A new Empire is forming. We are integrating with the Star Wars Database. Visit: The Star Wars Database for over 500 pages of SW-related info.!!

Mon., March 23, 1998

Hey there! This is Matt from Bravo 5 saying that you guys have an excellent page. I just wanted to know if I could ask a favor. I am going to be finishing off the plot section on my page, and I was wondering if I could set up a link or something on your page so your viewers can e-mail me all the rumors they have heard. I will convert these rumors into pictures and try to fit them all into the plot section. As the year goes on, the parts that are known to be false will be put in the 'nice try' section. No matter how wild or crazy (to a certain degree) they are, I'll make the pictures. My e-mail address is mahecht@bgnet.bgsu.edu and you can reach my page at Bravo 5 - The Prequels. This could turn out to be a really cool collaboration, and I look forward to talking with all of you in the future! (Source: Matt Hecht, Webmaster, Bravo 5 - The Prequels)(SuperShadow: Bravo 5 is a cool page. Matt has put in some hard work. Help him out and send him your best and coolest ideas . . . )

I know the source of the George Lucas Interview where he talks about him going back to the original story of Vader being Luke's father in Empire. I seen it Sunday night on A&E on a special hosted by Mark Hamill it was called Hollywood Aliens and Monsters and they used footage of that interview which took place in 1993. They used that interview when they were talking about the Empire and GL said that he decided to go back to the original story which was Vader being Luke's father. And then Mark Hamill said that Star Wars has now become a saga. (Source: Jedi Master Alan Skywalker)(SuperShadow: It seems safe to assume now that George always intended Luke and Leia to be Vader's children. And the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker was always intended to be one of the main focuses of the Prequel Trilogy)

I have a suggestion as to why the lightsabers are different colors - perhaps each one represents a rank and so in Episode One we will see lots of Jedi with the same colored lightsabers. (Source: ROB)(SuperShadow: The color may be determined by the color of the crystal(s) that you use when building the light sabre . . . but who knows for sure?)

Our current view of Vader's relationship to Luke is that of father-son. What exactly does "father" entail? Biological father? We have been told time and time again that Lucas will reveal truths that will drastically change our perception of the original trilogy. What if these revelations include the discovery that Luke is a clone of Anakin.

This idea may seem difficult to even consider at first, but think about it. The human race has just begun to consider the implications of cloning people. Most of us have probably never thought of family relationships in terms of cloning. If Luke (or anyone else for that matter) were cloned, who would their father be? The father or mother would be the person that gave rise to them. In this case, Luke's father would still be Vader. Additionally, Luke has no memory of his mother. What if this is because he doesn't have one. Leia presents a potential problem to the credibility of this theory. Luke is Leia's sister. What could sister mean in terms of cloning? We need to look no further than the original definition of this term. Sister means female and sharing the same mother and/or father. What if Leia is Anakin's biological daughter? What about the problem of Luke and Leia being twins? I haven't been able to figure this one out. Any ideas? (Source: BenDragon)(SuperShadow: Your heart is in the right place, but we think you are incorrectly trying to tie cloning with Luke and Leia. Cloning is very prominent in the prequels, but neither Luke nor Leia is a clone. They are the son and daughter of the young Queen and Anakin Skywalker)

In one of the posts, someone stated that Luke has a yellow then green light saber. Green I know, but yellow??? When?? Please LMK, (Source: Tony)(Ed. Note: Actually, I want to know how you spell saber is it "saber" or "sabre." That is the question that keeps me awake at nights) You did not answer the question!!! (Source: Adam Felker)(SuperShadow: Not sure what the answer is . . . )

Tues., March 24, 1998

George Lucas took a break recently from episode 1 shootings and gave an interview to a reporter from Variety magazine, there he stated that there will be 6 more star wars films on the way, not 3 as originally told by Lucasfilm. I read about this in a magazine, go check it out if you don't believe me. A web site posted an article about it on Thursday. Yes, more star wars films!!! That means prequels and sequels! Whoo-hoo!!! Let's party people! (Source: Bryan J. Vado)(SuperShadow: Maybe, George will start making new Star Wars films to be released every three years until he starts pushing up daises)

Hi, Have you checked out other Episode 1 web sites? They have big Episode I spoilers page which you might be interested in. They probably don't have any info you don't already have but you could look. Just thought you'd like to know! Bye! (Source: Griffin)(SuperShadow: The only SW web sites we visit are the one's we are linked with. About once a month, we will check out other SW web sites for a good laugh . . . their rumors from so-called "official sources" get harder and harder to believe.)

Just saw on CNN that Fox has just got the rights to the new Movies (Source: Relapse)(SuperShadow: Actually, I just got the rights to the new Movies and I've decided to only release the film in 35 theaters just like the way ANH was originally released in only 35 theaters back in 1977. This should make me extremely popular)

Ok, Number one, Adam Felker made a comment about the empire cloning the best of their warriors. Well ok, lets see, how many Stormtroopers take a shot at the good guys throughout the movie? How many actually hit anyone? I think that puts that rumor to rest . . . . well, maybe, anyway . . .

Number two, I am taking issue with you SuperShadow. Your comment about James Cameron getting lucky was unfair. Cameron did a spectacular job with Titanic, and it speaks to his skill, and ability as a story teller that so many people have been swept up in what was the most expensive love story ever made. If you are going to claim that Cameron got lucky, then you surely have to admit that Lucas got lucky with Star Wars. I mean no one was doing Sci-Fi at the time, and George took a real chance making and releasing SW. Well that's all for now, though I love the site, and am truly glad to see you guys are back! And hey all, if you want the freedom to publish images of Star Wars on the net, fight for it. If Fox makes you take your page down, set up a page encouraging people not to see the new movies until they let us share images from our favorite movies! (yeah, like that's going to happen. Keep in mind, it's a BLUFF people!) (Source: John (you rebel scum) Stewart)(SuperShadow: Licensees pay Lucasfilm an extreme amount of money for the exclusive right to SW and Ep 1 images and likenesses. Hence, it is only fair that we should have to pay to use these images and likenesses. U.S. and International copyright laws give Fox the legal justification to shut down all SW websites violating these laws. We may not like it, but there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. We should be thankful that we have gotten away with it for as long as we have already . . . Cameron is lucky, lucky, lucky; likewise, George was lucky X 10 with ANH . . . )

Sun., March 22, 1998

Lucasfilm News: Julian Montoya has been appointed by Lucasfilm to be the Director of International Licensing and Sales. In this newly created position, Montoya will be responsible for the overall management of Lucas Licensing's international licensing activities for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties.

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I just thought I'd let you guys/gals know that I think episode two will be released early because another site reports that filming for episode two will begin this summer. There are also pictures that confirm that the tusken raiders will be in episode 1, they will appear shooting at the homeboys that are racing in the illegal pod race held by Jabba the Hutt. They also pictures of the location where the podrace was filmed. By the way, I had previously sent you a rumor about some episode 1 filming going on in Long Beach California , well this turned out not to be the case because i just found out they were filming a Mercedes-Benz commercial. The question is; why were there trailers there that had the lucasfilm sign on them? This is weird . . . even the officer said they were filming a sw movie . . . (Source: Bryan J.Vado)(SuperShadow: Some minor scenes may be shot for Ep 2 and 3 this summer, but this is being done to save time and money. The release date for Ep 2 is 2002 (very, very firm); likewise, Ep 3 will definately not be released until 2005 as we reported several months ago . . . We have warned you about the incredibly inaccurate rumors that are posted on other web sites. So don't go dancing a jig (and over turns cars) evertime they post some "so-called" leaks about the filming of the prequels, etc . . . About 25-30% of I.L.M.'s business involves filming digital effects for TV commercials, so maybe I.L.M. was working on a TV commercial for Mercedes-Benz. Everything that Lucasfilm does is not related to the production of Ep 1. Lucasfilm is a vast company with many, many ventures other than the production of Ep 1.)

I wonder if we get to see Anchor Head and Beggar's Canyon in Ep 1 or somewhere else in the prequels. It would be neat to see Anakin racing through Beggar's Canyon in the pod race or something like that. Also, I bet we get to see a glimpse of the Sarlacc pit in the background cause GL does things like that. (Source: Blevin)(SuperShadow: Who knows? George does and those may be some special surprises he may have in store for the audience)

This is more commentary than rumor, but I've been reading this page and I just wanted to convey my feelings. First off, yeah, Titanic is sky-rocketing in profits. Personally, I couldn't care less. I don't want to take anything away from James Cameron, after all, he's the one who brought us the Terminator 1 and 2, Aliens, True Lies, The Abyss, etc. I have not yet watched a Cameron film that I walked away from disappointed. I can say the same for Lucas. Both are master story tellers and I trust their visions to the fullest. As far as EP.1 making a billion dollars? Again, who cares? If I knew that was the only reason GL was making it I'd never see another one of his films. What does he need with another billion dollars? The prime thing to observe here is this: When he made ANH, he was under debilitating scrutiny from Fox that it was a wonder it ever got made at all. Now, years later, EP.1 will be made at his whim. No scrutiny, no financial worries, no outside influences, no worry about final cut or contract negotiations, etc. This film will be pure George Lucas. So if he could make such an endearing film in ANH with all of that pressure, imagine the kind of film that will be made now?! Myself, I trust his vision enough to sleep in line waiting for tickets to the first show.

You have a great page going here and I don't have any theories or rumors to contribute at this time. But keep this in mind: No matter what we may think, no matter what Kevin Anderson and all of the other Star Wars scribes have written, Lucas has the final say: period . . . In response to the gentleman who put forth the theory that Boba Fett was a woman, I direct your attention to the book, FROM STAR WARS TO INDIANA JONES: THE BEST OF THE LUCASFILM ARCHIVES, page 68 upper left corner. Here you will see a pre-production sketch of Boba Fett's costume. The person depicted in the drawing wearing the costume is either a man, or a woman with a moustache bushier than mine. (Source: Rick and Carolyn)(SuperShadow: In George's defense, he does not have a billion dollars. His personal fortune is only a few million dollars. He just happens to own a company that on paper is estimated to be worth several billion dollars (anywhere from $ 2 to $ 5 billion depending on who you ask) . . . It seems pretty obvious to us that Fett is actually composed of two of Yoda's race standing on top of each other in his/her/its Mandalore armor. So your right Fett is not a woman, but Fett may be two female Yodas)

The young Queen is almost definately a Jedi. Lucas will do this because he wasn't able to show any female Jedi Knights in the trilogy. All the modern day female fans want to see an extremely strong female lead who is a Jedi Warrior. It will be dissappointing if Natalie is not a Jedi in the prequels. (Source: Karen Apple)(SuperShadow: George can't please everybody, but rest assured that there will be female Jedi Knights in the new films. Will Natalie be one of them?)

As far as concrete sources go on "George said", most Star Wars fans probably own the 1995 THX trilogy videos. Unless you already had the films on tape, I can't imagine a true fan that doesn't own them. In the Empire interview with Leonard Maltin, Lucas does kind of say he decided to stick with the story of Darth Vader being the father of Luke and Leia (he did say he was nervous about it at first) Bravo 5 is right. If the focus of the prequels is going to be the fall of Anakin Skywalker, then perhaps George intended for Darth Vader to be Anakin when he was writing Star Wars in the 70's. What I'm trying to say is that if Darth Vader was originally not the father, then the prequels would be about something else entirely different. Did Lucas originally intend for there to be prequels and 6 episodes? Without Anakin's fall in the prequels, there is no story or reason for them. I wouldn't be nearly as excited to see how and why Darth Vader killed Anakin Skywalker, assuming that's what the prequels could have been about. One more question: Has A New Hope always been Episode IV or was it originally Episode I (I was to young to remember back in the 70s). (Source: Bryan the Lion)(SuperShadow: If George has publicly stated that Vader was always intended to be Luke's father, then the subject is put to rest . . . When ANH first came out in 1977, it was not called ANH or Ep 4. George later when back and added the name "ANH" and inserted Ep 4 into the opening crawl with the release of later film prints . . . George had no idea that he would ever be able to make more than just one SW film)

Sat., March 21, 1998

Star Wars vs. Titanic News: Click here to read about the history of the # 1 highest grossing films since 1975. Until Titanic, George and Steven Spielberg had a monopoly on the # 1 spot . . but not anymore

I have heard talk of a trailer being sold to the producers of "Godzilla" to be shown before that film this summer. Does this mean that there is a relationship between either Lucas and Sony or Lucas and Emmerich and Devlin. Maybe they will have some part to play in the future films (I hope not) or maybe Sony is the frontrunner for distribution. (Source: Mike Fay)(Ed. Note: OK, Mike. We know your real name is Rick McCallum. Stop teasing us! . . . but seriously, there won't be an Ep 1 trailer until late, late 1998. If I were George I wouldn't release a trailer until April 1999 . . . just kidding . . . as far as Emmerich and Devlin being involved with Lucasfilm: NO, except that I.L.M may do some special effects for their feature films)

If you guys want a little hint on what the prequels might be like try reading the old testament! (Ed. Note: If we read every "source" material that some one claimed that Ep 1 would be based on, it would be a full time job, not to mention that Ep 1 would be about 8 hours long!!) For instance a Quote from Lucas. When Lucas was very young we all know he was into car racing sometime in his late teens he was involved in a car accident that nearly took his life.Lucas himself said that after that accident he went searching for answers.I don't know about you but if I was in a car accident that I should have died in I would be doing some soul searching myself.Another Quote from Lucas,He said when asked if he would make episode 7,8,9 he replied they are not part of the orignal story but it might be nice to see luke as a Jedi Master. (Note:Lucas info taken from june 2nd 1995 arlington Va. interview) In revalation when Jesus returns the world is set free from inuiquity. There is no story after revelation. Hence, Lucas reply 7,8,9 are not part of the original story (Note:Just as I read a few weeks ago by the guy named Thomas that Luke is the messiah of the Star Wars trilogy.) In todays time you first as a christian must find out about Christ, And then go back,And find out about what led up to Christ.You must find out where the need for the Christ (Luke) came from.This is why Lucas first showed us the New Testament before the Old Testament. Fact:The english given name for Lucas is Luke,Isn't it funny that Luke the apostle wrote most of the New Testament books.

It is rumored in the prequels that there is a character by the name a Darth Maul. Maul is a Hebrew word for a battle axe a weapon of destruction taken from the Old Testament.Think on this also if you still doubt, Raiders came out in '81 This movie is the epitome of religion. If you look at Indy Lucas structured this trilogy in the same matter as Star Wars, In other words non-belief to the believer. Indy does not believe,Hence does not have faith but by the Last crusade he truly believes in a higher power. One last thing why in Willow was a child born that could save the world.We are not trying to push any religion onto anyone we just want people to really take notice to what is really going on inside the head of Lucas,If you guys think on this you will have to agree.(Source: Jeff and Rick)(Ed. Note: Jeff and Rick will be playing at Caesar's in Las Vegas from March 23 to March 28. Two drink minimum.)

Here's the deal, later in episode II or III Anakin/Vader will have a showdown with his own father, much like the one in RotJ but he will end up actually killing his father, which is the act which will push him over the edge and to the dark side. This would go along well because. Lucas relies heavily on the classics, and in much of Shakespeare or even all of it, he uses foils (two characters which go on similar journeys with dramatically different endings) and so Luke and Vader are foils for each other, Just a thought, or maybe it is true. (Source: The Bothan Eater)(Ed. Note: Thanks for your contribution to the neverending crusade of prequel rumors. Thank you. Come again.)

First off, good to see you guys back after your hiatus. I was getting starved for rumors there for a while . . . Anywho, I'm not sure how much stock you guys put into the authenticity of the early drafts of the "The Star Wars" scripts, but assuming they are indeed real, I had an interesting insight: Anakin could very well be a clone (of course, so could Ben, Palpatine, Mon Mothma, and most of the rest of the Star Wars universe at this point, however . . .). I base this on the following assumptions:

1) George seems to dislike throwing away old story ideas/ character names (as evidenced by the "scripts").

2) The very first draft discusses using cloning, ironically, to prevent the technology of cloning from falling into the hands of the Empire. As the story goes (paraphrasing), the subject's brain is condensed to about 5 fluid ounces. A small amount of genetic material is also included in the sample (which is used in the actual cloning). As the cloned body grows, small amounts of the brain fluid (containing experiences and knowledge acquired) are added to the clone as it grows. Therefore, by about the age of 9 or 10, the "clone" now possesses the knowledge and skills of the adult who was cloned.

3) The rumors suggest that Anakin is between the ages of 8 and 10 in the first film, and that he has amazing talents (notably piloting skills and the beginings of Force abilities). If we string these two coincidences together, there is a possibility of Anakin being (at least in a bio-technological sense) his own father.

((( please delete this if you post this: if this issue has already been brought up and beat to a death - like the droids with the force stuff - please just forget about this . . . but I would like to hear your input . . . Also, feel free to break this from the next part as it is a totally different subject - assuming, of course, if you decide to post any of this))) There have been several postings by Lucasarts employees regarding us missing the fundamental issues in the prequels. Once again, using those scripts as a reference, I can see why they would say this. Most rumors deal with either the stormtroopers being clones or who is whose father, mother, brother, etc. It occurs to me that George wants to tell the story of the political corruption and subsequent destruction and rebirth of a great society -- and not simply an explanation of who is related to who and why. It has been said that our perceptions of the current trilogy will be drastically changed when the prequles hit the big screen. So I was thinking, what is the simplest way to so that...?

Have the good guys become the bad guys and vice versa. Easy enough, huh? So, how to so that? Well, in the second draft of "Star Wars" (also referred to as "The Adventures of the StarKiller"), Luke is discussing the history of the galaxy to his siblings - his brothers Biggs and Windy, and his sister, Leia. In short, the Jedi Knights were groups of families who were the guardians of the old Republic. It was a very prosperous time, and the Senate grew to immense proportions (similar to the Roman Empire - George has been known to compare Palpatine to Caesar in an online chat with Leonard Maltin, I think). However, the senate grew so large, it became impossible to meet the needs of its many citizens, and chaos and infighting ensued.

Two of the senate guilds (i.e. subcommittees) connived their way into power after a series of carefully executed assassinations and rigged elections. The Jedi discovered this, and moved to right things. However, by that time, the conspirators were fully in power and denounced the Jedi as traitors (this also ties in with the idea of the people seeing the Jedi religion as "hoaky", their supposed protectors "turn" on the Senate). Some Jedi stayed and allowed themselves to be tried and executed. Others fled to the outskirts of the galaxy to warn the people. The oldest of the Jedi chose to stay, but were diverted by civil disorder and unable to change much in the senate (perhaps that's where the Mandalorians fit in, or perhaps the "Clone Wars" themselves, or both??) Hidden elements within the Senate created such vast amounts of crime and unrest that the oppressive police state of the Empire seemed a welcome change (perhaps part of this police state were Sith Lords who specifically targeted Jedis for destruction to prevent them from causing future problems - sort of like the Gestapo). The Empire then exploited the populace to maintain their rigid control of the galaxy. (I like the idea of Palpatine being shrewd enough to create a problem which only he could solve in order to form the Empire).

Ok, that having been said . . .will things unfold in this way? Probably not. Is it a plausible story of the fall of the Old Republic? Absolutely. This story lends itself well to inserting the character of Palpatine (the ambitoius senator), and the powerful Jedi families (Kenobi, Skywalker, possibly even Organa, etc.). In any case, this may provide us with a blueprint of what George might be coming up with for Ep. 1. (Source: Ithorian)(Ed. Note: Other than snorkling in Cancun, our favorite hobby is beating dead horses and old rumors to death . . . After that mega-long shotgun blast of rumors, we'll have to call it a day. Until tomorrow. The rumors will never end . . . )

Fri., March 20, 1998

Episode 1 News: We contacted our high-level source at 20th Century Fox's film division and he/she told us that "mums" the word. They are very confident that they will win the rights to distribute Ep. 1, but are worried because George is still resentful of the way they treated him while filming ANH back in 1976 (i.e., scoffed when he asked for more money to complete the film (the original budget was a paltry $ 10 million which was small even in 1976 dollars), rushed him to release the film when he thought it was only half complete at best). In short, to get Ep 1, Fox is willing to take a slight loss or break even in order to distribute Ep. 1. However, we were also told that if Fox wins the rights to distribute Ep 1 they will begin to crack down harshly on Star Wars websites that display unauthorized SW pics, sounds and other copyrighted images, etc. Hence, only text based web sites will be immune from lawsuits/injunctions from Fox. This means that this site will have to remove all SW images, which sucks, but we understand . . . Fox has pretty much eliminated all the "King of the Hill" TV show web sites on the Net . . . So you guys/gals that have invested money in fancy domain names and SW graphics are about to have your party crashed and closed down . . . Sorry . . . when the party is over it will really be over . . .

In response to what Bravo5 said about the original story arc by George Lucas for the Star Wars saga, I might be able to shed some light. Sunday night A&E reaired a special entitled "Hollywood Aliens & Monsters." It's a look at the history of the sci-fi genre in film (hosted by Mark Hamill). During the segment dealing with Star Wars, clips were included from a 1993 interview with Mr. Lucas. He mentioned how his intent was always for the story to be about son and father. He made it very clear that Vader was always to be Luke's father in the original trilogy. However after the huge success of the first film, he had to make a decision as to whether or not he wanted to go through this idea. Obviously he did and we all reaped the benefits. But the impression I was always under was that David Prowse's actual dialogue during the filming of TESB was more to the extent of "Kenobi (Obi-Wan) killed your father" not "Obi-Wan was your father." So in a sense the dialogue in that scene would still ring true. But back to my original point, the story arc Mr. Lucas intended all along was that the tragic hero Anakin (of the prequel trilogy) was always meant to be father of eventual hero Luke (of the original trilogy). So many of his original ideas should still be intact for the forthcoming films.

Concerning the soundtrack, most movie soundtracks are released less than a week before the opening of the film. So if Episode I comes out on May 25, then the soundtrack would probably be released the previous Friday (which would be May 21, 1999). One other thing: I've heard a lot of rumors (I'm not sure where) about there being a surprise as to the identity of the Emperor. If this is the case, then has Ian McDiarmid actually been officially announced by Lucasfilm as playing Senator Palpatine in Episode I? I know they have made it official that he would be in the new film, but did they ever actually announce which character he would be playing (i.e. the same one he portrayed in ROTJ)? I'm obviously curious and a little confused. I also read in Leonard Maltin's on-line interview with Mr. Lucas that Palpatine's rise to power would be similar to that of Caesar (as opposed to Hitler as it seems everyone is assuming). Well Caesar was one of a trio of powerful political figures in Rome when he came to power? Could a similar situation ring true with Palpatine in the prequels? (Source: Bob)(Ed. Note: Bob, most of the rumors you read on the Net are fan created and not from high-up Lucasfilm sources . . . The most popular SW prequel websites are maintained by college students with overactive imaginations . . . Read their rumors and take a good long laugh. The odds of these guys/gals spoiling the prequel for you is about the same as me finding Cindy Crawford in my driveway washing my 1998 Lamborghini Diablo . . . The identity of the Emperor is no secret. Ian McDiarmid will play Senator/Emperor Palpatine in all three prequel films . . . The comparison of Palpatine to Caesar is more accurate because both come from the upper class/nobility. Hitler was just some poor guy that happened to hit it big in politics for a while and had a very serious problem with delusions of grandeur)

I was wondering if you could supply me with the proper URL for the site that contains the Journal of the Whills, as the version on your site: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Labyrinth/1455/index.html does not work! I would also like to add that this is by far the best prequel/Star Wars site by far. Thanks for your Time, (Source: Iain D.)(Ed. Note: Man, do you know how to polish the old apples . . . The correct URL is http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Labyrinth/1455/index.html)

(I am REALLY sorry that this is long, but everybody seems really worried about this, FOR NO REASON.) Hi! Love the page! I found it last fall, and I've been checking it regularly ever since. (Glad to see you're back, there for a little while I was kinda worried that something might have happened to you.) There are some great contributors out there, and it's really great to see people able to contribute so many great thoughts and tidbits of info, but lately there's a theme beginning to develop that's concerning me. What's the point of this deep hatred/fear/whatever of "Titanic," anyway? I mean, I don't see what it has to do with "Star Wars," and I certainly don't see why everybody feels so threatened by it. It isn't taking any of the success away from "Star Wars." So it's successful, so what? Have any of you who are so worried about it actually seen it for itself? I mean, actually watched it without trying to compare it to anything else? It's a really good movie. NO, WAIT. HEAR ME OUT ON THIS. I am NOT bashing "Star Wars," and I'm not saying that "Titanic" is any better than "Star Wars." I'm just saying that it doesn't have anything to do with "Star Wars." Any success which "Titanic" has is going to be MAJORLY overshadowed with the release of the prequels anyway.

You think the media is going nuts now? Well wait until next year; you ain't seen nothin' yet. The media circus over "Titanic" now will be long forgotten and hardly noticeable when compared to the total hysteria and chaos of May '99 (this is one of the greatest pop culture icons of the 20th century. THINK about it, people!). "Titanic" is deeply touching, and it's based on something horrible that REALLY happened, and that draws a LOT of fans (and award nominations), BUT let's remember that "Star Wars" has something that "Titanic" will never have. It's a continuing saga, not just the tragic story of one event in our history. "Star Wars" will never "stop" with the closing credits; "Titanic" does. As for the box office, nobody seems worried that "Gone With the Wind" made more money (inflation adjusted) than "Star Wars," so why worry about "Titanic?" It has about as much to do with "Star Wars" as "GWTW" does.

And, please, everybody, quit comparing these movies. They have NOTHING in common, so quit torturing yourselves. They don't exist on the same wavelengths, within the same plots and themes. They're so far apart that they're not even on different planes; they're in different dimensions. Each deserves to be given credit for its greatness, and they will both receive due credit, but trying to compare these films is like trying to compare apples and . . . chalkboards. And if one happens to make a little more money than another, that doesn't matter. It's not a movie's monetary success that makes it great. It's what YOU think about it that REALLY matters. The media might like you to think otherwise, but monetary success just doesn't make a movie any greater than it was made as. SO QUIT WORRYING, PEOPLE!!!! BTW, somebody said that "Titanic" was made to make money, while Lucas is only trying to tell a story. Remember, "Titanic" was so far overbudget that Cameron gave up his $8 million director's fee and his percentage of the profits just to get it made. "Titanic" is just as much Cameron's "child" as "Star Wars" is to GL. Thanks, (Source: SB)(Ed. Note: Thanks for the definitive "treatise" on why Titanic's short-term reign as the most successful movie in the world doesn't matter. Cameron just got lucky . . . And we have been known to disappear . . . from time to time. You'll find that we are always full of surprises)

So it comes to me to inform you of the last ever chance for any of your regulars to own an origional ATAT. . . my e- mail is fool@starwarsfan.com send me offers there . . . I know you ain't in the biz to advertize Shadow but once won't hurt. Lots Of Love (Source: The Fool Who Follows) (do you use the tripod chat often? I do)(Ed. Note: An analogy between The Fool Who Follows and Tony Randall seems very appropriate. Just as Tony Randall has by far made the most appearances (#2 ain't even close) on the David Letterman show (a U.S. night time talk show hosted by a guy with a huge gap between his teeth and real bad hair), The Fool Who Follows has by far sent us the most e-mails (#2 ain't even close) . . . We advertise the SW Insider like a mad dog on Uncle Bob, but our friends at the SWI still want tell us which Prequel action figure they will be offering exclusively through their magazine later this year . . . Tell us already, Dan!!!!! Subscribe to the SWI today so that you can order the first ever Prequel figure from the SWI later this year. Call toll-free 1-800-TRUE-FAN . . . as far as chat rooms . . . )

I know for a fact that ROTJ was origonly titled Revenge of the Jedi fo to the Boba Fett Multimedia Vault you will see a picture of a Boba Fett action figure in a package that has clearly printed words "Revenge of the Jedi" By the way I am glad you guys are back in business it just wasn't the same without you. A friend of mine says the when luke gets back to Yavin IV after destroying the Death Star he yell's Carrie geting out of his X-wing as he is talking to Leia could you check on this I just cant find it in there. (Source: Exar Kun Dark Lord of Sith)(Ed. Note: After the death star battle, Luke did yell out "Carrie" right before he hugged his sis in the hanger bay on Yavin 4. It is a mistake that was not "fixed" for the Special Edition. George says that error and the stormtrooper who hits his head on the door in the death star are too quaint to fix. George finds those type of errors to be extremely amusing.)

The new Trilogy is roughly based on the Knights of the Round Table. Coruscant is the centerpiece of a vast galaxy that is run by a Jedi King and a large galactic senate. The movie starts with the King barely clinging to life as they seek for a young Jedi to take his place as a member of this elite circle. The young jedi is Ben Kenobi, who is a very talented, but very disturbed young man. He is reckless and destructive, but by far a powerful knight. The lineage to the thrown is the Kings only daughter, who will become queen when he passes away. If anything were to happen to her, the Chancelor of the Galactic Senate would become the temporary leader. But if a true crisis were to arise, the King's brother would be given the thrown. The brother of the King contracts the Dark Lords of the Sith to kidnap the young Queen and hide her on Tatooine as he usurps control. He dispatches the Jedi Knights to search the galaxy as he continues to undermine the government. He finds it very unlikely that the Knights will track her to the remote, unknown regions of Tatooine. Unfortunantly, for the brother, Liam Neeson's character's son and wife have remained on Tatooine. When his son Anakin tells his father of the princess trapped in the Sith's fortress, he and Obi Wan set out to rescue her. Meanwhile, many of the other knights are fending off the aggresive attacks of an amphibian race. The Republic is slowly decaying. Like most of Lucas' movies, the main characters are split up and each have there own small adventures. Jake saves the young Queen as we explore Obi Wan's darker side. Liam Neesons character is killed by the end of the movie and Anakin is entrusted to Obi Wan. The film closes with the Queen's return and subsequent coronation. The brothers plan has failed, but he will have others... This is not my speculation. This is the story arch as I was told from a second-hand ILM source. Remember, the plot will be common knowledge by the time the previews come out. The suprises are in the details. (Source: Barcode)(Ed. Note: Thanks for spoiling the entire movie for us, BC (snicker)(snicker))

I agree that having a million different lightsaber colors would possibly be distracting. I wonder if maybe a lightsaber color indicates some sort of Jedi rank (one color for Jedi apprentice, one for Jedi knight, one for Jedi master, etc.) Or, maybe the Jedi are subdivided into units, squads, whatever you want to call it and the lightsaber color indicates that. Or maybe they just pick their favorite color. Also, it seems that Luke constructed a new lightsaber in ROTJ, maybe we will get to see how one is put together in the new movies.... (Source: Hurtster)(Ed. Note: That and the weird hairdos in Ep 1 are going to drive a lot of people crazy . . . )

Wed., March 18, 1998

Episode 1 News: The quiet buzz at Lucasfilm is the potential earth-shattering domestic gross of Episode 1 come 1999. The buzz is quiet because George will not permit anyone to speculate on how well Ep 1 is going to do. In his typical modest estimates, George predicts that Ep 1 will do "well" at the box office. However, those in the know at Lucasfilm know that when adjusted for inflation Gone With The Wind (1939) has amassed an astounding box-office gross of $ 906.9 million in the U.S. while Star Wars has earned $ 817.6 mill. Some at Lucasfilm think that Ep 1 could be the first film to surpass the 1 billion dollar mark in North American domestic grosses with an additional $ 1.2 billion earned overseas. Ep 1 could earn as much as $ 2.2 billion when all is said and done when we enter 2000. Keep this info. to yourself though 'cause George only expects the film to do "well."

In other news, Spielberg has admitted that E.T. (1982) will never again reign as box-office champ in North America. Spielberg expects the Special Edition of E.T. to earn a maximum of $ 75 mill in the U.S. when it is released in 2002. This gross would bring the N.A. total of E.T. to about $ 475 mill which will leave it very, very far behind 1. Episode 1 and 2. Titanic. Personally, we can't wait for May 25, 1999 . . .

On my adventures in cyberspace, I have come across several SW sites that re-post your rumors/news and some don't give a link back to your site. Do you guys care? (Source: Axle Foley)(Ed. Note: If you think SuperShadow and Associates go trotting around the Net "policing" websites that borrow our and your rumors . . . you've got another thing coming. We have stated in the past that this website belongs to you, the public. You guys/gals can use this info. anyway you want. We have many readers who download our site and send it to friends who don't have access to the Internet and we think that's great!! If you decide to print off our and your rumors and use them for toilet paper. That's fine too . . . Well, we just hope you use some pretty soft paper . . . SW is all about having fun . . . Many SW webmasters have lost sight of that important detail and act like the content on their pages is some ultra-important "intellectual property." What a joke . . . Lucasfilm could shut those clowns down in a heartbeat, but what fun would it be crush those poor defenseless clowns?)

Many people have been saying that George Lucas decided that Vader would be Luke's father after completing ANH . . . but I recall him saying (possibly in the interview on the THX remastered video release for Empire) that when it came time to write ESB he decided to stick with the original story and have Vader revealed to be Luke's father. I may be misremembering but I don't think so . . . (Source: Bravo 5)(Ed. Note: Once again, we're confronted with the age old problem of "George said" without being able to give a concrete source. We have heard that George settled on the "Vader as Luke/Leia's father" in story conferences with TESB screen writer, Lawrence Kasden, but we can't confirm this assertion . . . and it really doesn't matter at this point anyway)

I have some interesting info. that Cinescape is reporting that it is very possible that Fox has nabbed the rights to distribute the prequels they have not confirmed it but they said it is very likely that Fox has the rights.They also said that Variety Magazine (Ed. Note: The "Bible" of Hollywood) is reporting the same thing. Hopefully, more solid proof will come to the surface soon. (Source: Jeff)(Ed. Note: Don't bet on it (yet). No one has secured the rights to distribute Episode 1, 2 or 3. As we have posted many times in the past, a distributor will not be selected by Lucasfilm until the last minute. Also, Cinescape is notoriously unreliable when it comes to prequel rumors. Their "Lucasfilm sources" are rarely, if ever, reliable. 75% of the rumors posted on their site have no basis in fact . . . To be frank, everyone knows that Cindy Crawford is better looking than Grandma; likewise, everyone knows that Fox will distribute the Prequel Trilogy. You can take that to the bank.)

I don't think Obi-Wan is a title since Luke would have recognized the term as honorific, as if someone had said "Samurai" Kenobi. Also, Ben says it's a name not a title, "I haven't gone by the name Obi-Wan since oh, before you were born." Ben says he first met Anakin as a pilot, so Obi-Wan could be something like a pilot name or call sign similar to "Maverick" in Top Gun. (Source: Cosiem)(Ed. Note: Only George knows whether the name "Obi Wan" has any real significance . . . You had us scared there for a second. We thought you were going to say Tom Cruise has a cameo in the prequels)

Why aren't the prequels being spread out every two years. Originally, Episode I was 1999, II was 2001, and III was 2003. Does Lucas feel its going to take longer to make the films and needs three years in between? Of course he did this with the original trilogy so I guess it should come to no surprise. It would be nice to not have to wait so long, considering we have waited so long for the Star Wars saga to be continued (16 years by the time Episode I comes out). In that 1995 interview with Leonard Maltin, Lucas said that the films were being filmed back to back to back, making it sound like there wouldnt be a long wait once they were through. Of course, he never gave a specific number and I know the films are not being filmed back to back now. (Source: Life of Bryan)(Ed. Note: The incredibly complex nature of the prequels are requiring a three year release between the films because the digital effects will take at least two years of post-production to complete for each installment. It is really tough to be able to complete a Star Wars film in only three years. So have patience. They will be more than worth it!! . . . and Ep 2 and 3 will be filmed back-to-back and simultaneously if George sticks to his current plans. And as we all know, George changes his mind with the drop of a hat. He's very, very unpredictable.)

IF THE STAR WARS BOOKS BY BATAM ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OK BY GEORGE LUCAS THEN THE IDEA OF STORMTROOPERS BEING CLONES IS NOT TRUE. IF YOU HAVE EVER READ TALES FROM MOS EISLEY CANTINA THEN YOU WOULD NO OF DAVIN FELTH. IN THIS STORY IT TALKS ABOUT HIS TRAINING AND HE MEETS ALOT OF OTHER TROOPERS. (Source: McNeely)(Ed. Note: George is not going to use any of the ideas from the post-ROTJ novels in the Prequel Trilogy. So in the prequels, it is still possible that the stormtroopers are clones . . . George has a staff that "oversees" the stories that appear in the SW novels and comics. George is asked whether certain major story ideas can be used (i.e., George has said: "No" to the idea of letting authors write stories where Vader is brought back to life as a clone.)

I just realized something . . . about the titles of the new trilogy. George has said that the new trilogy is going to make us see the existing trilogy in a new light. I expect that one of the movies (most likely Episode three) will be called "Fall of the Jedi." This adds meaning to the title ROTJ. In "Fall of the Jedi", their is a double meaning - the Jedi are being destroyed by the Empire (their fall), while Anakin is seduced by the Dark Side (his fall). In ROTJ, Luke becomes a Jedi, signifying the Jedi's return, but also Anakin is turned back to the Light Side--his return. (Source: Les Bandit)(Ed. Note: If FOTJ is the title of Ep 2 or 3, then Jackie Chan stars as the leader of the Madalore warriors in Ep 2. The guy does his own stunts for crying out loud . . . Sometimes the title of a SW film is just a title and nothing more . . . )

Tues., March 17, 1998

The thing is the empire met a species that could clone a very distinct way. Instead of just duplicating the body like we can do now, they would clone the thoughts and mind of the same person. The empire would select their best Warriors, Assains, Admirals, Generals, etc. and clone as many as they wanted. And the things they used for cloning were limited because the empire killed the species that made the technology, then the Jedi came in and destroyed all of the cloning factories, and this all happened during the first Three movies which they are making right now. (Source: Adam Felker)(Ed. Note: Good speculation . . . the Jedi may have destroyed much of the cloning technology before their destruction at the hands of Vader, but Palpatine was able to hide cloning technology before it could be completely destroyed. Palpatine knew that this technology would be crucial if he wanted to make himself immortal (i.e., sort of like have the Holy Grail that the Nazis wanted in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade))

I saw another rumor that said: "I noticed in the Falcon scene after escaping the Death Star that R2D2 and C3PO seemed just as upset as Luke about Ben's death. Leia felt bad for Luke, but didn't seem that attached to Ben. My point is that maybe Ben, 3PO, and R2 had a big plan going, and when Ben died, 3PO and R2 felt alone and realized that Ben sacrificed himself for all of his failures. Also, I don't understand why Ben sacrifices himself to Vader. Why doesn't he at least TRY to defeat Vader? That makes it one less Dark Jedi for Luke to have to defeat. You may say that Luke needed Vader's help to do this, but Ben admitted that he gave up on Anakin completely so it couldn't of been part of the plan. Last, how the heck does Vader's saber go THROUGH Ben's when he kills him? I've always found that impossible. When you look at it, the saber goes right through the other. (Source: Liner)(Ed. Note: You pose some interesting questions with answers that no one really knows at this point. But that has never stopped us from speculating in the past . . . Here goes nothing: No one knows why the droids were saddened by Ben's death. They may have had info. on Ben that they were not privy to tell due to orders from Bail Organa perhaps. Bail probably never told Leia of Ben's association with her mother and father. Her ignorance of her true identity helped to protect her from detection by the Empire . . . Ben knows that he can't defeat Vader on the death star. All he can hope to do is sacrifice himself in a way that insures that Luke will join the rebellion's fight against Palpatine and Vader. Yoda taught Ben a Force technique that would allow Ben to continue to advice young Luke even after Ben's death. Ben's death was crucial to Luke's ability to destroy the death star and many of the older Imperial officers who contributed to the end of the Jedi and the Old Republic (i.e., Tarkin and Co.) . . . Again, this is all just speculation on our part and George may really, really decide to surprise us with who knows what . . . )

This is very, very broad speculation, but isn't everything? Today, Sunday, Feb. 23rd, Fox aired Star Wars: A New Hope. This is very unusual, I cannot remember the last time they aired any of the Star Wars films. maybe, just maybe they are trying to start increasing awareness of the films, since they will be distributing the new ones?????????? just maybe they already have the rights to distribute. (Source: GoldVader)(Ed. Note: Conspiracies, conspiracies . . . Fox has not secured the rights to distribute the prequel trilogy . . . Increase the awareness of Star Wars? Are you kidding? The sells of Star Wars collectibles is at an all-time high. The exposure of Star Wars is actually approaching overkill although many fans can't seem to get enough . . . which is good, real good, for the bottom line at Lucasfilm . . .)

I think Star Wars fans worry too much on the box-office results (past, = present and future) of their favourite movies. I prefer that Episode1 = makes 200 million dollars and is a masterpiece than generate a billion = dollars and the movie is plain bad. You just can't compare a recent = movie like Titanic to a classic like Star Wars. (Source: Tardif)(Ed. Note: Ep 1 will undoubtedly be the most "successful" film in cinematic history and could possibly make over $ 600 mill in the US alone, but who cares? I don't. Are you going to receive one red cent from the success of Ep 1? I know I want. So stop worrying about the commercial side of the film and just enjoy the fact that a new Star Wars film is only 400+ days away from release.)

My brothers friend works at a company called 'Port Folio & Reel' .....who edits films.Now he has just come back from London 3 days ago and told me this: Those yellow planes (seen in the official SW site) are land planes...I mean, it cannot fly in outerspace. Now what he told me was pretty amazing. He told me that in the film....the good guys (including the Jedi) lose one battle in the whole film due to acid rain. The planes malfunction due to the acid and so they retreat! Now I know this guy and I must say he is quite honest at the things he tells people......I cannot confirm this and it may just be a rumour or just a practicle joke....BUT I decided to post this info to u!(Just want 2 know what u think?) (Source: Young Han)(Ed. Note: We guess it would be hard to confirm something that isn't true . . . Acid rain issues in Ep 1? Tree huggers and whale chasers too maybe? Geez, if George wants to get all political on us, he should make documentaries for public television. Don't worry folks. Ep 1 won't be a film dedicated to environmental causes so don't expect to see an Al Gore cameo. Ep 1 is going to be a straight forward "good time" SW adventure film . . . Young Han's rumor is going to give me nightmares and cold chills for weeks . . . )

WARNING: These are purely my thoughts based on what I've read on this site and interpreted from the movies and may or may not make any sense to anyone. (Ed. Note: Since when did our rumors start making sense?) Everyone thinks that the Young Queen is going to be Leia and Lukes mother, well here's another possible scenerio: Fact: Leia was adopted into royalty which would give her the title of Princess, no? Speculation: Maybe L & L's mom is some other character in the movie? That would explain Luke never being referred to as Prince Luke. (which really doesn't sound that good any way - which alone might explain why no one ever refers to him by his title) If Owen was Ben's brother, wouldn't that have made it a little easy for Vader, who has the vast resources of the Empire at his disposal, including the infamous Imperial Spy Network, to find Luke? I really don't think that Obi Wan means OB-1. Obi Wan is just a cool name that happens to sound like OB-1. I think George was looking for a wise old Sensai type name. I believe Ben allowed Vader to kill him because he knew that Luke wouldn't reach his full potential with out being thrown into the proverbial frying pan.

If Ben had stuck around, Luke would have constantly been looking to him for answers instead of trying to find them on his own; which is the only true path Jedi enlightenment. The same holds true for Yoda. Yoda could have continued living for many years to come if needed (due to either the natural longevity of his race or by way of the Force - Only George Knows), but once the "hero" he had been waiting for (Luke) appeared and Yoda had taught him all he could, Yoda could then finally allow himself to pass into the afterlife secure in the knowledge that Palpatine would be destroyed, and peace would once again come to the galaxy. But in order for this young Jedi to achieve his destiny he had to make his own choices without the influence of Yoda or Ben, and only in this way, could Luke become a true Jedi Master. As many have stated, Anakin does not HAVE to become King if he marries the queen. News Flash: "Holy Trilogy to become Holy Sextet" kinda looses its snappy appeal don't ya think? (Source: Vader Khan)(Ed. Note: I think you just summarized every major Ep 1 rumor that has been floating around for the past 3 years . . . Anyway, I will respond to your various comments one by one and give you the real inside scoop . . . Ooops sorry. George just popped in . . . got to go . . . )

I have been fascinated to read the discussions about whether Anakin becomes a King, Duke, Prince etc. when he and the Queen are married. But, I have been thinking that it would be interesting if the Young Queen abdicates the thrown inorder to marry Anakin. A wealth of irony would be created if she gives up her birthright inorder to marry this commoner (If that is the case.) & he then becomes a deciding factor in the Republic's fall. Besides, this is just one variation on what could take place. Another idea is that the Natalie Portman character is in married to Ben Kenobi. Then she and Anakin have an affair, which produces offspring. Many people have suggested a link to King Arthur. Well, maybe Anakin is Lancelot to Ben's Arthur!? Someone can probably shoot down these ideas based on information I don't have or have forgotten, but the general gut feeling that I have is that Anakin will not be a royal family member that falls from grace. I believe he is betrayed in some way before he turns to the Dark Side! (Source: HiFiDog98)(Ed. Note: If Ben is the biological father of Luke and Leia, then that revelation would definately, certainly and completely change our current perception of the Trilogy. Surely, George won't go that far!!!)

I was reading the page and all this King Arthur stuff, which I don't really believe, but it got me thinking. Perhaps Anakin (Episode 2) is in love with the Padme. But because he is not royalty cannot marrie the young queen. So he comitts greedy and selfish acts to make himself King. Including betraying friends and son on. Like Macbeth. One man's greed is his undoing. My page address is http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Labyrinth/1455/index.html On my page, I have the Journal of the Whills by George Lucas and many early drafts of StarWars. (Source: Obi Wan)(Ed. Note: Thanks, OB-1. We are glad someone finally posted the elusive JOTW on the Net. Let us know when you post the Ep 1 script also . . . Did you know that there are only 3,000+ Star Wars related web sites on the WWW?)

On Monday, Feb. 23 a Anonymous Lucasfilm Informant said: "Also, you have missed some of the more obvious and clever ways that George will profoundly change our perception of the current Trilogy . . ." Are we getting free hints here? Or did George run out of ideas and does he want us to do the thinking? Just kidding. But . . . The AnoLucInf said: "You missed SOME of the . . ." This means some of our ideas are true!! Now we have to figure out the obvious ones . . . (P.S. Is it possible that this AnoLucInf is trying to lead us to the wrong path?) (Source: Frumentuviris)(Ed. Note: Are you serious? A Lucasfilm employee that would intentionally mislead the public . . . I don't know that sounds a little far fetched to me. Better call Scully and Mulder . . . You do know that the prequel has a pink Yoda character with an eye patch named Yaddle? Honest. No kidding. Also, Yaddle has a wooden leg and pilots the Falcon with Nute Gunray. Don't tell George. It's our little secret . . . )

Mon., March 16, 1998

Episode 1 News: The Creator of Star Wars himself states that: "The decision on who will distribute Episode 1 will not be made for a very long time." When asked about the impact of the Internet on the filming of Ep 1, he replies: "It has created the need for ultra-tight security . . . but this was taken into account when I decided to make Ep 1 the most non-linear and most malleable motion picture ever filmed. With the new revolutionary digital film-making techniques, I can literally change almost any aspect of the film whenever I want." When asked if the Internet is good or bad for film making, he answers: "Generally, it is good. It allows movie fans to exchange ideas and information almost instantaneously and nearly at the speed of light." Is Lucasfilm planning to shut down Web Sites that post and promote the "spilling of the beans" of Ep 1, he replies: "We've got more important matters to worry about than the Internet. All our efforts are focused on the completion of Episode 1, which is an extremely daunting task even with well over a year until the film's release date."

Ultimately, who does Star Wars belong to? He states: "My companies currently own the copyrights to the Star Wars saga, but eventually these stories will, hopefully, belong to society just as many classic mythological sagas now belong to everyone." Will you be remembered as the modern day version of Tolkien? He laughs: "I'm not dead yet." Will there be more than six Star Wars films made in your life time: "I didn't say that." How many Star Wars films do you have in your head? He replies: "As many as I want to make." One question about the upcoming Prequel Trilogy, some are concerned that you are making these films to be seen in sequence by future generations and hence you might keep Vader's true identity a secret in Ep 3 to preserve the surprise of Vader's revelation to Luke in Ep. 5 that he is Luke's father: "I'm making the Prequel Trilogy so that future generations can enjoy watching the Star Wars saga with all surprises left intact. Is that a good idea? We will just have to wait and see. The Prequel Trilogy will dramatically change your perceptions of the current Trilogy, but future generations won't be aware of this because, hopefully, they will watch all six films in order beginning with Episode 1 and concluding with Episode 6."

I know its been announced that Natalie Portman will be in all three prequels. But has Lucasfilm said officially that she would be playing the same character in all three movies? It occurred to me that age-wise she would be better suited to play her younger sister (currently played by Madison Lloyd) in Ep 2 and 3 which take place about ten years after Ep 1. This would allow Lucasfilm to "surprise" us with a new young queen to play opposite the older Anakin. Keep up the good work! (Source: Phil Gold)(Ed. Note: One of the reasons Natalie was hired for the role of the young Queen is that she has the ability to look many years older than she really is. Hence, she will have no problem looking ten years older in Ep 2)

Actually, according to one of Kevin Anderson's books in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, the stormtroopers are a result of brainwashing. As for the voices, that I can't explain. But I am pretty sure the "Champions of the Force" book explains that by use of an example. As for the Obi-wann giving up to Darth-Vader, maybe he knew that he would be unable to defeat the emperor, that only Luke would be able to do so. If Ben killed Vader, Luke would not have becom a Jedi Knight, so he wouldn't have been able to kill the emperor as well, right. Just a thought. (Source: Matt Thompson)(Ed. Note: No one knows definitively where the stormtrooper originated from. Some of the early ones may have come from advanced cloning technology, but that technology may have proven too unstable to create anything other than a bunch of stormtroopers that eventually go insane and create more problems than their worth. Then, the Empire may have had to use brainwashing techniques to create loyal elite shock troops for Imperial service. Who knows? George does and he's not telling . . . yet.)

In the British Star Wars Fanclub Magazine (February/March), Rick McCallum said: "Right now, we have scheduled the release of the film on 25 May 1999." This means he is not as comfortable with the release date as he was two months ago when he stated in the Star Wars Insider #36: "No matter what happens, we're going to release the film May 25th 1999." Is it possible that the film will be delayed (and have a release in the winter of '99)? (Source: Frumentuviris)(Ed. Note: Lucasfilm is the master at promotion and teasing us with possible delays of Ep. 1. The release date is definite because this is the time frame that all the licensees (Kenner, Galoob, etc.) are using to plan the release of the gazillion Star Wars collectibles that will hit stores in late May 1999. So those who claim Episode 1 will be delayed are just teasing you.)

Titanic is infuriatingly successful. Surely we can do something about this situation. We cannot allow a film that primarily appeals to pre-teen females to remove THE film of the century from its rightful perch at the top. I have some suggestions: 1) Be sure to watch SW: Genesis (the name I hope George chooses), at least 7 (seven) times. This way you can ensure that within a month of Episode 1's release, the headlines will read: "Titanic gets sunk at the Box-Office!" 1a) Do this even if the movie turns out to be about as good as Titanic. 2) If there is ever a Special Edition of any movie, other than ANH, be sure to view it at home. This includes movies about aliens on bikes and objects casting huge shadows over cities. 4) Make sure that you only view films about large reptiles, no more than once (at the cinema). 5) Most radical of all: You should only watch movies with the words "STAR" and "WARS" somewhere in the title.

I really do hope that this new film is a success that cannot be repeated, EVER again. I was wondering in Han Solo would be in the prequels. According to the books, he is 11 years older than Luke and Leia. Plus, I read Steve's post about stormtroppers being clones. Nice info, I never noticed that till now! Thanks Steve!!!! (Source: Mara Jade-Scully)(Ed. Note: While George appreciates the fact that all Star Wars fans want Ep 1 to claim the number one spot in box-office history, he does not consider that to be the primary goal of Ep 1. He wants to make the best Star Wars film possible. And while it may disappoint some fans regarding certain scenes; the overall film will be the best Star Wars film ever seen. Whether or not that will be enough to overtake Titanic at the box office will be extremely interesting to watch in mid-1999. We may all find out that we had nothing to worry about when all is said and done in 1999.)

I saw a rumor today that said : Since cloning is a hot issue in our world right now, George may try to tap into that. However, he may try to distance himself from having the common movie-goer associate his films with a bunch of duplicating sheep. I remember . . . oh, about twenty years ago . . . there were all the discussions going on about stormtroopers being clones. But, it seems that they are actually recruited soldiers as Solo once was. So where are the clones? If the Jedi were against cloning and they got pretty much wiped out, then the empire could clone at will and you'd expect to see them all over the place in the original movies. Or, maybe George will just wait until the next special edition to send in the clones (sorry, couldn't resist that one). (Source: Hotala)(Ed. Note: It may turn out that in the Prequel Trilogy that clones are only short term creations that cannot exist for long periods of time. Hence, when Palpatine hides all cloning technology, the clones die out and no one knows how to make more.)

Sun., March 15, 1998

(Ed. Note: Hmmm . . . interesting. George is full of surprises so he might title the film with something similar to ANH. It would be interesting to know what the original titles were when he wrote the story treatments back in the mid-1970's and how much, if any, have the titles changed since then? Somewhere I read ROTJ was almost titled "Victory of the Force." Could this resurface as the title for Ep. 1?) Actually ROTJ was origonaly titled "Revenge of the Jedi" I have seen a Boba Fett action figure package with Revenge of the Jedi at the top of the package at the Boba Fett multimedia vault(I think) just thought that I would let you know. (Source: Bill)(Ed. Note: To clarify, George briefly considered breaking the original trilogy into four parts: ANH, TESB, ROTJ and Victory of the Force. In ROTJ, George thought about having Luke turn to the dark side only to be converted back by Jedi Knight Leia in VOTF. However, he ditched this idea and decided to keep the trilogy a trilogy and not a quadrilogy. By late 1982, George had burned out of doing Star Wars films and took a decade-plus sabbatical from the Star Wars Galaxy . . . )

I think a good way for George Lucas to take a clever jab at the Reagan administration for using the name Star Wars for a space weapon is this... There could be a character in the prequals who is a playwrite. His most famous play could be called "The Death Star." The play would have nothing to do with the imperial death star we know but some imperial leader that could take the name and decide to use it to gain public support for the funding of the death star project. When we see the Death Star in "A New Hope" we will make the connection between the empire's use of the name "The Death Star" for a space weapon and our military's use of the name "Star Wars" for a space weapon. (Source: Nam Nguyen)

Do you remember the two metal, swanlike, spice shaker ornaments on Obi Wans table when R2 is projecting Leia onto it? I believe that Obi-wan came across them in the following manner... Obi-wan is training young Anakin in a remote area of the Alderaan palace grounds. In a grassy clearing, Obi-wan teaches Anakin a purly mental lesson, how to use the force for knowlege. Anakin becomes acutely aware of his surroundings, the smells, the direction of the wind, his own breathing, the sound and distance of each insect. He begins to see events that happened in that spot in the past. Clouds seem to move fast over them and the weather seems to change rapidly as if they are moving through time.

Anakin sees a pretty young girl of about seven run into the clearing. He recognizes her as the young version of an old matronly lady from the royal house named Gertie or something. Gertie always seemed a silly and bothersome presence to Anakin. Just and old hag who didn't let the kids have any fun. Now Anakin observes Gertie in a tender moment of her youth, running into the clearing followed by a boy (maybe her puppy love). They each have a metal swan spice shaker and, hearing their elders calling them, the children burry the spice shakers in a patch of berries and go hesitantly to meet their elders. When her elders enter the clearing the light of late afternoon falls on them giving them a saintly feel of those long deceased. Still having visions, Anakin goes over to where the spice shakers were hidden 64 years earlier and picks them up.

He has gained a deep respect for Gertie and plans to give the shakers back to her. The next time he talks to her he understands her and relates on her leval. They become friends and she ends up giving the metal,swan, spice shakers to Anakin who gives them to Obi-wan. Aside from seeing the past Anakin sees the future of that spot on Alderaan. He suddenly fills with intense fear as he sees the plot of land that he is standing on floating in space as a charred reminant of Alderaan. If you have any connections to the making of the films, feel free to use these senarios after all they are just basic situations and I don't think they can be copywrited! (Source: Nam)(Ed. Note: Due to legal considerations, George can only use his own ideas for the Prequel Trilogy scripts, but you never know what will appear in the prequels . . . )

This is in reply to the Lucas employee (if they really are one) writings on the names of the characters. I wonder if the Queen is the one who leads young Anakin down the dark path first. It would be a biblical reference to Adam & Eve as well as an interesting sub plot. (Source: Keuka)

The Queen is most likely not a Jedi. Luke told Leia: "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it... I have it... and, my sister has it." Not Mom! (Source: Liner)

One of the prior posts on the Prequel Rumor page from someone (can't recall who) said that he didn't think George Lucas planned to have Darth Vader be Luke's father when developing the initial story arc for the saga. He backs this up by saying that on set when filming the climatic scene in Empire when Vader tells Luke he's his father, actor David Prowse never said "I am your father" and the line was added in post-production. I have to disagree with this. George Lucas said (yet another 'George Lucas said...') that when writing the Empire Strikes Back he decided to stick with the original story, which was to have Vader reveal to Luke that he was his father. I'm sorry that I cannot back this up by telling where or when he said this, but I can say that I did see the man himself utter these very words (or something to the extent of those very words...) in a recorded interview. And concerning the fact that the Vader's line 'I am your father' was added in post production...

During filming of Empire, George Lucas became aware the several of the crew were leaking information on the plot, etc. to the fans. Concerned that one of them would give away the big surprise of Vader being Luke's father, he had actor David Prowse say on set: 'Obi-Wan was your father.' That is the reason his line was changed in post production. Just trying to clear things up (and hopefully not adding to the jumble of unconfirmed rumors...)(Source: Bravo 5)

Looking at the cover for the 2nd issue of Dark Empire1, I couln't help but notice how much Luke and Vaders suits look alike. Could this be like some kind of uniform? (Source: Mara Jade-Scully)

U never post my message........Its no lie..honest.His name is Rick Lamb and his G'friend who also went with him and works with him Penny Parker.They do Powerade ads etc and edit them.He's no bull or is his G'friend.He told me the acid rain looks more suburb then the water scene. I don't know the details of how he and she were imployed at Lev.....but there people who I can trust.He said the acid scene may make the final cut but is not sure because it wasn't relavant to the film....just pure enjoyment. (Source: Bobbi Dahl)

Sat., March 14, 1998

The statement, "I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father", should be fairly >significant. Why was he once a Jedi knight and not presently? Why should this be significant? If your grandfather told you he was a rear-gunner during WWII, you wouldn't assume he'd been court-marshalled because he used the phrase "once was", would you? Kenobi probably means that he's not actively done the things Jedi knights do for years, or that being a Jedi is largely meaningless now as they don't exist as an organised collective any more. (Source: Ceri)(Ed. Note: After the Jedi Massacre, I guess there isn't much need for the Jedi Knights anymore . . . they are forced into hiding and live in obscurity to avoid the Empire)

Lucas has to be kidding. I mean I know that he wants the effects to be the best ever, cutting edge and all that, and I know nobody has ever done this underwater thingy, but for god sake it's called STAR WARS. It's worrying me, we've seen the new ships and been told of Bravo Squadron but we've also seen the pictures of them on some Waterworld. If they are submersible, if we are to take the rumours to heart, then the whole final scene may only be this, presumably expensive, sea battle. All I want is a scene like the end of Jedi, with your attention flashing between a lightsabre fight, a space battle and a planet-side battle........is that too much to ask GL.Oh, and don't even bring up the whole "but the new movies are going to parallel the old ones, what you want isn't going to happen till ep.iii" . . . That argument has no stay with me. It's as big a ruse as any other statement Big G has made. He doesn't want to give us the chance for any lucky conjecture on the plots, he wouldn't do that to us (if he is a kind god). He'll fuel our need for rumour, and while it's fun it won't (hopefully) ruin the films (please!). It all seems so futile now. I may end it all. Goodbye cruel world. P.S. Have a nice day. (Source: The Fool Who Follows)(Ed. Note: Uncle Owen told me to avoid guys like you at the Academy . . . George is making the kind of Star Wars film he wants to see. If we all like it too, then good. If not, then too bad.)

Something I've been thinking about: Darth Vader's lightsaber is red. Ben's was blue. Luke had a yellow one, then a green one. Common knowledge . . . Ok, so my question is: if there's going to be this big legion of Jedi Knights in the prequel, are they all going to have different colored sabers? Or all the same color? I think it would be distracting to see hundreds of Jedi, all with different colored sabers going. (Source: Chris)(Ed. Note: George has stated in the Star Wars Insider that we finally get to see Jedi doing what Jedi are suppose to see. Ep 4 - 6 featured two worn-out Jedi (Ben and Yoda), one half-trained Jedi (Luke) and one that is more machine than man (Vader). So in Ep 1, we get to see the Jedi, in their prime, guarding the galaxy from evil doers)

To us Star wars fans, it really won't matter how much Episode 1 makes at the Box Office. At least to me I know I'll love the movie one way or another. Although it probably will rack in a lot of money too. (Source: Jackie Jedi Chan)(Ed. Note: Episode 1 will make anywhere between $ 450 to $ 650 million in the U.S. depending on the repeat business. A conservative estimate would be that the Ep 1 makes $ 500 mill in the US and another $ 750 mill internationally although the final figures could be much, much higher)

The soundtrack to Star Wars 1999 will be released 5 or 6 weeks before the prequel's opening. All the tracks will have names that reveal nothing of what so ever (just like the track on the original Jedi album that was called "The Emperor," while it contained the music that was heard at the moment Darth Vader threw Palpatine down the air shaft. Now that we all are familiar with Jedi's plot it is called "The Emperor's Death" (Source: Frumentuviris)(Ed. Note: We haven't heard that one before. Don't expect to see the soundtrack in stores until just prior to the release of the movie on May 25, 1999. The novelization will come out after the movie is released if George sticks to his current plans)

I want to know if there is a fan club of Kenner toys, because there are some figures that are not selled and they are only for fan club members. I hope you know something about. (Source: Mex)(Ed. Note: If you want to get exclusive action figures not generally available to the public, you need to visit the Official Hasbro Web Site and/or subscribe to the Star Wars Insider 1 - 800 - TRUE - FAN)