdan had begun attempting to write a first draft for the first film. When he attempted to do so, Lucas admitted to having writer's block. Kasdan has claimed that when Lucas first sought to write the script for Attack of the Clones, the only element he knew in advance was that it would involve some kind of rescue mission. In the midst of his writers block, Lucas had attended a showing of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. While Lucas has always maintained that he had the film more or less planned out back in the 1970's, the inspiration of that showing cannot be underestimated. Shortly thereafter, Lucas was finally able to begin work on the first draft of Episode I. Soon, "Seven Jedi" was quickly on its way to completion. Lucas presented the draft to Kasdan in the spring of 1992, and revision began almost immediately. When Lucas approved the final script, the film no longer followed the plot of the inspirational film as closely. Both Lucas and Kasdan decided that introducing a love interest for Anakin in the film was of paramount importance. Lucas had attempted to do so in the first draft, but the first draft’s version of the character that became Queen Padme was poorly characterized. Kasdan decided that she should be someone who lusted after adventure, “in a lot of ways, I borrowed from the first film. In effect, I decided to make her Luke. I decided that Padme felt trapped on her planet. Her status forbidding her to have much of a life outside the palace, and that this was her motivation for joining Anakin and Obi-Wan on their quest to save Tattooine from the forces of Darth Maul and the Galactic Confederacy’s Clone Army.” Eventually, the script was completed. Though Attack of the Clones was one of the two best grossing films of 1997 along with Titanic, perhaps a quick plot summary is in order.

Episode I: Attack of the Clones

The film opens with a spy droid landing in a seemingly desolate town in the deserts of Tattooine, it is similar in type to the one seen in The Empire Strikes Back, but since there's a difference of more than twenty years at work, there are at least a few superficial differences to demonstrate that this droid is of an earlier model. The shot shifts to the droids perspective, before cutting to the interior of a ship. We see Darth Maul speaking with another figure, dressed in the regalia of the Galactic Confederacy. Maul demands that their forces attack the planet immediately. The mysterious man urges caution, warning Maul of the danger of reckless action. In any event, he notes, a raid at this time would be pointless, since the harvest has not yet arrived and Tattooine has yet to recover from the last raid. Maul assents to this man's judgment, reluctantly decreeing that they will attack when the harvest arrives. The film cuts to the exterior of the ship, where we see a veritable armada surrounding the planet.

The film then shifts back to the town. Gradually, men and women emerge from their hiding places. Eventually the audience sees two familiar faces, Owen and Beru. Beru cries that she can't stand to see the Clones attack again, not after what they did last time. Another man in the crowd questions what they can do. They don't have an army to stand up to the invaders, and they are too far away from Coruscant to matter to the Senate. Owen scoffs that the Chancellor is skilled at arriving after disasters and appearing solemn among the wreckage, but not much else. And therefore, relying on the Republic for help appears to be a lost cause. One voice advocates seeking the help of Jaba the Hutt, to which Owen replies that the crime lord simply will not interfere. The Hutts and the Clones have an understanding, they leave each other entirely alone. And besides, Owen claims, Jaba is too much of a coward to stand up for people living on the outskirts anyway. Another voice claims they should just give everything they have to the Clones now, and beg for mercy while they still can. Owen shoots this down as well, telling that man that they should not act like cowards. They have lost too much to the Clones. If they have to lose the little that remains of their possessions, if they have to sacrifice what remains of their traumatized lives, Owen wants to die fighting. With a heavy sigh, Owen declares that he knows what he has to do. They have no choice but to recruit the help of Jedi Knights. Owen announces that he plans to leave for Coruscant. With an air of resentment, under his breath, Owen wonders out loud whether, after so much time, Obi-Wan and Anakin are prepared to actually take care of their own people. Beru interrupts him, telling him that, regardless of how he feels about them, they may well be their only hope for protection from the Clone Armies.

The film cuts to a brief scene in which Owen and Beru, handing over what meager possessions to hire a pilot and a ship. The three enter the ship, and fly off. Quickly they encounter resistance. Elements of the armada begin firing on them. It takes all of the pilot’s skill to avoid the destruction of the ship. It's a tense scene, and it is not altogether clear that Owen will be able to arrive at his destination. Eventually the ship evades enemy fire. The ship arrives on Coruscant, and lands. The pilot informs them that they only paid him enough for a one-way trip. And so, after Owen and Beru have disembarked, the ship once again flies off.

The film cuts to a scene of Owen and Beru standing outside the Jedi Temple. The way in which the film is shot demonstrates just how overwhelming the planet is to the provincial likes of Owen and Beru. The pair appear to be lost, and hopelessly confused. Corsucant has a distinctly urban appearance, and Tattooine is hardly an urban metropolis. Eventually, Anakin Skywalker, walks out of the temple. Recognizing his sister and her boyfriend, Anakin quickly walks towards the group. In spite of the urgency of the situation, Beru can't help addressing her brother with pleasantries, it's been far too long since they have seen each other. Beru refers to her brother as "Anie", a nickname no one else uses for Anakin Skywalker. Both Owen and Beru tease Anakin about his supposedly pretentious accent. Owen notes that Anakin is already speaking as if he were native to Coruscant. Owen heavily implies that the same thing happened to his brother, Obi-Wan. In the course of this conversation we learn that, in the intervening years, Owen and Beru were married. When Anakin asks how his mother is doing, Owen and Beru give each other an uncomfortable look. In a hushed tone, Beru tells him that their mother died "last harvest season"

Though grief is obvious in his face Anakin attempts to hide his reaction to his mother's demise, putting on a face of unflappability, he asks what brings them to Coruscant. He jokes that they've doubtlessly come sight seeing. Owen, speaking in a humorless and deadly serious tone, tells his brother in law that they are on a desperate mission. Tattooine is threatened by Confederate Raiders, and they need the protection of Jedi Knights if they hope to survive the coming onslaught. Anakin tells Owen that, of course, he's willing to help them. He tells his sister and his brother in law to wait while he persuades Obi-Wan and the other Jedi to join them. Anakin tells Owen with a confident air that the Jedi are the protectors of Justice and Order in the galaxy, and Anakin guarantees the Jedi Order will protect Tattooine. With that, Anakin Skywalker reenters the Jedi Temple.

The film cuts to the interior of that building. We see Obi-Wan Kenobi meditating. Anakin breaks his concentration. Kenobi tells his student that his action had better be motivated by something important. Anakin tells his teacher that Tattooine is in danger. He tells him about Owen and Beru outside. The ever-idealistic Anakin insists that they need their help. Reluctantly, Obi-Wan consents, warning Anakin that the other Jedi Knights are over stretched by the current crisis as it is, and the few who remain in the Temple are unlikely to join them. Seeing a look of distress on his student's face, Obi-Wan tells Anakin that they simply have to find another way to protect Tattooine and their relatives rather than relying on other Jedi. Anakin wonders aloud whether Senator Palpatine might be able to convince the Senate to help. We learn that the Senator has long been an advocate of full Republican intervention in the Clone Wars for a considerable length of time. Obi-Wan Kenobi sighs, and tells Anakin the prospect is unlikely. But it is nonetheless worth a try. Kenobi and Anakin emerge from the temple, and announce that they have agreed to help. Kenobi informs Owen and Beru , as Anakin looks on stoically, that the rest of the Jedi are too over stretched to join them, but not all hope is lost. Anakin and Obi-Wan will do all they can to save Tatttooine. Anakin smiles and tells his sister that they are going to meet with Senator Palpatine.

The scene shifts to that meeting. Palpatine tells the assembled group that he will not be able to convince the Senate to help them. The Senator briefly rails against the Republic’s leader, Chancellor Valorum, saying that if the Republic had real leadership, the Clone Wars would no longer be a problem. He says that he is ashamed that planets have been forced to see to their own defense. He says that he is trying to persuade the Senate to create a Republican Army to deal with the problem. But in the best of circumstances, the army won’t be ready in time to save Tattooine. There is, however another option. Palpatine reminds Anakin that Utapau, Palpatine’s native planet, has developed an army of its own to protect itself from raiders. Palpatine tells Anakin that he is confident that they will have no trouble convincing Queen Padme to help. Anakin turns to his sister, and tells her that they will be taking a brief detour to Tatooine.

The scenes shifts as the two Jedi, joined by their relatives enter a ship implied to belong to the Jedi, with a specific connection to Anakin. As the group makes their entrance, we briefly see them being watched by a suspicious looking figure in the distance. It's a very brief moment, but the fact that the group is being watched is clear enough. As the ship flies away, it suddenly comes under attack. It quickly becomes clear that the confederacy has caught wind of their attempt to stage an intervention on Tattooine, and they are not keen on allowing them to return to that planet. What follows is an intense battle scene, in which the survival of the passengers depends largely upon the ability of the Jedi to improvise. Anakin maneuvers with incredible skill as Obi-Wan and his brother fire with the weak weaponry available. Anakin demonstrates himself to be a superior pilot to the one who Owen and Beru hired. Eventually, the ship evades the attack, but not without sustaining some damage.

Just as the ship reaches Utapau, the film cuts back to the interior of the Clone Army command ship where we see the mysterious figure seen in the beginning of the film arguing with Darth Maul. He tells Maul that he's tired of attacking planets in the outlying systems. He laments that disorganized raids are never going to free them from the grasp of the Republic on a permanent basis. The man insists that they should attack Coruscant itself, or barring that, one of Republic's more important planets, like, for example, Alderaan. Clearly enraged, Maul snaps that the "Count" should know his place and follow his orders like a good soldier. Maul declares that he will not stand insubordination, as he begins to force choke the Count. Relenting before killing Deak outright, Maul warns that next time he will not be so forgiving.

The film cuts to Utapau where Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi are approaching the doors of the Palace. Nearby they find a woman who claims to be Queen Padme’s handmaiden. She asks what has brought the Jedi to the planet, questioning what a pair of adventurers would be doing on such a boring planet. The handmaiden laments that nothing ever interesting happens on Utapau. Obi-Wan tells her that she is lucky, these are dangerous times, and Utapau is fortunate to have avoided the calamities so many planets are facing. She concedes that this is the case. Still, she admits to wondering what life is like off the surface of Utapau, claiming never to have left the planet. She tells the pair that she’s barely been outside the palace itself. She asks where they had come from. Anakin tells her that they came from Coruscant, and she listens attentively as he describes the Republics capital to her. She says that all of what Anakin says sounds exciting next to life in the palace with Queen Padme. Frustrated, Obi-Wan tells the handmaiden that they need to see the Queen immediately. They need help urgently. Anakin describes their predicament. The handmaiden tells them that she is sure she will be able to quickly procure a royal audience for them.

The film cuts to Anakin and Obi-Wan enter the throne room. The Queen is visibly thrilled to see the two Jedi after so much time. She questions why that have arrived. Anakin explains the situation, and begs her to help. Surely the Queen has a few soldiers to spare to save poor Tattooine? The Queen tells them that after how they both worked so hard to save her planet and her throne, she could hardly refuse them anything. The Queen tells them that she will provide them with additional soldiers and ships. With a smile in Anakin's direction, she announces that she will insist on one of her handmaidens accompanying them, to the visible horror of her assembled officials, who understand precisely what the Queen means by this declaration. Panaka raises his voice, declaring to the Queen that there is no need for her armies to become involved in any capacity. The Galactic Confederacy, is now under the control of Count Deak. He explains that Deak is an idealist, he believes in the cause of Separatism, but he's by no means as brutal as the Confederacy’s former leaders. The raids will come to an end of their own accord. Panaka argues that the Count wouldn't allow for a brutal attack on Tattooine, a strategically unimportant planet as far as the Confederacy's goals are concerned. And in any event, Panaka claims, Deak is Valorum’s problem. So long as he leaves Utapau alone, they should leave Count Deak alone. Besides, Panaka argues, the Utapau does not have any men to spare. Allowing a group of soldiers to leave to save the desert planet would place the planet at risk. The Queen's decision to intervene on Tattooine could set the stage for an invasion. Finally, with a certain level of sarcasm, he tells the Queen that surely she realizes that her handmaiden is needed on Utapau. The tone of his voice makes the fact that he understands the real situation clear. While officially this won’t be revealed until later in the film, the handmaiden is actually a disguised Queen Padme.


The Queen objects to Panaka's argument, telling him she cannot allow another planet to suffer. She tells him that they have a solemn duty to aid in the resistance of aggression throughout the galaxy. The decision had been made, the die has been cast, and there will be an intervention. Anakin and Obi-Wan quickly conclude that all of those intending to aid in the intervention will have to land on Tattooine as secretly as possible. They cannot afford to arouse suspicion. Padme orders her men to commandeer a Spice Freighter. The group will land on Tattooine posing as Spice Traders.

The scene cuts to the interior of the spice freighter, where Obi-Wan, Anakin, Owen, Beru, and "the handmaiden" are speaking to each other.. The two Jedi and the handmaiden exchange pleasantries. A mutual attraction between the handmaiden and Anakin is clear, but of course, is not directly conveyed in the dialogue. Neither Anakin nor Padme say anything about being romantically drawn to the other. Padme asks Anakin to tell her what the life of a Jedi is like. Anakin obliges, and tells her of a number of off screen adventures. Padme listens to his story and is enraptured by Anakin's depiction of his history. As the soldiers enter into the freighter, Anakin notices that they are Clones. He briefly yells at the handmaiden, wondering what the Queen could possibly be thinking. Abruptly, she drops the charade. As she herself enters the freighter, she announces that she is the Queen, and that she had ordered the creation of a Clone Army in order to fight fire with fire. Anakin follows her, apologizing. He tells her that he had associated Clones with the Confederacy, and had been taken aback when he had seen them under more or less Republican control. The Queen says that she accepts his apology, and tells him that the soldiers are "a gift from Prince Bail." She then reminds Anakin that the time has come for them to leave. The young Jedi enters the pilot’s chair. The film cuts to the exterior where we see the ship fly off.

The film cuts to Tattooine, where the Spice Freighter, has landed. Anakin, Obi Wan, and the rest exit the ship. Owen and Beru lead them to the village. A crowd quickly assembles. The Jedi declare that they, along with a contingent from Utapau, have come to help save Tattooine. Anakin tells the assembled crowd that together, they can defeat the Clone Armies and ensure that the raiders will never return to Tattooine. A few scenes of preparation follow. The Jedi and the military figures, including the Queen herself, plot strategy. The Jedi train the populace to resist the Clones. Gradually the residents learn how to turn their largely agricultural equipment into military material. The residents will play a serious role in their own defense.

Shortly following these scenes, the film cuts back the Clone command ship. Darth Maul and Count Deak are once again bickering with each other. Deak still expresses his reservations about attacking. He reiterates his argument that they are wasting their time here. Tattooine isn't even entirely within the jurisdiction of the Republic anyway, so an attack is unlikely to persuade the Chancellor to agree to the secession of the Galactic Confederacy. Maul smirks, and tells the Count that the Chancellor will not remain in power for much longer. There will soon be someone far more flexible in control of the Republic, Maul predicts. Maul tells Deak that the harvest time has come, there can be no more delay, and the time has come for the raid. The film then cuts to the landing clone armies. The battle commences.

What follows is a battle scene in which everyone participates, from the residents to the Utapau contingent to the Jedi to Padme herself. Reminiscent of Return of the Jedi, the locals use hastily and somewhat crudely developed weaponry to hold off the Raiders onslaught, thought the majority of the work is done by Padme's soldiers. The Raiders are clearly surprised by the resistance they encounter, and that surprise proves disastrous for them. In short, they are routed. The Raiders are compelled to retreat. For a brief moment, it appears as if the heroes of the film have already won. But of course, that isn't the case. The film cuts back to the command ship, where Maul is informed of the disaster on the ground. His voice filled with rage, he claims he knew he should never have left the Clones to their own devices. He storms out to his private quarters, and walks towards his ship.


Maul's ship lands, another fight commences. This time the Raiders arrive in overwhelming force. Both the soldiers and the locals have far more difficulty this time holding their advance back. When they land, the Raiders are accompanied by Darth Maul, who briefly threatens Padme's life. Anakin intervenes, preventing her premature demise. This is followed by a duel between Maul and the two Jedi. Scenes of this duel alternate with scenes of the locals trying to hold off the Raiders, with Owen serving as a kind of commanding General for both the locals and Padme's army. Owen emerges in this film as a kind of hero. At the same time, it is clear from both his words and his expressions that he is deeply disturbed by the damage his homeland is incurring due to the fighting.

Though he succeeds in his heroic effort to save the Queen's life Anakin doesn't last very long in his duel with the Sith Lord, Maul quickly tosses him aside, removing his hand in the process. Maul briefly taunts Anakin, asking him if had yet found the present he had left him the last time he was on Tattooine. The duel between Maul and Kenobi resumes. Maul dares Obi Wan Kenobi to give into his emotions and kill him, hinting that Obi-Wan is in the process of falling to the dark side. Maul, in an echo of things to come, tells Obi Wan that if he would only cast aside the arrogant ways of the Jedi and kill him, like he knows he wants to, he would become more powerful than he could ever imagine. With this, Obi-Wan becomes more subdued. Maul walks towards Skywalker with a clear intent to kill him. Before he can do so, he is hit by a blaster shot. It doesn't kill him outright, but it does prevent him from killing Anakin. It is clear Owen has fired that shot. Injured, Darth Maul retreats along with the remnants of the second wave of the Clone Army.

Own rushes to his brother-in law, and reveals to Anakin that his mother had been killed last harvest when Maul and his Clone Troops launched their first raid on Tattooine, as hinted earlier in the film. Owen tells Anakin that he didn't want him to know about the horrific details. Without explaining everything, he tells Anakin that he and Beru were forced to witness "that beast" murder Schmi Skywalker in an effort to intimidate the villagers into handing over the harvest. Owen tells Anakin that it was cruel, random, and pointless, anyone of the villagers could have been killed instead. The audience of course, knows this isn't true. Maul killed Schmi with malice aforethought. Enraged, Anakin storms out, injury and all. He is clearly aware that the killing was intentional. Maul’s cryptic taunt was a confession to such premeditation. He soon finds the injured Maul. Maul and a collection of Clone Troops regrouping and preparing for their third assault. Enraged, Anakin attacks the group, killing the soldiers guarding Maul. Before Anakin can reach Maul he is taken into his waiting ship, which flies away. The film cuts to a close up of Anakin, and we see that he is crying silently.

The film quickly cuts back to the home of Owen and Beru, where Anakin is speaking with Padme. He tells how he regrets not being able to save his mother. He wonders why the Jedi could not protect Tattooine. He wonders aloud if the Jedi are strong enough to truly keep the Galaxy safe. Padme comforts Anakin, telling the anxious Jedi that he has done precisely what his mother would have wanted. She asks him to think about all the other people he was able to help since he became a Jedi, rehashing the stories Anakin told her earlier in the film. She tells him that he’s had adventures, saved countless lives, and that his life has not been wasted simply because he failed to save his mother. Padme tells Anakin that she knows what would have happened if he had stayed behind. He would have grown bored and resentful on Tattooine, cut off from all adventure. And when the Clone Armies inevitably attacked, he would not have been able to save his mother, he might well have died along side her. Obi-Wan briefly butts in. Echoing a later declaration on his part, he tells Anakin that if he had stayed here, “you would have been killed too.” Padme asks the two Jedi to take her back to Utapau. Anakin tells her that he'd rather be anywhere but the desolation that is Tattooine. He vows never to return. The film then fades to black and the credits role.

The script having been written, the first problem left was casting. The cast was pulled together in 1995. Gary Oldman was of course cast as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the role of Padme went to Kate Beckinsale. The casting of Gary Oldman raised a few eyebrows due to Oldman's cinematic reputation in 1995. Oldman was known for playing villains at the time. Indeed, he was regarded as one of the best "bad guy" actors in the film industry. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a departure from the kind of role with which Oldman was associated. In a kind of irony, Oldman's performance as Kenobi helped to free him from the kind of typecasting that had defined his career until that point. Attack of the Clones was to be the first major motion picture in which Kate Beckinsale would be appearing since she had completed her studies at Oxford. Of the three leads of the production, Anakin proved the most difficult to cast. The difficulty, moreover, proved considerably more difficult then either Lucas or Kasdan had anticipated.

Excerpted from A History of Star Wars by Christopher Smith.

[Glen]

Good to finally see this out in the open!

[Glass Onion]

Originally Posted by Glen

Good to finally see this out in the open!

Thanks, how is this draft of Episode I? I'm still stuck on casting Anakin though.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Glass Onion

Thanks, how is this draft of Episode I? I'm still stuck on casting Anakin though.

It's pretty much like I recall laying out in PM, though a bit more refined of course. I think you should go into a bit more detail on the three waves of attacks, and what is happening when. I also think you need to tack on at the end either an angry confrontation between Owen and Anakin or him at least stating to Padme or Obi-Wan that he swears he is never setting foot on Tatooine again.

In terms of casting for Anakin, the more I think upon it, the more I think Paul Bettany may be a good choice. He's a good actor, has the height (6' 3"), and would be a reasonable age for the role as you have laid it out (if we assume that principle photography begins 2-3 years before your 1997 release, he would have been about 23-4 years old at the start of filming. Kate Beckinsale would be two years younger than her leading man in this, about 21-2 at the start of filming. Just for completeness, I'll note that Gary Oldman would be about 36 at the start of filming.

[Glass Onion]

Originally Posted by Glen

It's pretty much like I recall laying out in PM, though a bit more refined of course. I think you should go into a bit more detail on the three waves of attacks, and what is happening when. I also think you need to tack on at the end either an angry confrontation between Owen and Anakin or him at least stating to Padme or Obi-Wan that he swears he is never setting foot on Tatooine again.

In terms of casting for Anakin, the more I think upon it, the more I think Paul Bettany may be a good choice. He's a good actor, has the height (6' 3"), and would be a reasonable age for the role as you have laid it out (if we assume that principle photography begins 2-3 years before your 1997 release, he would have been about 23-4 years old at the start of filming. Kate Beckinsale would be two years younger than her leading man in this, about 21-2 at the start of filming. Just for completeness, I'll note that Gary Oldman would be about 36 at the start of filming.

I have edited my original post to take into account your suggestions here, as well as some trivia about the cast.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Glass Onion

I have edited my original post to take into account your suggestions here, as well as some trivia about the cast.

Duly noted.

[Glass Onion]

Lucas eventually decided upon an unorthodox choice for the role of Anakin Skywalker. As was his way, the director decided to cast an all but unknown actor. While he had done work on stage, and was known for having performed the role of Bill Sikes in a BBC production of Oliver Twist, Paul Bettany was not then a commonly recognized actor. And indeed, American audiences had no familiarity with him whatsoever. Lucas always preferred casting unknown or barely known actors, and indeed reportedly fretted about whether or not Gary Oldman was too commonly recognizable to play the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. When questioned about why he chose Paul Bettany, Lucas has said that Bettany’s screen test was better than the other choices for the role. But the question is more complicated than that quick answer implies. The truth of the matter is that Lucas had decided fairly early on that he wanted to cast an English actor in the role. So the rumors that he was looking for another Mark Hamill for the role had no basis in reality. He had always intended for the role to go to a Paul Bettany type, according to sources close to the director. The role would eventually catapult Bettany to stardom in the United States, and the role of Anakin Skywalker still remains one of Bettany’s defining performances. Though Lucas intended to move away from Hamill while casting Anakin, the director famously used Hamill’s casting in the original film as a defense for picking the largely unknown Bettany. He noted that Hamill too had not been particularly well known before Star Wars had been released.

Still, the decision did not receive much criticism. Most fans of the series were too excited about the prospect of a new film to be much concerned with the movie’s casting. The general consensus among fans of the series was to trust Lucas where casting was concerned. After all, he had done a stellar job on that front in the past where that was concerned. In the original series, Lucas had picked Hamill, Fisher, and Ford to play the films three leads. And no fan of the original films would be willing to say that any of those choices had been poor. With Bettany cast, immediate attention turned towards the film’s villains, Darth Maul and Count Deak. Lucas described Maul in the script as something out of nightmare. He described Maul as looking like a more frightening version of the Devil. He admitted to wanting to give Maul an iconic look; he wanted the film’s villain to be as instantly visually memorable as Darth Vader had been decades earlier. Lucas undoubtedly succeeded in that regard. Maul does look like the Devil, and his appearance is certainly both memorable and iconic.

As had been the case with Vader, two different actors working in concert with one another in effect portrayed the role. In place of David Prowse, Doug Jones would portray the physical presence of Darth Maul. In place of James Earl Jones, the voice acting credit would go to Keith David. The Vader inspiration is obvious when one considers the casting of Keith David. Like James Earl Jones, David is an African American Actor noted for the deep tenor of his voice.

In casting Count Deak, Lucas decided to go with a much less orthodox pick. Indeed, of all the casting decisions made during the pre-production of Attack of the Clones, none has raised the same amount of fan speculation as the casting of Billy Dee Williams in the role of Count Deak. Lucas has never gone on record as to why that particular decision was made, but a partial explanation may lie in the back-story that had been established during the development of the original trilogy. Lucas had originally decided that the character Williams portrayed in the original films was actually a clone, and that his origins were intimately connected with the Clone Wars. Therefore, Williams casting may arguably be considered a reference to these early ideas about his previous character. The casting may also have been a calculated move on Lucas’ part to encourage fan speculation, and therefore excitement for the project not that too much was needed. And to this day, theories abound as to the relationship between Deak and Lando, Lucas having stifled efforts to provide a definitive answer to the question in the Expanded Universe. Fan explanations range from Lando simply being a clone of Deak’s, to the slightly more outlandish claim that Lando is actually Deak’s son. Given Lucas’ earlier thoughts about Lando, the Clone claim seems to be the marginally more likely of the two.

The role of Senator Palpatine went to Ian McDiarmid, who had played the part of the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. The last two actors to be cast in the film were the ones who portrayed Owen Lars and Beru Skywalker. Lucas instructions for their casting were slightly different then the ones concerning Anakin and Obi-Wan. Lucas reportedly wanted the actors playing Owen and Beru to exude a kind of All-American quality. Aside from the villains, Owen and Beru would be the only American actors in the film’s main cast, leaving aside extras and very minor roles in the film. The casting process with Owen and Beru was further complicated by the fact that the characters had appeared in the original film. Like Oldman, whoever was cast in the roles would have to step into a role that had already been established by another pair of actors decades earlier. Therefore, Lucas was searching for actors who could logically be seen as the younger versions of the Owen and Beru seen in the original film. This instruction made the process all the more difficult. Given these preconditions, the fact that these were the last characters to be cast is hardly surprising. The irony is, for all the casting couch’s deference to the original film, Owen and Beru play a much stronger role in Attack of the Clones then they do in the original movie. Here, they are the perspective character. Though Anakin is the film’s clear protagonist, in many respects we see the film through their eyes. The casting of the future Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru would be of the utmost importance if the film was to succeed.

[Glen]

I like your casting update - I will be curious to see who you cast as Owen and Beru.

[Glass Onion]

Eventually, Diane Lane was cast as Beru Skywalker, and Kiefer Sutherland was cast in the role of Owen Lars. There was some concern that Sutherland was too young for the role during the casting process. But his audition for the role was evidently better than his competition. And it is easy to imagine how the Owen Lars portrayed by Sutherland would grow up into the character seen in the original film. Sutherland excelled at portraying the resentment implicit in Kasdan’s script. Owen, of course, was someone who had never left home. And there were many allusions to Owen’s resentment of Anakin in the script, beginning with a snide reference to Anakin’s accent. There was some concern among those surrounding Lucas that Sutherland would look too young in comparison to Bettany. Luckily, thanks to a whole host of physical traits, at the time Bettany was a rather young looking actor. Sutherland’s acting, when combined with makeup and the tricks of the cinematic profession, was more than enough to make the age difference between the two seem to be much more than the 5 year difference that actually existed. Sutherland excelled at playing Owen Lars. Indeed, his performance added a certain degree of pathos to the role that had not truly existed in 1977. Given the circumstances, there can be no higher compliment than to say that Sutherland made the role his own.

Diane Lane’s performance was different from that of Sutherland. Unlike Owen Lars, there was no suggestion in the script that Beru resented her brother, or believed that he was wrong to have left Tattooine. As written, Beru is an affectionate older sibling, eager to hear what her closest relative in the galaxy has been up to for an unspecified amount of time. She counterbalances what would otherwise be venomous antipathy on the part of Owen Lars. In some respects this difference was inspired by the implicit situation in the original film. When the characters had first appeared Beru was far more willing than Owen to allow Luke to leave the farm. But like Sutherland, Diane Lane definitely added certain qualities to the role. More than a decade later is truly difficult to imagine anyone else in the role.

The final casting decision to be made was that of Lord Panaka. While in Attack of the Clones, the characters appearance would amount almost to a cameo, Lucas and Kasdan reportedly planned to increase his presence in the following films. Therefore, the casting decision could not be treated as lightly as its brief nature in the film might otherwise warrant. There was a considerable amount of deliberation about precisely who was going to play Panaka. Eventually Lucas and company settled upon a Scottish actor who was just then breaking into the film and television industry in Britain, one Christopher Eccleston. It was a casting decision that would have a much greater impact upon the film’s immediate sequel than the film itself, but nonetheless, the quality of the pick should once again be commended. It was also a casting decision the spurred a thousand fan theories when, in 2005, Eccleston was cast as the title character in the BBC's revamped version of its long running Science Fiction program, Doctor Who.
While Lucas has faults elsewhere, he never faltered where casting was concerned. Once Eccleston was cast, what was left was a simple matter of collecting the various extras and stuntmen who would round out the rest of the film. Filming began in June of 1995 and lasted until September of that year. Locations varied between the Tunisian desert, Leavensdon Film studios, and the Caserta Palace in Italy. Lucas used the development of Attack of the Clones as an excuse to experiment with CGI and to see how far the technology could be used. Having backed off an initial idea to make one of the characters all CGI in the film due to what were then the restraints of the technology, Lucas contented himself with filling in the background. If there was a problem with Attack of the Clones, it was this experimentation. While the background looked fine by the standards of 1997, it has not aged well. Nonetheless, it is hardly a film-ruining situation. The rest of the film is good enough to distract the viewer from any problems in the background.

The film was the most hotly anticipated film of 1997, with good reason. The Star Wars franchise continued to have a devoted following despite the fact that the last film in the original trilogy had been released over a decade prior to the release of Attack of the Clones. Additionally, thanks to VHS, a new generation of fans had grown up in the years since the films had left theaters. The release was also planned for the 20th anniversary of the original film’s 1977 release. The film’s release prompted long camp out lines at movie theaters, with many devoted fans waiting patiently to be among the first people to obtain the tickets to see Attack Of the Clones. Needless to say, the film opened to an otherwise incredible reception. The film was one of the two best selling films of the year. To say that 1997 was a good year for Hollywood is a dire understatement.
Attack of the Clones was certainly the biggest film of the summer of 1997, even if Titanic eventually outsold Episode I. The film was the public’s introduction to a wide variety of actors, who all made a good impression on the fresh American audience. Paul Bettany has said that he could hardly have hoped for a better American debut. The film also received an enormously positive critical response. Attack of the Clones, in short was exactly the film that was expected. While expectations were almost unreachably high, the film came about as close to meeting them.

Almost immediately after the film’s release, plans for the sequel began to be developed. After much deliberation, and steady lobbying on the part of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas eventually decided against directing the film’s second sequel. A few months after the release of Attack of the Clones the announcement was made that Steven Spielberg would direct the next film, while George Lucas would continue to be the film’s executive producer. Lucas explained that while the next film would continue to establish the background to Anakin’s eventual fall, he wanted the next film to have the kind of almost optimistic tone that Spielberg could provide. With Spielberg signed on to direct, preproduction for the next film would begin in 1998.

[Glen]

Ah Glass Onion you did nothave to place a Doctor Who reference in your Star Wars thread just for little old me!

[Glen]

On a more serious note this is another good casting post. I love Diane Lane but sh is almost too sexy for young Beru. Oddly enough I can totally see Kiefer as young Owen. Agree e will need some aging but Hollywood does that all the time and here it just needs to be minor tweaks.

Panaka being a bigger part of Episode II and now being Chris Eccleston. I have confidence you will put him to good use. It is fun making the whole Doctor Who Star Wars connection.

[Glass Onion]

Originally Posted by Glen

Ah Glass Onion you did nothave to place a Doctor Who reference in your Star Wars thread just for little old me!

I actually was inspired to cast Eccleston based on another role he had much closer to the time TTL's Attack of the Clones would have been released. I hope this doesn't spoil too much, but I picked him based on his performance in Elizabeth. Originally I was thinking of casting the guy who played William Cecil in that film, but then I realized Eccleston was in that film too, and would have done a better job portraying the character I'm imagining then whoever played Cecil would have. In any event, the casting decision wasn't just a Who reference, I genuinely think Eccleston is an enjoyable actor to watch and would be a good fit for the role. Though I'll admit, the Who thing did inspire the pick a little. I'm fond of fan theories and as Tvtropes would call it, wild mass guessing, and I am amused to imagine what sorts of wild mass guesses would exist a timeline where an actor who plays the Doctor is also in a Star Wars film, because I know there would be attempts to bridge that gap, and insist that Panaka and the Doctor are the same person, no matter how unworkable that is.

While on the subject of Eccleston and Doctor Who, I really liked his performance in that role. Not an expert in that series so I do not know how genuine fans of the series viewed/view him, but I thought he gave a good performance.

[Enigmajones]

ASB, Star Wars movies are all terrible, prequels and originals.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Glass Onion

I actually was inspired to cast Eccleston based on another role he had much closer to the time TTL's Attack of the Clones would have been released. I hope this doesn't spoil too much, but I picked him based on his performance in Elizabeth. Originally I was thinking of casting the guy who played William Cecil in that film, but then I realized Eccleston was in that film too, and would have done a better job portraying the character I'm imagining then whoever played Cecil would have. In any event, the casting decision wasn't just a Who reference, I genuinely think Eccleston is an enjoyable actor to watch and would be a good fit for the role. Though I'll admit, the Who thing did inspire the pick a little. I'm fond of fan theories and as Tvtropes would call it, wild mass guessing, and I am amused to imagine what sorts of wild mass guesses would exist a timeline where an actor who plays the Doctor is also in a Star Wars film, because I know there would be attempts to bridge that gap, and insist that Panaka and the Doctor are the same person, no matter how unworkable that is.

While on the subject of Eccleston and Doctor Who, I really liked his performance in that role. Not an expert in that series so I do not know how genuine fans of the series viewed/view him, but I thought he gave a good performance.

Oh, I think I do qualify as a genuine fan, and I thought he did a good job as the 9th Doctor, and I am intrigued as to what you have in store for him.

However, I have to remind you, that this is not exactly the first time an actor had both a Dr. Who and a Star Wars connection.

Cushing as Dr. Who


Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Enigmajones

ASB, Star Wars movies are all terrible, prequels and originals.

Funny, very funny...

[metastasis_d]

Subscribed.

Originally Posted by Glass Onion

Lucas admitted that his initial script was in need of revision, reminding an interviewer that, "there's a reason you don't start shooting with your first draft."

Awesome.

[metastasis_d]

It's a tense scene, and it is not altogether clear that Owen will be able to arrive at his destination.

I like that you specify that the scene must be tense; lacking that is one of the big problems with the prequels.

I found myself having to draw a little quick family tree when you mentioned that Beru was Anakin's sister, and that Obi-wan was Owen's brother. Very nice.

One suggestion I have while reading: For purposes of the TL, maybe add a timestamp every few paragraphs (or scene change) so we can tell how long the movie would be at each point.

Glad you cut down on the final battle having too many different scenes to keep track of.

[metastasis_d]

Sorry for the multi-posts; posting as I read each update.

Main three: Good picks.

Keith David: Excellent pick

Billy Dee: Strange pick, but I like it.

Judge Hershey : Excellent pick. This better not butterfly away Judge Dredd! (it will )

Kiefer Sutherland: Haven't seen many of his movies from the mid 90s, but seems like you're doing good so far.

Christopher Eccleston: Excellent pick! Having trouble trying to imagine him as closer to the Gone in 60 Seconds age than the Doctor Who age.

[Glass Onion]

Originally Posted by metastasis_d

Judge Hershey : Excellent pick. This better not butterfly away Judge Dredd! (it will )

It can't butterfly away Judge Dredd. Well, I suppose it could given the divergence to make this happen could conceivably be in the 1980's since we're talking about Lucas making the decision earlier and being more willing to collaborate butterflies being butterflies. But in any event, Diane Lane's casting alone, all else equal, won't prevent Judge Dredd from being made. That film was released in the summer of 1995, which is when the film I've discussed thus far would begin filming. Chronologically speaking, Judge Dredd was probably filmed at least a year earlier. It's films released in 1996-1997 you have to worry about. Though maybe I have the release date wrong, seeing as I am relying on Wikipedia.

[Glass Onion]

Originally Posted by metastasis_d

One suggestion I have while reading: For purposes of the TL, maybe add a timestamp every few paragraphs (or scene change) so we can tell how long the movie would be at each point.

Well, to know precisely how much time has transpired between scenes, I'd have to actually make the film, wouldn't I? More seriously, I'm terrible at math, and estimating how long each scene would be may be beyond me.