CLASSIC IMAGE: ROYAL PRISONER

Within her palace in the city of Theed, Queen Amidala watches in silent horror and personal grief as her world and her people are invaded by the Trade Federation. A classic moment from EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE.

SCENES WE WANT ON BLU-RAY 8: BERU'S KITCHEN CONVERSATION

With homely Beru Lars appearance in EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES cut down so savagely during the film's later post production editing (she has just one line in the finished film: "Hello"!) and followed by later re-shoots of material on Anakin and Padme, it would be nice if the upcoming Blu-rays could have Luke Skywalker's adopted mum to be's deleted scene with Padme, where, in the famous Homestead kitchen (painstakingly recreated by the films production designers to match the original environment conceived in 1976 by John Barry), she briefly talks about life on and outside of Tatooine...

"Would you like some blue milk?"

The Blu-ray Prequel deleted scenes for the new release total around 45 minutes, so that's probably 15 minutes for each film. A shame it all couldn't be longer, really, as there's at least 30 minutes of deleted scenes footage alone from ATTACK OF THE CLONES that is yet to be seen, with much of the final third of the film having been changed/re-worked/re-filmed in the post-production process.

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: PADME'S MISSION...

Here's a great shot of Padme (Natalie Portman) in what I call her Green Riding Hood outfit, during a deleted scene from EPISODE III, where she speaks to the DELEGATION OF 2000 on Coruscant about what can be done about ending both the Clone War and the all-too powerful rein of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine...

The deleted scenes may have already appeared on the 2005 DVD of REVENGE OF THE SITH but for completism they should be added to the upcoming Blu-rays regardless.

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.

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: READY FOR RACING!

Artoo, Threepio (note here the exterior use of the puppet version) and Padme assist young Anakin Skywalker with the final checks and adjustments to his newly painted Pod Racer, just in time for the next day's all-important Boonta Eve Classic tournament...

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH...

Still in hiding on Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi, now aware of Padme's pregnancy by Anakin, also knows that she's hiding the truth about Darth Vader's location on Mustafar, in this nicely played scene between Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman from EPISODE III.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image. 

CLASSIC IMAGE: QUEEN TO A CAPTURED WORLD!

Queen Amidala of the Naboo (Natalie Portman) can only look on helplessly as the city of Theed is surrounded and then ruthlessly occupied by the Battle Droids of the unscrupulous Trade Federation, in this hauntingly beautiful frame shot on location at the Caserta Royal Palace in Italy for EPISODE ONE.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BEFORE THE RACE!

Respected British author/actor Andrew Secombe may not have appeared on screen to deliver his excellent vocals as the greedy Toydarian Mos Espa junk dealer, Watto, for the Prequels, but he certainly was filmed delivering those lines to the actors during the principal photography of EPISODEs I and II at LEAVESDEN, and then in Tunisia - and he was a vitally needed presence there, too, so that the actors could respond correctly to where the flying character was going to be CGI placed by the animators at ILM. Note in this shot that Secombe is wearing a hat-this visual idea for the character was dropped for EPISODE I, but it came to eventual fruition for his outdoor cameo scene for EPISODE II seveal years later.

With the Toydarian race in general back in the new season of THE CLONE WARS, and, from a brief trailer snippet, what looks like a possible return to Tatooine and Mos Espa, might we also see the return of the wheeler dealer? Let's hope so.

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: HAT HUMOUR!

At FOX STUDIOS Australia in 2003, Natalie Portman has fun with costume designer Trisha Biggar whilst trying on a hat-part of a costume for her Delegation of 2000 meeting scene with Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). The eventual peacock-like costume she wears, with dreadlock-style hair, is a brilliant and distinctive creation, and involved in lots of promotional work for REVENGE OF THE SITH (including Drew Struzan's strangely disappointing poster art), as well as lots of promotional/costume reference photos (with a classic spread image in VANITY FAIR, shot by Annie Leibovitz), but the filmed tense scene itself is sadly cut from the film, and not seen by STAR WARS fans until the eventual 2005 DVD release.

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: CHECKING PADME'S WARDROBE

Prior to filming of EPISODE III, Natalie Portman, watched by Lucas, poses as Padme inside her apartment set at FOX STUDIOS for one of her first set and costume lighting/reference tests, which also proves handy in checking the 2003 digital camera set-up being used. This particular costume would ultimately not appear in the film, though  some of this deleted material linked to the birth of the Rebel Alliance would be on the 2005 DVD release (but still minus a crucial conversation scene, between her and Obi-Wan about Anakin, that we REALLY want to see on DVD one day!)