CLASSIC IMAGE: LOVER'S PARADISE!

Senator in hiding Padme Amidala gets to spend a little quality time in the Naboo countryside with her Jedi protector Anakin Skywalker, in a "love haiku" scene filmed in the romantic and beautiful climes of Italy. In this image, actors Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen get ready to be photographed for their 2002 published VANITY FAIR cover shoot taken by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz.

For more detailed info on the EPISODE II location filming in Italy, Tunisia and Spain, check out our current AFICIONADO issue now available- THE BEST OF ISSUES 1-4.

To get it, head over here: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

CLASSIC IMAGE: BAD DREAMS

On Coruscant, Padme Amidala tries to console worried husband Anakin about the dark and terrible dream he has just ordealed concerning her and their upcoming babies future...a prediction that the young Jedi is determined will not become a reality!

CLASSIC IMAGE: CHAMBER OF HELL!

In a dark and smokey medical chamber of horrors buried deep within the hidden realms of Coruscant, the damaged, deformed and brutalised body of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, is worked on by a group of droid surgeons and technicians, to be re-imagined as an evil new form of artificial life support systems and heavy metal armour of the blackest, bleakest kind. A rampaging, hate fuelled force for evil will soon emerge, in this classic image from EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH...

CLASSIC IMAGE: HOMESTEAD ARRIVAL

Their gleaming Naboo craft parked in the not too distant Tatooine landscape (filmed once more on location in Tunisia), Anakin Skywalker, accompanied by Padme Amidala and the trusty Artoo Detoo, arrives at the wilderness boundaries of the Lars Homestead, desperate to find out news of his mother, Shmi.

A picturesque moment, leading to fateful tragedy, from EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

SCENES WE WANT ON BLU-RAY 2: ANAKIN'S JEALOUSY

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's subtle but deadly turning of Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force was originally even more multi-layered than what was eventually seen in REVENGE OF THE SITH. Darth Sidious's use of jealousy, like Iago's deliberate and vicious fracturing of Othello and Desdemona's tragic love in William Shakespeare's classic play, was expected to be one of the main dramatic elements to have been seen in EPISODE III. Indeed, a similar sub plot was filmed in which Anakin, meeting Palpatine on the landing pad outside the senate building, is told by his respected father figure leader that Obi-Wan's decisions are being influenced by a "female senator" (whom an anxious Anakin realises is Padme Amidala). An earlier scripted element of jealousy by Anakin was cut from a prior scene in the film just before Padme tells him that she is pregnant. Sadly, though this Palpatine/Anakin scene can be found in script form in J.W. Rinzler's ART OF EPISODE III book, the actual shot scene, which also featured a brief "Hello" cameo from Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, never made it to the finished movie, though I'm sure we'd all like it to appear on the Blu-ray!

IN CLASS WITH THE LIGHTSABER MASTER!

Kyle Rowling puts Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen through their paces for the lightsaber duels of EPISODE III.

Fans of the superb lightsaber choreography created by Nick Gillard for the STAR WARS Prequels will soon have their dreams come true and be able to participate in such action themselves with this great news from Jared Kirby at the US COMBAT CON event, taking place this Summer in Las Vegas.

Here’s the info:

Master of the craft. Stunt co-ordinator/director Nick Gillard will reveal all about his superb Prequel Trilogy lightsaber duels.

Nick Gillard (assisted by Kyle Rowling) will teach a lightsaber master class at Combat Con in Las Vegas June 24th, 2011 (http://thecombatcon.com/jedi-fighting). For the first time ever, you will have an opportunity to learn lightsaber fighting from the man who created it for Star Wars I, II and III.

In this master class Nick will teach a complicated run from Revenge Of The Sith which covers all of the Jedi moves while explaining the rules involved in Jedi fighting.  He will also teach how to write it yourself. This World Premiere master class will be the first time it's been taught since Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen learn it! 

This special master class will be a separate charge (TBD), but only participants registered for Combat Con will be able to attend so register now (http://thecombatcon.com/register).  Space is very limited to make sure participants get a lot of individual attention.  It will fill up quickly so don't miss this rare opportunity to be trained by the man who created all the fights for Star Wars I, II and III!

And, if you haven't already seen our terrific, and highly comprehensive, interview with Nick Gillard, check it out here: NICK GILLARD INTERVIEW

CLASSIC IMAGE: LOVE AND MARRIAGE!

This lovely and familiar looking couple tied the knot long before William and Kate. Though I think our modern reality Royals will have a lot better time of marriage than Padme and Anakin ever did! Still, Naboo was a lovely place to get secretly wed!

CLASSIC IMAGE: RE-UNITED IN A TIME OF CRISIS

Within her triple-protected apartment on Coruscant, ex-Queen now senator, Padme Amidala, flanked by her aides Captain Typho and Handmaiden, Dorme, is re-united with her old friend, and new protector, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his "grown-up" Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker, in this intriguing green screen scene filmed at the FOX STUDIOS in 2000 for EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

CLASSIC IMAGE: SPRINGING THE TRAP!

On the top level observation spire of General Grievous's command warship, The Invisible Hand, which is immersed in a huge orbital battle above the Republic homeworld of Coruscant, legendary Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker engage in their final (all too brief on screen) lightsaber duel with the evil Count Dooku, so as to rescue the captured Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

It will be a conflict with tremendous consequences for young Anakin Skywalker...

CLASSIC IMAGE: DARK SIDE IN TRAINING!

Arriving in Australia several weeks ahead of EPISODE III's filming so as to develop the best fighting skills possible in his duel role of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, Hayden Christensen gamely goes through some exciitng Nick Gillard choreographed moves with Count Dooku fencing stand-in Kyle Rowling. A top class Aussie fencer/stuntman, Rowling had previously appeared in EPISODE II as a pony tailed Jedi in the Geonosian Arena battle and was Lee's fighting/body double in that film, too.

CLASSIC IMAGE: "COMING IN HOT!"

From EPISODE III, a tense time for our Republic Heroes as they try to regain flight control of the surviving section of General Grievous's warship The Invivible Hand for a safe (ish) landing on Coruscant.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO RESCUE A JEDI!

Navigating Coruscant's dangerous and traffic heavy commercial air lanes, Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) pilots his speeder in a fast downwards acceleration to rescue his friend and master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, from free-fall death, in this classic scene from EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FATEFUL FOES

A classic posed image of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader, their lightsabers locked for the final battle of the Prequel Trilogy movies. Modern series Stunt Co-ordinator Nick Gillard was responsible for many of the choreographed lightsaber moves initiated for the photo sessions (like the one of Kenobi, Windu and Skywalker on the cover of AFICIONADO double issue 8/9).

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE MASTER AND AN APPRENTICE!

George Lucas and Hayden Christensen confer on an important scene leading to the fall of Anakin Skywalker in this 2003 image taken at the FOX STUDIOS in Australia for the finale of the STAR WARS movie saga- REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BLUE SCREEN TALKS!

During additional EPISODE II re-shoots for dialogue and action sequences set within the Geonosian corrdiors and droid conveyor belt, taking place at the legendary British EALING studios in early 2002, Hayden Christensen confers with friend/producer Rick McCallum, whilst Anthony Daniels prepares to film a blue-screen scene with Artoo Detoo.

CLASSIC IMAGE: RETURN TO NABOO

Here's a nice shot from a partially deleted scene-I like those!! From EPISODE II, its the moment where Anakin and Padme return to Naboo and go to the Royal Palace at Theed for a conference with Queen Jamillia (just what happened to her between II and III. Not re-elected I presume? Thats politics!).

The sequence was filmed in beautiful Spain in the hot summer of 2000, and witnessed by thousands of screaming SW fans wanting cast and crew autographs, towards the end of ATTACK OF THE CLONES main bulk of Principal Photography.

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: TO BE A SITH!

Rather horrific close-up image from 2003, not seen in the final film, of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader, his burnt face ready to receive the Dark Lord helmet that will epitomise his evil as the Emperor's right hand man.

It was the moment that fans had been waiting decades to see, finally realised.

CLASSIC IMAGE: ANAKIN ATTACK!

In a classic sequence from EPISODE II (which got lots of cheers from UK and US audiences on its premiere screening nights), though heavily truncated down from what was originally choreographed and filmed in 2000, the brave Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) goes on the attack against the fiendish Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). Note the digital face of Lee superimposed by ILM onto his excellent double, Australian stuntman and swordsman, Kyle Rowling.

BEHIND THE SCENES: ADDING NEW DEPTHS TO VILLAINY

Specialist costume and prop builder Ivo Coveny makes some last minutes touches to the impressive prototype Vader costume worn by Hayden Christensen for EPISODE III, at a workshop within FOX STUDIOS, during 2003 pre-production filming for EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TRIUMPH OF THE SITH!

Anakin Skywalker, now the dreaded Darth Vader, and the disfigured form of the ultimate Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, decide to take a little time out from their busy schedule of slaughtering Jedi in order to pose for this fab studio image from 2005.