The Anglo-Saxon Social Model - The Expanded Universe
- Thread starter Rattigan
- Start date
I've been working on this for a while, which explains why it came a bit out of sequence with the other film franchise updates. Plot details for the prequels will come out over the next few weeks.
Star Wars is an American epic space-opera media franchise created by George Lucas. It began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into two film trilogies and other media, including animated and live-action television series, video games, novels, comic books and theme park attractions, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe. Following release of the latest film in May 2019, the films altogether have grossed around $8.5 billion at the box office (not adjusted for inflation) and the total value of the multimedia franchise is estimated at around $50 billion.
The original film, retroactively subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope, was followed by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming what is known as the original Star Wars trilogy. A sequel television series, titled Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, was released between 1999 and 2004, spanning four seasons and three television films (Dark Force Rising (1998), The Last Command (2002) and Specter of the Past (2004)), which received a limited cinematic release. In 2012, Lucas announced that production had begun on the long-awaited prequel trilogy. This consisted of Episode I: The Phantom Menace (2015), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2017) and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2019). All films in this prequel trilogy grossed over $1 billion at the glocal box office, making Lucasfilm the first production company to manage such a feat. The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith are the first and third highest grossing films in box office history.
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Star Wars is an American epic space-opera media franchise created by George Lucas. It began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into two film trilogies and other media, including animated and live-action television series, video games, novels, comic books and theme park attractions, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe. Following release of the latest film in May 2019, the films altogether have grossed around $8.5 billion at the box office (not adjusted for inflation) and the total value of the multimedia franchise is estimated at around $50 billion.
The original film, retroactively subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope, was followed by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming what is known as the original Star Wars trilogy. A sequel television series, titled Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, was released between 1999 and 2004, spanning four seasons and three television films (Dark Force Rising (1998), The Last Command (2002) and Specter of the Past (2004)), which received a limited cinematic release. In 2012, Lucas announced that production had begun on the long-awaited prequel trilogy. This consisted of Episode I: The Phantom Menace (2015), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2017) and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2019). All films in this prequel trilogy grossed over $1 billion at the glocal box office, making Lucasfilm the first production company to manage such a feat. The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith are the first and third highest grossing films in box office history.
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Star Wars: Heir to the Empire is an American science fiction television series and part of the Star Wars franchise. The show was developed by George Lucas and executive produced by Lucas and his wife Marcia Lucas, with Timothy Zahn acting as head writer. The pilot for the series was released as a film in a limited number of cinemas before being shown in three parts in December 2003 on NBC. It was then followed by four regular seasons and two television movies, both of which had limited cinema releases, before ending its run in October 2009.
Heir to the Empire is set five years after the events depicted in Return of the Jedi (1983) and deals with Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) attempts to stabilise the New Galactic Republic and a new Jedi Order against the assaults of the ruthless Grand Admiral Thrawn (Richard E. Grant) and Captain Gillad Pallaeon (Christopher Lee), both former officers in the Imperial Navy. Harrison Ford reprised his role as General Han Solo for the television film Dark Force Rising (1998), in which a New Republic fleet is ambushed by Thrawn and destroyed, with Solo himself being killed. Other important characters include master smuggler Talon Karrde (Jamie Bamber), ace pilot Hera Syndulla (Katee Sackhoff), Galactic Senator Garm Bel Iblis (Edward James Olmos), Dark Jedi Joruus C’baoth (Cress Williams) and assassin-turned-Jedi Mara Jade (Jean Smart). In addition, Peter Mayhew, Jeremy Bulloch, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker reprised their roles from the original trilogy. In the final series, the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong race is introduced as new antagonists, forcing the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant to put aside their differences and come to a compromise.
The first three seasons and two films garnered wide critical acclaim both at the time of its run and in the years since, including a Peabody Award. It received 19 Emmy nominations for its writing, directing, visual effects and in other technical categories, winning three. However, the final season and third film received a more mixed reception, with many criticising the show’s shift in tone and themes. In 2019, The Times placed the show on its list of “The 20 Best TV Dramas Since The Sopranos” and it is commonly regarded as a landmark show in the 21st century “golden age of television.”
Heir to the Empire is set five years after the events depicted in Return of the Jedi (1983) and deals with Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) attempts to stabilise the New Galactic Republic and a new Jedi Order against the assaults of the ruthless Grand Admiral Thrawn (Richard E. Grant) and Captain Gillad Pallaeon (Christopher Lee), both former officers in the Imperial Navy. Harrison Ford reprised his role as General Han Solo for the television film Dark Force Rising (1998), in which a New Republic fleet is ambushed by Thrawn and destroyed, with Solo himself being killed. Other important characters include master smuggler Talon Karrde (Jamie Bamber), ace pilot Hera Syndulla (Katee Sackhoff), Galactic Senator Garm Bel Iblis (Edward James Olmos), Dark Jedi Joruus C’baoth (Cress Williams) and assassin-turned-Jedi Mara Jade (Jean Smart). In addition, Peter Mayhew, Jeremy Bulloch, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker reprised their roles from the original trilogy. In the final series, the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong race is introduced as new antagonists, forcing the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant to put aside their differences and come to a compromise.
The first three seasons and two films garnered wide critical acclaim both at the time of its run and in the years since, including a Peabody Award. It received 19 Emmy nominations for its writing, directing, visual effects and in other technical categories, winning three. However, the final season and third film received a more mixed reception, with many criticising the show’s shift in tone and themes. In 2019, The Times placed the show on its list of “The 20 Best TV Dramas Since The Sopranos” and it is commonly regarded as a landmark show in the 21st century “golden age of television.”
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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is a 2015 American epic space opera film directed by Dave Filoni, written by Jon Favreau and co-produced by George Lucas and Marcia Lucas. It is the first installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and is chronologically the first Star Wars movie, although it is the fourth (seventh if the made-for-TV sequel movies are included) to be produced. It was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film’s ensemble cast includes Ewan McGregor, Zazie Beetz, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Michael K. Williams, Joel Edgerton, Lupita Nyong’o, Ian McDiarmid and Donald Glover. Set 27 years before the events of A New Hope, The Phantom Menace follows Padme Amidala, Obi Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu’s attempt to come to the aid of Anakin Skywalker, who is trying to prevent his planet Naboo from seceding from the Galactic Republic to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
The film was long-awaited, with Lucas promising that it would be produced at some point following the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983. Lucas wrote the first draft of the script in 1994 but was persuaded by his wife, Marcia Lucas, to abandon it and instead concentrate on what eventually became the Heir to the Empire television series and tv movies. After many years of hiatus, Lucasfilm announced that it would begin production again in October 2012, with George and Marcia Lucas producing. George and Marcia Lucas is credited for the story and the script was written by Jon Favreau. John Williams, the composer for the previous films, returned to compose the score. Filming began in April 2014 in Iceland, with principal photography taking place mainly in the United Kingdom, in Ireland and Pinewood Studios.
The Phantom Menace was widely anticipated and was backed by an extensive marketing and merchandising campaign. It premiered in Los Angeles on May 20, 2015, before its global release on May 22. The film received positive reviews for its acting (particularly those of Driver, Beetz and Isaac), score and visual effects. The film broke various box office records and became, unadjusted for inflation, the highest grossing film of all time, with a worldwide gross of over $2.7 billion. It received five nominations at the CGAAs and four nominations at the CAFTAs, winning at both ceremonies for Best Visual Effects. It was followed by Attack of the Clones in 2017 and Revenge of the Sith in 2019.
CAST
PLOT
The planet Naboo is unstable, with many factions in its governing class threatening to secede from the Galactic Republic in order to join with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Anakin Skywalker (Driver) obtains evidence that the Confederacy is already interfering in Naboo’s elections and is planning to invade other planets in the Republic. He manages to send a message requesting aid to the Republic’s capital in Coruscant but Skywalker himself is captured by Count Dooku (Isaac).
The message is received on Coruscant by Padme Amidala (Beetz), an obscure clerk in the republican bureaucrac. She takes it to her boss Sheev Palpatine (McDiarmid), a senior member of the bureaucracy and the Galactic Senate’s chosen intermediary with the Jedi Council. He takes the message to the Jedi Council and argues that the Jedi should try and resolve the crisis themselves before the Republic uses its clone army to crush Naboo’s rebellion. Jedi Master Mace Windu (Williams) demands to lead the Jedi response because Dooku is a former friend of his who has betrayed and left the Jedi Order. Grand Master Yoda (Oz) agrees but insists that the Jedi Saesee Tiin (Ayoade), Adi Gallia (Nyong’o), Plo Koon (Favreau) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) also accompany him.
The Jedi floatilla prepares to depart in two gunships, one carrying Windu, Tiin and Koon and the other carrying Kenobi and Gallia and being piloted by Owen Lars (Edgerton). At the last minute, Padme sneaks aboard the second ship. She is discovered by Kenobi after they have transitioned to lightspeed but persuades them to let her accompany them. After the two Jedi ships leave lightspeed in Naboo’s atmosphere, they are attacked by Naboo starfighters. Windu’s ship escapes to a nearby moon but Lars’s is badly damaged and only escapes when Obi-Wan and Adi Gallia use the Force to make it look like the crew escaped on pods.
Crash-landing near the Naboo capital Theed, Padme impresses her companions with her engineering knowledge, working with the ship’s astromech droid R2-D2 to fix the speeders in the ship’s hold and using them to infiltrate the capital with the two Jedi. They discover the capital already under occupation by the Confederacy’s droid army, commanded by Generals Gunray and Haako (Pudi and Glover, respectively). The occupation itself is overseen by the ruthless Viceroy Gideon (Esposito), who is increasingly frustrated by the behaviour of his incompetant military subordinates.
Padme discovers that Anakin is imprisoned in the central capital and scheduled to be executed and she and the two Jedi rescue him. During the course of their escape, Anakin manages to deflect droid blaster-fire with his mind, demonstrating his Force-sensitivity and leading to him bonding with Obi-Wan. However, they eventually come to be cornered by Gideon, Gunray and Haako and their soldiers. Count Dooku appears to personally oversee their execution.
At the last minute, Lars, Windu and the other Jedi arrive to effect a rescue. At the climax of the battle, Windu engages Dooku in a vicious lightsaber duel and sacrifices himself so that the others can escape. During their escape, Lars and Anakin demonstrate their piloting skills to commandeer two Naboo starfighters and use them to shoot down droid fighters pursuing the Jedi.
Finding refuge on Naboo’s moon, Anakin passionately argues that they should launch a surprise attack in order to liberate the other Nabooean prisoners so that they can continue their resistance elsewhere. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme once more infiltrate Theed while the others cause a distraction. In the ensuing battle, Tiin and Koon are killed by the droid army. Padme and Anakin successfully free the prisoners but Dooku intercepts them and engages Obi-Wan in lightsaber combat. Dooku defeats Obi-Wan and knocks him unconscious. Anakin takes up Obi-Wan’s discarded lightsaber and channels the Force to hold off Dooku and allow the prisoners enough time to escape. As they escape on the remaining ship, Padme triggers a bomb which destroys the Confederacy’s base, severely injuring Gideon in the process.
Back on Coruscant, Yoda oversees the memorial for Windu, Tiin and Koon and confirms that Obi-Wan will tutor Anakin in the ways of the Jedi. An injured Gideon is shown being taken for surgery by Dooku. The Republic declares war on the Confederacy and Palpatine is promoted to oversee the war effort, while Padme is promoted to his old job. The last shot is of Palpatine and Yoda watching the Republic’s clone army preparing for war and Yoda ruefully declaring that the Clone War has begun.
The film was long-awaited, with Lucas promising that it would be produced at some point following the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983. Lucas wrote the first draft of the script in 1994 but was persuaded by his wife, Marcia Lucas, to abandon it and instead concentrate on what eventually became the Heir to the Empire television series and tv movies. After many years of hiatus, Lucasfilm announced that it would begin production again in October 2012, with George and Marcia Lucas producing. George and Marcia Lucas is credited for the story and the script was written by Jon Favreau. John Williams, the composer for the previous films, returned to compose the score. Filming began in April 2014 in Iceland, with principal photography taking place mainly in the United Kingdom, in Ireland and Pinewood Studios.
The Phantom Menace was widely anticipated and was backed by an extensive marketing and merchandising campaign. It premiered in Los Angeles on May 20, 2015, before its global release on May 22. The film received positive reviews for its acting (particularly those of Driver, Beetz and Isaac), score and visual effects. The film broke various box office records and became, unadjusted for inflation, the highest grossing film of all time, with a worldwide gross of over $2.7 billion. It received five nominations at the CGAAs and four nominations at the CAFTAs, winning at both ceremonies for Best Visual Effects. It was followed by Attack of the Clones in 2017 and Revenge of the Sith in 2019.
CAST
- Adam Driver as Anakin Skywalker
- Zazie Beetz as Padme Amidala
- Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Michael K. Williams as Mace Windu
- Oscar Isaac as Count Dooku
- Lupita Nyong'o as Adi Gallia
- Giancarlo Esposito as Viceroy Gideon
- Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars
- Richard Ayoade as Saesee Tiin
- Dani Pudi as General Naut Gunray
- Donald Glover as General Rune Haako
PLOT
The planet Naboo is unstable, with many factions in its governing class threatening to secede from the Galactic Republic in order to join with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Anakin Skywalker (Driver) obtains evidence that the Confederacy is already interfering in Naboo’s elections and is planning to invade other planets in the Republic. He manages to send a message requesting aid to the Republic’s capital in Coruscant but Skywalker himself is captured by Count Dooku (Isaac).
The message is received on Coruscant by Padme Amidala (Beetz), an obscure clerk in the republican bureaucrac. She takes it to her boss Sheev Palpatine (McDiarmid), a senior member of the bureaucracy and the Galactic Senate’s chosen intermediary with the Jedi Council. He takes the message to the Jedi Council and argues that the Jedi should try and resolve the crisis themselves before the Republic uses its clone army to crush Naboo’s rebellion. Jedi Master Mace Windu (Williams) demands to lead the Jedi response because Dooku is a former friend of his who has betrayed and left the Jedi Order. Grand Master Yoda (Oz) agrees but insists that the Jedi Saesee Tiin (Ayoade), Adi Gallia (Nyong’o), Plo Koon (Favreau) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) also accompany him.
The Jedi floatilla prepares to depart in two gunships, one carrying Windu, Tiin and Koon and the other carrying Kenobi and Gallia and being piloted by Owen Lars (Edgerton). At the last minute, Padme sneaks aboard the second ship. She is discovered by Kenobi after they have transitioned to lightspeed but persuades them to let her accompany them. After the two Jedi ships leave lightspeed in Naboo’s atmosphere, they are attacked by Naboo starfighters. Windu’s ship escapes to a nearby moon but Lars’s is badly damaged and only escapes when Obi-Wan and Adi Gallia use the Force to make it look like the crew escaped on pods.
Crash-landing near the Naboo capital Theed, Padme impresses her companions with her engineering knowledge, working with the ship’s astromech droid R2-D2 to fix the speeders in the ship’s hold and using them to infiltrate the capital with the two Jedi. They discover the capital already under occupation by the Confederacy’s droid army, commanded by Generals Gunray and Haako (Pudi and Glover, respectively). The occupation itself is overseen by the ruthless Viceroy Gideon (Esposito), who is increasingly frustrated by the behaviour of his incompetant military subordinates.
Padme discovers that Anakin is imprisoned in the central capital and scheduled to be executed and she and the two Jedi rescue him. During the course of their escape, Anakin manages to deflect droid blaster-fire with his mind, demonstrating his Force-sensitivity and leading to him bonding with Obi-Wan. However, they eventually come to be cornered by Gideon, Gunray and Haako and their soldiers. Count Dooku appears to personally oversee their execution.
At the last minute, Lars, Windu and the other Jedi arrive to effect a rescue. At the climax of the battle, Windu engages Dooku in a vicious lightsaber duel and sacrifices himself so that the others can escape. During their escape, Lars and Anakin demonstrate their piloting skills to commandeer two Naboo starfighters and use them to shoot down droid fighters pursuing the Jedi.
Finding refuge on Naboo’s moon, Anakin passionately argues that they should launch a surprise attack in order to liberate the other Nabooean prisoners so that they can continue their resistance elsewhere. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme once more infiltrate Theed while the others cause a distraction. In the ensuing battle, Tiin and Koon are killed by the droid army. Padme and Anakin successfully free the prisoners but Dooku intercepts them and engages Obi-Wan in lightsaber combat. Dooku defeats Obi-Wan and knocks him unconscious. Anakin takes up Obi-Wan’s discarded lightsaber and channels the Force to hold off Dooku and allow the prisoners enough time to escape. As they escape on the remaining ship, Padme triggers a bomb which destroys the Confederacy’s base, severely injuring Gideon in the process.
Back on Coruscant, Yoda oversees the memorial for Windu, Tiin and Koon and confirms that Obi-Wan will tutor Anakin in the ways of the Jedi. An injured Gideon is shown being taken for surgery by Dooku. The Republic declares war on the Confederacy and Palpatine is promoted to oversee the war effort, while Padme is promoted to his old job. The last shot is of Palpatine and Yoda watching the Republic’s clone army preparing for war and Yoda ruefully declaring that the Clone War has begun.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is an American epic space-opera film directed by Jon Favreau, written by Favreau and Chris Yost and produced by George and Marcia Lucas. It is the second installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the fifth film to be produced. It stars Ewan McGregor, Zazie Beetz, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac and Frank Oz. Set five years after the events depicted in The Phantom Menace, the Galactic Republic is struggling under the assaults of Confederacy of Independent Systems. Best friends Anakin Skywalker and his master Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent on separate missions, both of which are vital to the Republic’s war effort, all the while contending with their own private trials.
Attack of the Clones had its world premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on May 17, 2017 and was released in the United States and worldwide on May 19. Despite being the largest box office success of 2017, with a total worldwide gross of just over $1.8 billion, it was nearly $900 million lower than the box office of the previous film in the trilogy, The Phantom Menace. The film also received a more mixed critical response, with many fans unhappy with the dark turn for some of the characters. The film received four nominations at the CGAAs and two nominations at the CAFTAs, all in the score and technical categories. A sequel, Revenge of the Sith, was released in May 2019.
CAST
PLOT
Five years into the Clone War, the Republic is desperately defending its position on the planet Malastare. Via hologram, Supreme Minister Palpatine tells Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to deploy the Republic’s new superweapon, an electro-proton bomb. Despite Kenobi’s misgivings, the Jedi agree to deploy the bomb, which completely disables the droid army but accidentally awakens an ancient horror known as the Zillo Beast. The Republic’s army is only saved at the last minute by the arrival of a Mandalorian army led by Satine Kryze.
While travelling to Mandalore, Satine explains to Anakin that she and Obi-Wan were once Jedi padawans together before she left the order to return to her clan and that she has now persuaded the Madalorian warrior caste to commit soldiers to the side of the Republic. Palpatine and Padme Amidala arrive on Malastare to finalise the treaty between the Republic and the Mandalorians. Palpatine announces that the Confederacy’s leader, Count Dooku, has agreed to secret peace talks on Moraband and he argues about strategy with Grand Master Yoda, who argues that the Jedi and the clone army must concentrate on defeating the deadly Grand Marshal Gideon, now reconstructed as a cyborg warrior. They eventually agree that Anakin will accompany a republican naval detachment commanded by Admiral Owen Lars and escort Palpatine and Padme to the peace talks. They are accompanied by Senator Breha Organa of Alderaan. Obi-Wan and Satine, meanwhile, will lead the clone army and Mandalorian warriors to Gideon’s last known location on Umbara, where the Republic’s forces under Jedi Pong Krell are sorely outnumbered.
On the journey to Umbara, Satine and Obi-Wan reminisce over their past together. However, Obi-Wan reminds her of the vow of celibacy he took as a Jedi and they share the rest of the journey together awkwardly. This is contrasted with events in the other Republican fleet, where it is revealed that Anakin and Padme are conducting an affair.
When they arrive at Umbara, the Republican-Mandalorian forces find Krell’s army has already been overrun and the Jedi is being brought before Gideon for execution. Obi-Wan and Satine lead a daring airborne attack on the Confederate base. There Obi-Wan duels with the cyborg Gideon, who is now wielding the lightsaber of the deceased Jedi Mace Windu. The Republic escapes with Krell but then it is revealed that Krell has, in fact, already betrayed the Republic. His clone troops fire on Satine’s and Obi-Wan’s, although those two manage to escape.
At night on Moraband, Anakin is awoken by a vision of Mace Windu, who promises him the power to end the war. Anakin follows and enters a tomb complex, where he encounters a vision of the ancient Sith Lord Darth Bane. Bane attempts to convince Anakin to turn to the dark side but Anakin refuses, his defiance appearing to banish the spectre back to its tomb. The next morning, Padme remarks on Anakin’s tired appearance. He chooses to tell her nothing but confides in Palpatine about his visions.
Obi-Wan and Satine send a distress signal to the Republic’s forces on Moraband, causing Palpatine to ostentatiously storm out of the peace negotiations, against Organa’s better instincts. He orders Lars to lead an attack group to Umbara immediately, with Anakin and Padme joining him. On Umbara, Obi-Wan and Satine intercept Confederate communications revealing that this has all been a trap. However, Republic's fleet is already en route and they won't be able to reach it in time.
When Lars’ fleet arrives in-system, they are immediately set upon by the combined fleets of the Confederacy and the traitor clones. Anakin and Padme lead a small force to make landfall to supervise the evacuation of the loyal clones and the Mandalorians. Leading the final Confederate assault, Gideon and Krell engage Anakin, Obi-Wan and Satine in a duel. Anakin manages to slay Krell but just as they look like they’re going to escape, Gideon cuts off Anakin’s arm and mortally wounds Satine. She dies on a transport ship in Obi-Wan’s arms but not before they confess their love for one another.
Onboard the Republic’s capital ship, newly-arrived Grand Master Yoda attempts to comfort Obi-Wan but he storms off, seeking revenge. From his hospital bed, Anakin reaches out to his Master with the force and makes a last-ditch attempt to appeal to his best friend. Obi-Wan rejects this, angrily revealing that when they were padawans he and Satine had agreed to leave the Jedi Order so they could be together but that he had changed his mind at the last minute. He says that now he is honouring her wish and that the Jedi Order is an empty husk, before taking a fighter and leaving.
On Mandalore, Obi-Wan erects a small monument to Satine but his peace is disturbed by the arrival of Dooku. He and Dooku duel, the latter explaining that the Jedi are so fallen they have failed to notice that both sides of this war are equally bad. He says that only by following the Dark Side can Obi-Wan learn the power to gain true revenge. Obi-Wan becomes angrier and angrier until he realises that his thirst for revenge and power has led his lightsaber crystal to bleed, turning its balde red. Distraught, he sinks to his knees. Dooku christens him “Darth Maul” and initiates him into the Sith Order.
Attack of the Clones had its world premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on May 17, 2017 and was released in the United States and worldwide on May 19. Despite being the largest box office success of 2017, with a total worldwide gross of just over $1.8 billion, it was nearly $900 million lower than the box office of the previous film in the trilogy, The Phantom Menace. The film also received a more mixed critical response, with many fans unhappy with the dark turn for some of the characters. The film received four nominations at the CGAAs and two nominations at the CAFTAs, all in the score and technical categories. A sequel, Revenge of the Sith, was released in May 2019.
CAST
- Adam Driver as Jedi Anakin Skywalker
- Zazie Beetz as Padmé Amidala
- Ewan McGregor as Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi
- Oscar Isaac as Count Dooku
- Tessa Thompson as Satine Kryze
- Giancarlo Esposito as Grand Marshal Gideon
- Joel Edgerton as Admiral Owen Lars
- Benicio del Toro as Jedi Master Pong Krell
- Laura Dern as Senator Breha Organa
- Ian McDiarmid as Supreme Minister Sheev Palpatine
- Frank Oz as Jedi Grand Master Yoda
PLOT
Five years into the Clone War, the Republic is desperately defending its position on the planet Malastare. Via hologram, Supreme Minister Palpatine tells Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to deploy the Republic’s new superweapon, an electro-proton bomb. Despite Kenobi’s misgivings, the Jedi agree to deploy the bomb, which completely disables the droid army but accidentally awakens an ancient horror known as the Zillo Beast. The Republic’s army is only saved at the last minute by the arrival of a Mandalorian army led by Satine Kryze.
While travelling to Mandalore, Satine explains to Anakin that she and Obi-Wan were once Jedi padawans together before she left the order to return to her clan and that she has now persuaded the Madalorian warrior caste to commit soldiers to the side of the Republic. Palpatine and Padme Amidala arrive on Malastare to finalise the treaty between the Republic and the Mandalorians. Palpatine announces that the Confederacy’s leader, Count Dooku, has agreed to secret peace talks on Moraband and he argues about strategy with Grand Master Yoda, who argues that the Jedi and the clone army must concentrate on defeating the deadly Grand Marshal Gideon, now reconstructed as a cyborg warrior. They eventually agree that Anakin will accompany a republican naval detachment commanded by Admiral Owen Lars and escort Palpatine and Padme to the peace talks. They are accompanied by Senator Breha Organa of Alderaan. Obi-Wan and Satine, meanwhile, will lead the clone army and Mandalorian warriors to Gideon’s last known location on Umbara, where the Republic’s forces under Jedi Pong Krell are sorely outnumbered.
On the journey to Umbara, Satine and Obi-Wan reminisce over their past together. However, Obi-Wan reminds her of the vow of celibacy he took as a Jedi and they share the rest of the journey together awkwardly. This is contrasted with events in the other Republican fleet, where it is revealed that Anakin and Padme are conducting an affair.
When they arrive at Umbara, the Republican-Mandalorian forces find Krell’s army has already been overrun and the Jedi is being brought before Gideon for execution. Obi-Wan and Satine lead a daring airborne attack on the Confederate base. There Obi-Wan duels with the cyborg Gideon, who is now wielding the lightsaber of the deceased Jedi Mace Windu. The Republic escapes with Krell but then it is revealed that Krell has, in fact, already betrayed the Republic. His clone troops fire on Satine’s and Obi-Wan’s, although those two manage to escape.
At night on Moraband, Anakin is awoken by a vision of Mace Windu, who promises him the power to end the war. Anakin follows and enters a tomb complex, where he encounters a vision of the ancient Sith Lord Darth Bane. Bane attempts to convince Anakin to turn to the dark side but Anakin refuses, his defiance appearing to banish the spectre back to its tomb. The next morning, Padme remarks on Anakin’s tired appearance. He chooses to tell her nothing but confides in Palpatine about his visions.
Obi-Wan and Satine send a distress signal to the Republic’s forces on Moraband, causing Palpatine to ostentatiously storm out of the peace negotiations, against Organa’s better instincts. He orders Lars to lead an attack group to Umbara immediately, with Anakin and Padme joining him. On Umbara, Obi-Wan and Satine intercept Confederate communications revealing that this has all been a trap. However, Republic's fleet is already en route and they won't be able to reach it in time.
When Lars’ fleet arrives in-system, they are immediately set upon by the combined fleets of the Confederacy and the traitor clones. Anakin and Padme lead a small force to make landfall to supervise the evacuation of the loyal clones and the Mandalorians. Leading the final Confederate assault, Gideon and Krell engage Anakin, Obi-Wan and Satine in a duel. Anakin manages to slay Krell but just as they look like they’re going to escape, Gideon cuts off Anakin’s arm and mortally wounds Satine. She dies on a transport ship in Obi-Wan’s arms but not before they confess their love for one another.
Onboard the Republic’s capital ship, newly-arrived Grand Master Yoda attempts to comfort Obi-Wan but he storms off, seeking revenge. From his hospital bed, Anakin reaches out to his Master with the force and makes a last-ditch attempt to appeal to his best friend. Obi-Wan rejects this, angrily revealing that when they were padawans he and Satine had agreed to leave the Jedi Order so they could be together but that he had changed his mind at the last minute. He says that now he is honouring her wish and that the Jedi Order is an empty husk, before taking a fighter and leaving.
On Mandalore, Obi-Wan erects a small monument to Satine but his peace is disturbed by the arrival of Dooku. He and Dooku duel, the latter explaining that the Jedi are so fallen they have failed to notice that both sides of this war are equally bad. He says that only by following the Dark Side can Obi-Wan learn the power to gain true revenge. Obi-Wan becomes angrier and angrier until he realises that his thirst for revenge and power has led his lightsaber crystal to bleed, turning its balde red. Distraught, he sinks to his knees. Dooku christens him “Darth Maul” and initiates him into the Sith Order.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is an American epic space-opera film directed by Taika Waititi, written by Jon Favreau and Waititi from a story by George and Marcia Lucas and produced by George and Marcia Lucas. It stars Ewan McGregor, Zazie Beetz, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac and Frank Oz, among others. It is the final installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the sixth Star Wars film to be released overall.
Revenge of the Sith is set three years after the events of the previous film, Attack of the Clones. The Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems are continuing the vicious Clone Wars, with the Republic reeling under the attacks of the Confederate armies under the cyborg General Gideon and the former Jedi Count Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi, now known as Darth Tyranus and Darth Maul, respectively. Meanwhile, the Republic’s greatest hero, Anakin Skywalker, faces a crisis of confidence, haunted by visions of the death of his wife Padme Amidala and of the corruption of the Jedi Order. Behind the scenes, a mysterious force seeks to manipulate the tragedy on both sides to further its own grand plan.
Production of the film started in September 2017 and filming took place in the United Kingdom with additional locations in Thailand, Switzerland, China, Italy and Australia. The film premiered in May 2019, receiving positive reviews for its action sequences, score, visual effects and the performances of the central characters. It broke several box office records during its opening week and went on to earn over $2 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2019, the third highest-grossing film of all time (behind Titanic and The Phantom Menace) and the second highest-grossing film in the Star Wars franchise.
CAST
PLOT
The film opens at a meeting between Republican political representatives, including Commander-in-Chief Sheev Palpatine and Senator Breha Organa, and senior Jedi, including Grand Master Yoda and Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Adi Gallia. Palpatine explains that, in view of the deteriorating military situation, he will not be relinquishing the emergency powers granted to him by the Senate. He then orders Skywalker to lead his forces into battle against Tyranus and Maul on Anaxes. Yoda objects, citing Skywalker’s past relationship with Maul/Kenobi but is overruled. As the meeting breaks up, Yoda ruefully says to Organa that the Jedi had been wrong to wage war on the Republic’s behalf.
While travelling with the fleet to Anaxes, Anakin shares a private conversation with Padme via hologram. Padme reveals that she is pregnant with Anakin’s baby and the two of them resolve to raise the child in secret, as much as possible, and reaffirm their love for each other. Padme ruminates that she thinks the continuation of the war is a mistake and that Palpatine is gathering too much power around himself. However, Anakin grows angry and reminds her that Palpatine is his friend. After their conversation ends, Anakin walks to the bridge but is interrupted by a Force vision of a mysterious cloaked figure, who offers him the power to end the war if only he seizes it. Sensing the Dark Side, Anakin attempts to dispel the figure but is confronted by visions of Padme’s death, which the figure says is from the future. Anakin eventually manages to dispel the vision but is visibly shaken by the incident, although he doesn’t explain when Admiral Owen Lars notes this when he arrives on the bridge.
At the Confederate base on Anaxes, Maul and Dooku receive word from Darth Sidious that a Republic fleet is on the way. Maul reiterates his desire to destroy General Gideon in vengeance for the death of his lover Satine. Dooku, however, counsels him that, if all goes to plan, the forthcoming battle on Anaxes will enable him to destroy both Gideon and the Jedi. When the Republic’s fleet leaves light speed in Anaxes’ orbit, they are immediately set upon by a Confederate fleet that knew they were coming. Despite taking heavy damage, Anakin demands to go down to the surface with a small commando force, thinking that he may be able to destroy the control towers broadcasting orders to the droid army and fleet.
On Coruscant, Padme brings news that the battle has begun to Palpatine. She thinks that he looks too pleased at the prospect and confides in this to Organa. Organa, in turn, invites her to a secret meeting with some other disgruntled senators.
On Anaxes, Anakin’s forces are sorely overmatched when Dooku and Maul arrive. Anakin attempts to reason with his former mentor but Maul disarms him and knocks him unconscious. When Anakin comes to, he is being held prisoner and prepared for execution over a channel that will be broadcast around the galaxy. Anakin again attempts to reason with Maul, reminding him of their friendship and promising him that he will be able to find peace if he returns to the Light. Maul seems to ignore him.
At a makeshift arena on Anaxes, Anakin and the remaining commandos are taken out to be executed by Maul. However, when Maul ignites his lightsaber, the blade is revealed to have returned to its blue color, indicating his return to the Light. Obi-Wan frees the prisoners and together they stage a dramatic breakout, killing Gideon in the process. Anakin destroys the droid control node, allowing the Republican fleet to make its escape. Obi-Wan and Anakin, however, break off together in a two-person fighter, heading for Mandalore. There they visit Satine’s grave. Obi-Wan declares that he will return to the Jedi Order in the hope of changing it from within and Anakin says that he will help him reintegrate.
Back on Coruscant, Yoda welcomes Obi-Wan back into the Jedi fold and says that he will have to undergo trials to decide if he is clean of the Dark Side, with Anakin acting as his sponsor. Yoda informs him that, while he can never be fully redeemed for the evil he did as Darth Maul, he can return to the Light again.
While Obi-Wan undergoes his trials, Anakin experiences a series of increasingly apocalyptic visions, all of which depict Padme dying and the Republic crumbling. He finds Yoda’s advice - to release himself from earthly concerns - to be unsatisfying. During a shared meditation session, Anakin confesses his entire situation to Obi-Wan and expresses interest in using the Dark Side to halt this fate. However, Obi-Wan sadly informs him that no power can prevent those you love from dying eventually.
In one of his reintegration trials, Obi-Wan must travel through a portal underneath the Jedi Temple to the World Between World, where he will face a trial of his spirit. He is accompanied by Anakin, who is meant to act as his spirit guide. Once there, they are met by visions of Darth Bane and Darth Nihilus, who attack them. The two Sith apparitions tempt the Jedi with offers of untold power and the battle gradually separates into two duels: Bane against Obi-Wan and Nihilus against Anakin. The Bane vision transforms into an image of Satine and replays memories of Obi-Wan backing out of leaving the Jedi Order years ago. However, the reformed Jedi manages to resist temptation, asserting that the Dark Side offers only pain and that hope can only be found in the middle, cutting down the ancient Sith Lord. Nihilus also plagues his opponent with visions, this time of Padme dying and the mysterious hooded figure offering Anakin the power to save her. Stunned, Anakin drops his lightsaber and Nihilus begins to suck out his life force. He is only saved by the arrival of Obi-Wan, who manages to defeat and destroy the Nihilus vision.
Later, Anakin is having a drink with Palpatine in his office. The Commander-in-Chief hints at Dark Side powers which would enable him to prevent his loved ones from dying. When Anakin mentions Obi-Wan’s comments, Palpatine snorts and suggests that Darth Maul is either lying to protect his power or was not fully initiated in the Dark Side. Anakin’s increasing closeness to Palpatine causes a rift to grow between him and Padme, who is now secretly involved with covert Senate attempts to undermine Palpatine’s ever-growing powers.
Hidden in the outer rim, Dooku confers with Sidious. Sidious tells him to go to Mustafar with the Confederate leadership and launch diversionary attacks on Republican systems. Confederate Generals Gunray and Haako defect and arrive on Coruscant with news of planned Confederate assaults on the strategically vital system of Kessel. Yoda, Obi-Wan and Lars depart for the system with an army, leaving Adi Gallia and Anakin as the two most senior Jedi on Coruscant. Palpatine reveals to Anakin that he is the Sith Lord behind the war and promises Anakin the power to save Padme if he joins him. Anakin immediately leaves to tell Gallia and the two of them go to arrest the Commander-in-Chief. Following a vicious lightsaber duel, Palpatine is subdued. However, Gallia proposes to execute Palpatine unilaterally and, desperate to save Padme’s life, Anakin stabs her in the back. Realising that his lightsaber is bleeding, he pledges himself to the Sith and Palpatine dubs him “Darth Vader.”
Palpatine then declares that the Jedi’s treachery has been revealed and issues Order 66, which commands the clone troopers to kill their Jedi officers. Meanwhile, Vader and a battalion of clone troopers destroy the Jedi Temple, killing its inhabitants. Palpatine goes to the Senate, where he denounces the Jedi’s coup, declares himself the Emperor and transforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire. The pair then travel to Mustafar, where they attack Dooku and the surprised Separatist leaders. Vader disarms Dooku and then Palpatine finishes him off with Force lightning.
Lars, as a non-human and non-Jedi, is able to survive the chaos of Order 66 and rescue Yoda and Obi-Wan. They return to Coruscant where they link up with Padme and Organa and together they learn of Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side and the four of them travel to Mustafar in an attempt to defeat the two Sith Lords. Padme implores Anakin to return to the Light but, made paranoid by his turn, he thinks that Obi-Wan and Yoda concealed the true power of the Force from him and that Padme is now conspiring against him. He begins to Force-choke Padme, causing Yoda and Obi-Wan to spring into action (the former drawing his lightsaber for the first time on film), beginning a lengthy duel between the two Jedi and the two Sith.
The battle separates into two separate duels, between Yoda and Palpatine on the upper levels and Obi-Wan and Anakin on the lower ones. Obi-Wan repeatedly begs his former apprentice to repent, saying that the Dark Side cannot give him the peace and power he craves but Anakin rebuffs him every time. Anakin asserts that he cannot turn back now because he has gone too far but Obi-Wan claims that there is still good in him and he can return.
Meanwhile, Yoda succeeds in disarming Palpatine and looks to have him on the rocks but then Palpatine unleashes the full power of the Dark Side. He turns into a creature of pure Dark Force energy and begins blasting Yoda with Force lightning, forcing the Jedi into a desperate defence.
Meanwhile, seeing that his friend is fully lost, Obi-Wan opens his mind to the Dark Side once more and launches into an aggressive attack that surprises Anakin. Obi-Wan severs Anakin’s legs and arm, leaving him at the bank of a lava flow. Obi-Wan weeps by the body of his fallen friend, while Anakin angrily spits out his hate. He is about to give his friend a painless execution when an explosion from above alerts him to the danger Yoda is in. Obi-Wan joins the combat against Palpatine but even two Jedi are no match for the Dark Lord of the Sith, who defeats them both and prepares to suck out their life force before Lars’ arrival with a star ship allows Yoda and Obi-Wan to escape. However, in the escape Padme is hit by Palpatine’s Force lightning.
Regrouping on Polis Massa, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Lars and Organa muse on their failures. Alone in his quarters, Obi-Wan ignites his and Anakin’s lightsabers. When their blades are blue, he weeps in both despair and hope, knowing that there remains good in his friend but not knowing how to reach it. Padme gives birth to twins, named Luke and Leia, and then dies of her injuries. On Mustafar, Palpatine retrieves a barely alive Anakin and takes him to Coruscant, where his mutilated body is treated and covered in a black armoured suit. When Vader asks if Padme is safe, Palpatine says that he killed her in his anger, causing the junior Sith to lash out at him in rage. However, Palpatine subdues him with Force lightning, dropping Vader to his knees. Palpatine declares that Vader is now his servant and laughs.
Yoda muses on his failures and concludes to Obi-Wan that the dogmatic view he had propagated as Grand Master made the Jedi too inflexible to foresee or prevent Palpatine’s seizure of power. They are then joined by the Force ghost of Mace Windu, who explains to them that, through study of the Living Force, he has unlocked the secret to eternal spiritual life beyond physical death. The two living Jedi resolve to continue their study in exile, biding their time until it is right to build a new, better, generation of Jedi.
As Padme’s funeral takes place on her homeworld, Palpatine and Vader supervise the construction of the Death Star. Organa takes Leia to her homeworld of Alderaan, where she and her husband adopt her, while Yoda enters exile on Dagobah. Lars returns to his home planet of Tatooine with Luke and Obi-Wan enters exile on the Dune Sea, watching over the boy.
Revenge of the Sith is set three years after the events of the previous film, Attack of the Clones. The Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems are continuing the vicious Clone Wars, with the Republic reeling under the attacks of the Confederate armies under the cyborg General Gideon and the former Jedi Count Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi, now known as Darth Tyranus and Darth Maul, respectively. Meanwhile, the Republic’s greatest hero, Anakin Skywalker, faces a crisis of confidence, haunted by visions of the death of his wife Padme Amidala and of the corruption of the Jedi Order. Behind the scenes, a mysterious force seeks to manipulate the tragedy on both sides to further its own grand plan.
Production of the film started in September 2017 and filming took place in the United Kingdom with additional locations in Thailand, Switzerland, China, Italy and Australia. The film premiered in May 2019, receiving positive reviews for its action sequences, score, visual effects and the performances of the central characters. It broke several box office records during its opening week and went on to earn over $2 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2019, the third highest-grossing film of all time (behind Titanic and The Phantom Menace) and the second highest-grossing film in the Star Wars franchise.
CAST
- Adam Driver as Jedi Anakin Skywalker
- Ewan McGregor as Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi/Darth Maul
- Zazie Beetz as Padmé Amidala
- Ian McDiarmid as Commander-in-Chief Sheev Palpatine
- Frank Oz as Jedi Grand Master Yoda
- Oscar Isaac as Count Dooku
- Joel Edgerton as Admiral Owen Lars
- Laura Dern as Senator Breha Organa
- Lupita Nyong'o as Jedi Master Adi Gallia
- Giancarlo Esposito as General Gideon
PLOT
The film opens at a meeting between Republican political representatives, including Commander-in-Chief Sheev Palpatine and Senator Breha Organa, and senior Jedi, including Grand Master Yoda and Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Adi Gallia. Palpatine explains that, in view of the deteriorating military situation, he will not be relinquishing the emergency powers granted to him by the Senate. He then orders Skywalker to lead his forces into battle against Tyranus and Maul on Anaxes. Yoda objects, citing Skywalker’s past relationship with Maul/Kenobi but is overruled. As the meeting breaks up, Yoda ruefully says to Organa that the Jedi had been wrong to wage war on the Republic’s behalf.
While travelling with the fleet to Anaxes, Anakin shares a private conversation with Padme via hologram. Padme reveals that she is pregnant with Anakin’s baby and the two of them resolve to raise the child in secret, as much as possible, and reaffirm their love for each other. Padme ruminates that she thinks the continuation of the war is a mistake and that Palpatine is gathering too much power around himself. However, Anakin grows angry and reminds her that Palpatine is his friend. After their conversation ends, Anakin walks to the bridge but is interrupted by a Force vision of a mysterious cloaked figure, who offers him the power to end the war if only he seizes it. Sensing the Dark Side, Anakin attempts to dispel the figure but is confronted by visions of Padme’s death, which the figure says is from the future. Anakin eventually manages to dispel the vision but is visibly shaken by the incident, although he doesn’t explain when Admiral Owen Lars notes this when he arrives on the bridge.
At the Confederate base on Anaxes, Maul and Dooku receive word from Darth Sidious that a Republic fleet is on the way. Maul reiterates his desire to destroy General Gideon in vengeance for the death of his lover Satine. Dooku, however, counsels him that, if all goes to plan, the forthcoming battle on Anaxes will enable him to destroy both Gideon and the Jedi. When the Republic’s fleet leaves light speed in Anaxes’ orbit, they are immediately set upon by a Confederate fleet that knew they were coming. Despite taking heavy damage, Anakin demands to go down to the surface with a small commando force, thinking that he may be able to destroy the control towers broadcasting orders to the droid army and fleet.
On Coruscant, Padme brings news that the battle has begun to Palpatine. She thinks that he looks too pleased at the prospect and confides in this to Organa. Organa, in turn, invites her to a secret meeting with some other disgruntled senators.
On Anaxes, Anakin’s forces are sorely overmatched when Dooku and Maul arrive. Anakin attempts to reason with his former mentor but Maul disarms him and knocks him unconscious. When Anakin comes to, he is being held prisoner and prepared for execution over a channel that will be broadcast around the galaxy. Anakin again attempts to reason with Maul, reminding him of their friendship and promising him that he will be able to find peace if he returns to the Light. Maul seems to ignore him.
At a makeshift arena on Anaxes, Anakin and the remaining commandos are taken out to be executed by Maul. However, when Maul ignites his lightsaber, the blade is revealed to have returned to its blue color, indicating his return to the Light. Obi-Wan frees the prisoners and together they stage a dramatic breakout, killing Gideon in the process. Anakin destroys the droid control node, allowing the Republican fleet to make its escape. Obi-Wan and Anakin, however, break off together in a two-person fighter, heading for Mandalore. There they visit Satine’s grave. Obi-Wan declares that he will return to the Jedi Order in the hope of changing it from within and Anakin says that he will help him reintegrate.
Back on Coruscant, Yoda welcomes Obi-Wan back into the Jedi fold and says that he will have to undergo trials to decide if he is clean of the Dark Side, with Anakin acting as his sponsor. Yoda informs him that, while he can never be fully redeemed for the evil he did as Darth Maul, he can return to the Light again.
While Obi-Wan undergoes his trials, Anakin experiences a series of increasingly apocalyptic visions, all of which depict Padme dying and the Republic crumbling. He finds Yoda’s advice - to release himself from earthly concerns - to be unsatisfying. During a shared meditation session, Anakin confesses his entire situation to Obi-Wan and expresses interest in using the Dark Side to halt this fate. However, Obi-Wan sadly informs him that no power can prevent those you love from dying eventually.
In one of his reintegration trials, Obi-Wan must travel through a portal underneath the Jedi Temple to the World Between World, where he will face a trial of his spirit. He is accompanied by Anakin, who is meant to act as his spirit guide. Once there, they are met by visions of Darth Bane and Darth Nihilus, who attack them. The two Sith apparitions tempt the Jedi with offers of untold power and the battle gradually separates into two duels: Bane against Obi-Wan and Nihilus against Anakin. The Bane vision transforms into an image of Satine and replays memories of Obi-Wan backing out of leaving the Jedi Order years ago. However, the reformed Jedi manages to resist temptation, asserting that the Dark Side offers only pain and that hope can only be found in the middle, cutting down the ancient Sith Lord. Nihilus also plagues his opponent with visions, this time of Padme dying and the mysterious hooded figure offering Anakin the power to save her. Stunned, Anakin drops his lightsaber and Nihilus begins to suck out his life force. He is only saved by the arrival of Obi-Wan, who manages to defeat and destroy the Nihilus vision.
Later, Anakin is having a drink with Palpatine in his office. The Commander-in-Chief hints at Dark Side powers which would enable him to prevent his loved ones from dying. When Anakin mentions Obi-Wan’s comments, Palpatine snorts and suggests that Darth Maul is either lying to protect his power or was not fully initiated in the Dark Side. Anakin’s increasing closeness to Palpatine causes a rift to grow between him and Padme, who is now secretly involved with covert Senate attempts to undermine Palpatine’s ever-growing powers.
Hidden in the outer rim, Dooku confers with Sidious. Sidious tells him to go to Mustafar with the Confederate leadership and launch diversionary attacks on Republican systems. Confederate Generals Gunray and Haako defect and arrive on Coruscant with news of planned Confederate assaults on the strategically vital system of Kessel. Yoda, Obi-Wan and Lars depart for the system with an army, leaving Adi Gallia and Anakin as the two most senior Jedi on Coruscant. Palpatine reveals to Anakin that he is the Sith Lord behind the war and promises Anakin the power to save Padme if he joins him. Anakin immediately leaves to tell Gallia and the two of them go to arrest the Commander-in-Chief. Following a vicious lightsaber duel, Palpatine is subdued. However, Gallia proposes to execute Palpatine unilaterally and, desperate to save Padme’s life, Anakin stabs her in the back. Realising that his lightsaber is bleeding, he pledges himself to the Sith and Palpatine dubs him “Darth Vader.”
Palpatine then declares that the Jedi’s treachery has been revealed and issues Order 66, which commands the clone troopers to kill their Jedi officers. Meanwhile, Vader and a battalion of clone troopers destroy the Jedi Temple, killing its inhabitants. Palpatine goes to the Senate, where he denounces the Jedi’s coup, declares himself the Emperor and transforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire. The pair then travel to Mustafar, where they attack Dooku and the surprised Separatist leaders. Vader disarms Dooku and then Palpatine finishes him off with Force lightning.
Lars, as a non-human and non-Jedi, is able to survive the chaos of Order 66 and rescue Yoda and Obi-Wan. They return to Coruscant where they link up with Padme and Organa and together they learn of Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side and the four of them travel to Mustafar in an attempt to defeat the two Sith Lords. Padme implores Anakin to return to the Light but, made paranoid by his turn, he thinks that Obi-Wan and Yoda concealed the true power of the Force from him and that Padme is now conspiring against him. He begins to Force-choke Padme, causing Yoda and Obi-Wan to spring into action (the former drawing his lightsaber for the first time on film), beginning a lengthy duel between the two Jedi and the two Sith.
The battle separates into two separate duels, between Yoda and Palpatine on the upper levels and Obi-Wan and Anakin on the lower ones. Obi-Wan repeatedly begs his former apprentice to repent, saying that the Dark Side cannot give him the peace and power he craves but Anakin rebuffs him every time. Anakin asserts that he cannot turn back now because he has gone too far but Obi-Wan claims that there is still good in him and he can return.
Meanwhile, Yoda succeeds in disarming Palpatine and looks to have him on the rocks but then Palpatine unleashes the full power of the Dark Side. He turns into a creature of pure Dark Force energy and begins blasting Yoda with Force lightning, forcing the Jedi into a desperate defence.
Meanwhile, seeing that his friend is fully lost, Obi-Wan opens his mind to the Dark Side once more and launches into an aggressive attack that surprises Anakin. Obi-Wan severs Anakin’s legs and arm, leaving him at the bank of a lava flow. Obi-Wan weeps by the body of his fallen friend, while Anakin angrily spits out his hate. He is about to give his friend a painless execution when an explosion from above alerts him to the danger Yoda is in. Obi-Wan joins the combat against Palpatine but even two Jedi are no match for the Dark Lord of the Sith, who defeats them both and prepares to suck out their life force before Lars’ arrival with a star ship allows Yoda and Obi-Wan to escape. However, in the escape Padme is hit by Palpatine’s Force lightning.
Regrouping on Polis Massa, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Lars and Organa muse on their failures. Alone in his quarters, Obi-Wan ignites his and Anakin’s lightsabers. When their blades are blue, he weeps in both despair and hope, knowing that there remains good in his friend but not knowing how to reach it. Padme gives birth to twins, named Luke and Leia, and then dies of her injuries. On Mustafar, Palpatine retrieves a barely alive Anakin and takes him to Coruscant, where his mutilated body is treated and covered in a black armoured suit. When Vader asks if Padme is safe, Palpatine says that he killed her in his anger, causing the junior Sith to lash out at him in rage. However, Palpatine subdues him with Force lightning, dropping Vader to his knees. Palpatine declares that Vader is now his servant and laughs.
Yoda muses on his failures and concludes to Obi-Wan that the dogmatic view he had propagated as Grand Master made the Jedi too inflexible to foresee or prevent Palpatine’s seizure of power. They are then joined by the Force ghost of Mace Windu, who explains to them that, through study of the Living Force, he has unlocked the secret to eternal spiritual life beyond physical death. The two living Jedi resolve to continue their study in exile, biding their time until it is right to build a new, better, generation of Jedi.
As Padme’s funeral takes place on her homeworld, Palpatine and Vader supervise the construction of the Death Star. Organa takes Leia to her homeworld of Alderaan, where she and her husband adopt her, while Yoda enters exile on Dagobah. Lars returns to his home planet of Tatooine with Luke and Obi-Wan enters exile on the Dune Sea, watching over the boy.
Because there's no universe where George Miller gets to direct his Justice League film...
The first film in the new shared universe, Superman, was released in December 2010 with a script by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Bryan Singer. The film starred Michael B. Jordan as a young Clark Kent attempting to discover his place in the world while fighting an alien invasion led by General Zod (Jeff Bridges). This film would be followed by Zack Snyder's Batman in 2012, which introduced a new Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) growing up under the supervision of his guardian Alfred Pennyworth (Timothy Dalton) and investigating corruption in the Gotham City Police Department and the office of Mayor Oswald Copplebott (Robert De Niro). A second Superman film would follow in 2012.
Further films were delayed for three years by behind-the-scenes issues, in particular a three-way tussle between DC Comics, the Donners' Company and Warner Bros. over profit distribution that would plague the company for years. Furthermore, Bryan Singer would be sacked from Superman 3 shortly after production had began following allegations about his personal life, being replaced by Patty Jenkins. Eventually, Superman: World Trust, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Teen Titans were all released in 2015, with World Trust becoming the highest grossing film of the series.
A Teen Titans sequel would be released in 2016, alongside Wonder Woman, which introduced Alexandra Daddario in the title role. A sequel, Wonder Woman: The New World came out in 2018, followed by Green Lantern (starring Derek Luke as Hal Jordan) and Green Lantern: Darkest Night (2018 and 2020, respectively) before disputes between the licensor, producer and distributor flared up once more. As of 2020, all future films - confirmed to be Batman 3, Teen Titans 3 and Wonder Woman 3 and rumoured to also include untitled Aquaman and Flash projects - have been put on hold and the series is in doubt, despite the films having grossed just over $6 billion worldwide.
* * *
The DC Expanded Universe (DCEU) is an American film franchise and shared universe that is centred on a series of superhero films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by the Donners' Company and based on characters that appear in comics books by DC Comics. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books and television programs, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast and characters. The film was a reboot of the characters following the relative commercial underperformance of Superman Returns. Various other avenues were explored, including a live-action version of what eventually became All-Star Superman and Batman and a sale of the licence to Kennedy-Miller, before Warner Bros. and the Donners' Company entered into a joint venture with DC Comics to develop rebooted Superman and Batman films in collaboration with some of DC's most notable writers.
The first film in the new shared universe, Superman, was released in December 2010 with a script by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Bryan Singer. The film starred Michael B. Jordan as a young Clark Kent attempting to discover his place in the world while fighting an alien invasion led by General Zod (Jeff Bridges). This film would be followed by Zack Snyder's Batman in 2012, which introduced a new Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) growing up under the supervision of his guardian Alfred Pennyworth (Timothy Dalton) and investigating corruption in the Gotham City Police Department and the office of Mayor Oswald Copplebott (Robert De Niro). A second Superman film would follow in 2012.
Further films were delayed for three years by behind-the-scenes issues, in particular a three-way tussle between DC Comics, the Donners' Company and Warner Bros. over profit distribution that would plague the company for years. Furthermore, Bryan Singer would be sacked from Superman 3 shortly after production had began following allegations about his personal life, being replaced by Patty Jenkins. Eventually, Superman: World Trust, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Teen Titans were all released in 2015, with World Trust becoming the highest grossing film of the series.
A Teen Titans sequel would be released in 2016, alongside Wonder Woman, which introduced Alexandra Daddario in the title role. A sequel, Wonder Woman: The New World came out in 2018, followed by Green Lantern (starring Derek Luke as Hal Jordan) and Green Lantern: Darkest Night (2018 and 2020, respectively) before disputes between the licensor, producer and distributor flared up once more. As of 2020, all future films - confirmed to be Batman 3, Teen Titans 3 and Wonder Woman 3 and rumoured to also include untitled Aquaman and Flash projects - have been put on hold and the series is in doubt, despite the films having grossed just over $6 billion worldwide.
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A little something that is a hint to the longer project I've been working on.
Anglo-American plc is an American-Commonwealth mass media and broadcasting company with operations around the world but located primarily in the Commonwealth and the United States. The company is headquartered and listed in London with a secondary listing in New York. It was formed in 1908 as Anglo-American Newspapers Limited, amalgamating the pre-existing newspaper properties, The Times, The New York Times and The Observer and has since expanded to include major broadcasting networks and other newspapers.
The origins of the company lie in the personal and political reversals of William Waldorf Astor in the late 19th century. When he lost an election for the US Senate in 1881, Astor found his political failure to be regular fodder for gossip columns and negative press coverage. This was then compounded by a public feud with his aunt, Lina Astor, from 1890. In 1891, Astor purchased The New York Times from the estate of former owner George Jones and used it in an attempt to improve his reputation. This attempt proved unsuccessful and Astor left New York in 1892, settling in London.
Despite his move, Astor retained an interest in his growing media empire, supplementing it with the purchase of The Pall Mall Gazette in 1893, The Observer in 1905 and The Times in 1908. Upon the purchase of the last title, Astor amalgamated The Observer and his two ‘Times’ titles into one called The Anglo-American Times (Monday-Saturday) and The Anglo-American Observer (Sunday). Under his tenure, this flagship title became the most prestigious news organisation of its day on both sides of the Atlantic. Its pro-American stance is credited with both shoring up support for American entry into the Great War in 1913 and British intervention on the side of the Allies in 1917.
Astor died in 1919 and the business would be taken over by his sons Waldorf and John Jacob. Over the next two decades, the company expanded its newspaper holdings, buying newspapers in Canada and Australia. The more high-brow ‘broadsheet’ newspapers would then find themselves folded into the Times and Observer titles while the lower-brow ‘tabloids’ would be allowed to retain their names and corporate identities. This led to allegations of sharp business practice, with many journalists finding their newspapers bought only to then be sacked and replaced by Astor appointees. Nevertheless, by the outbreak of the World War, the company was the largest media empire in the world, rivalled only by the CBC.
In the postwar period, the company was quick to identify the growing medium of television. ITV was founded in 1954 as a commercial television organisation with various media franchises around the Commonwealth. In 1962, the company purchased the largest number of shares when the American government privatised the National Broadcasting Company. In 1986, they completed the takeover of NBC and brought it private.
As of 2020, Anglo-American plc is a holding company still majority owned by the Astor family. Current chairman, Lord Astor, is the fourth generation of his family to head the company. It is headquartered in London with major offices in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Karachi, Nairobi and Sydney. Its operations are divided between television, online and newspapers. NBC is one of the United States three national cable channels and ITV is the largest private television and media channel in the Commonwealth.
The company operates nine newspapers in addition to the flagship Anglo-American Times and Anglo-American Observer titles. Of these, one, The Free Press, is an online-only publication (since 2013) and one, The Pall Mall Gazette, is distributed free both online and in print. All the others have online subscription schemes in addition to print publications. All have significant online footprints with a number, including the Pall Mall Gazette, The Daily Telegraph and The New York Post, having significant international following outside of their traditional publication areas (London, Sydney and New York, respectively). The Anglo-American Times and The Anglo-American Observer, commonly referred to simply as “The Times” and “The Observer,” respectively, are among the most prestigious and well known newspapers in the world. They have an estimated 14,500,000 online subscribers as well as a daily print circulation of over 1,000,000.
In addition, the company produces the weekly Anglo-American Review of Books (AARB), which publishes longer form essays on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Beginning publication in 1963, as a successor to various literary supplements in other Anglo-American publications, the AARB has been described as one of the most prestigious and well known reviews in the world, with a circulation of nearly 250,000 per issue.
Since its creation, The Times and The Observer have observed strict neutrality rules and have not formally endorsed a political party or individual politicians. However, critics have pointed out that the publications have adopted political positions, from taking a bellicose attitude towards Germany in 1913, support for left wing economic policies (both Soviet market socialism and Progressive New Deal programs) in the 1940s and 1950s and opposition to the Commonwealth’s departure from NATO in the 1960s. Because of the paper’s history and prestige, it is often thought of as having close connections with the American and Commonwealth political, cultural, religious and business establishment.
The company’s other titles have made open declarations of political support: it’s primary British tabloid, The Daily Herald, has traditionally taken a pro-trades union stance while The New York Post has adopted pro-Republican stances (albeit in both cases with occasions of support for the Liberals or the Progressives). The tone of the AARB has been described as “consistently radical.”
Alongside its various publications and businesses, the company is known for its cosmopolitan and internationalist corporate culture. This has been satirised on many occasions, most notably in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (2006-2013) in the relationship between the American writer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and the Anglo-Irish executive Jack Donaghy (Pierce Brosnan).
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Anglo-American plc is an American-Commonwealth mass media and broadcasting company with operations around the world but located primarily in the Commonwealth and the United States. The company is headquartered and listed in London with a secondary listing in New York. It was formed in 1908 as Anglo-American Newspapers Limited, amalgamating the pre-existing newspaper properties, The Times, The New York Times and The Observer and has since expanded to include major broadcasting networks and other newspapers.
The origins of the company lie in the personal and political reversals of William Waldorf Astor in the late 19th century. When he lost an election for the US Senate in 1881, Astor found his political failure to be regular fodder for gossip columns and negative press coverage. This was then compounded by a public feud with his aunt, Lina Astor, from 1890. In 1891, Astor purchased The New York Times from the estate of former owner George Jones and used it in an attempt to improve his reputation. This attempt proved unsuccessful and Astor left New York in 1892, settling in London.
Despite his move, Astor retained an interest in his growing media empire, supplementing it with the purchase of The Pall Mall Gazette in 1893, The Observer in 1905 and The Times in 1908. Upon the purchase of the last title, Astor amalgamated The Observer and his two ‘Times’ titles into one called The Anglo-American Times (Monday-Saturday) and The Anglo-American Observer (Sunday). Under his tenure, this flagship title became the most prestigious news organisation of its day on both sides of the Atlantic. Its pro-American stance is credited with both shoring up support for American entry into the Great War in 1913 and British intervention on the side of the Allies in 1917.
Astor died in 1919 and the business would be taken over by his sons Waldorf and John Jacob. Over the next two decades, the company expanded its newspaper holdings, buying newspapers in Canada and Australia. The more high-brow ‘broadsheet’ newspapers would then find themselves folded into the Times and Observer titles while the lower-brow ‘tabloids’ would be allowed to retain their names and corporate identities. This led to allegations of sharp business practice, with many journalists finding their newspapers bought only to then be sacked and replaced by Astor appointees. Nevertheless, by the outbreak of the World War, the company was the largest media empire in the world, rivalled only by the CBC.
In the postwar period, the company was quick to identify the growing medium of television. ITV was founded in 1954 as a commercial television organisation with various media franchises around the Commonwealth. In 1962, the company purchased the largest number of shares when the American government privatised the National Broadcasting Company. In 1986, they completed the takeover of NBC and brought it private.
As of 2020, Anglo-American plc is a holding company still majority owned by the Astor family. Current chairman, Lord Astor, is the fourth generation of his family to head the company. It is headquartered in London with major offices in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Karachi, Nairobi and Sydney. Its operations are divided between television, online and newspapers. NBC is one of the United States three national cable channels and ITV is the largest private television and media channel in the Commonwealth.
The company operates nine newspapers in addition to the flagship Anglo-American Times and Anglo-American Observer titles. Of these, one, The Free Press, is an online-only publication (since 2013) and one, The Pall Mall Gazette, is distributed free both online and in print. All the others have online subscription schemes in addition to print publications. All have significant online footprints with a number, including the Pall Mall Gazette, The Daily Telegraph and The New York Post, having significant international following outside of their traditional publication areas (London, Sydney and New York, respectively). The Anglo-American Times and The Anglo-American Observer, commonly referred to simply as “The Times” and “The Observer,” respectively, are among the most prestigious and well known newspapers in the world. They have an estimated 14,500,000 online subscribers as well as a daily print circulation of over 1,000,000.
In addition, the company produces the weekly Anglo-American Review of Books (AARB), which publishes longer form essays on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Beginning publication in 1963, as a successor to various literary supplements in other Anglo-American publications, the AARB has been described as one of the most prestigious and well known reviews in the world, with a circulation of nearly 250,000 per issue.
Since its creation, The Times and The Observer have observed strict neutrality rules and have not formally endorsed a political party or individual politicians. However, critics have pointed out that the publications have adopted political positions, from taking a bellicose attitude towards Germany in 1913, support for left wing economic policies (both Soviet market socialism and Progressive New Deal programs) in the 1940s and 1950s and opposition to the Commonwealth’s departure from NATO in the 1960s. Because of the paper’s history and prestige, it is often thought of as having close connections with the American and Commonwealth political, cultural, religious and business establishment.
The company’s other titles have made open declarations of political support: it’s primary British tabloid, The Daily Herald, has traditionally taken a pro-trades union stance while The New York Post has adopted pro-Republican stances (albeit in both cases with occasions of support for the Liberals or the Progressives). The tone of the AARB has been described as “consistently radical.”
Alongside its various publications and businesses, the company is known for its cosmopolitan and internationalist corporate culture. This has been satirised on many occasions, most notably in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (2006-2013) in the relationship between the American writer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and the Anglo-Irish executive Jack Donaghy (Pierce Brosnan).