Scoops Before Casting Announcement: (September 26, 1997 - April 29, 1997)
September 26, 1996... George Lucas has decided to commit to directing and producing the first chapter of Star Wars. According to material published in the daily Hollywood Reporter magazine, Lucas plans to return to the director's chair for the first time in twenty years (he directed the original 1977 Star Wars: A New Hope film.) Selected insiders at Lucasfilm are reportedly going over the script for the first film, and one strong rumor points out that there will be extensive use of CGI for some of the characters (leading one individual to claim it was almost an "animated" movie.) Also hinted at was that the focus of the first movie may be on providing background for the characters, their backgrounds and family structures. 20th Century Fox is reported to have first crack at landing the white-hot distribution rights for the new trilogy. [Scoop provided anonymously and by 'wvh', 'Majestic', Gabe Gordon, 'shape', Christian, 'cjerzew1' and 'bmoshe'.]
September 27, 1996... An anonymous letter informs that half of the scenes for the first film involve full digital sets. As well, the scooper adds that the senior ILM staff have been given 'information' as to what appears in the first script, and that Lucas announced his intention to direct the first film to insiders at his company last week. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
October 6, 1996... For those interested in gossip that cannot be proven, we present these scoop informants. A 'heavy rumor' warning is in effect; please roll up your car windows and extinguish all open flames...
"the following information has been passed on by a lfl source who, for obvious reasons, wishes to remain anonymous. The release title of the first film is still up in the air, although many of the alleged titles that have been circling have been bandied about. (SW:Genesis) is the working title. Red Tails is a REAL project, but some work for the first prequel (presumably that which deals with plot twists and key scenes that only lucas is privy to as yet) will be done secretly under the guise of being for Red Tails. The prevalence of the RT rumor, though, may lead to scuttling those plans. What is virtually certain is the timeframe of the films, which Lucas has bobbled someone in the press. The first film takes place roughly thirty years before SW:Episode 4, the second episode takes place roughly eight to ten years later, and the third film takes place a relatively short time thereafter (this dating is the product of character descriptions that deal with their appearances and apparent ages).
The only ACTORS who are almost certain to appear in all three new films are those who play Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Emperor (the Emperor, it seems, may not go by the name of Palpatine at first, and it may not be clear, even to fans, who the Emperor is, or will be, among the characters of the first film.) This MAY be one of Lucas intended surprises for the second installment, a la the Darth Vader revelation in Episode 5. Furthermore, Lucas is in fact settled on using a revised, more fully functional version of Boba Fett's armor in the first film for the warriors whom Kenobi, the Jedi, and eventually Anakin Skywalker will conquer in the "Clone Wars". (Note: "Clone Wars" will almost certainly NOT be the title for the first film.) The two droids have indeed been re-tooled, and although Lucas has made a big deal about their being the only characters involved in every installment of the eventual nonology, their roles are reportedly neither crucial nor forced--they function in much the same way as they did in Eps. 4-6. Speaking of the nonology, Lucas, while without concrete plans, expects to begin expanding his (very sketchy) outlines, barring unforseen disaster, some seven years or so after the last of this trilogy is released--which would place the release of ep. 7 sometime around 2010.
Finally, the following plot sketch is as much as could be offered: ep. 1: Kenobi, depicted in a light somewhat similar to that of Luke in ep.'s 4 and 5, is a restless jedi knight who becomes infatuated with the boy Anakin and undertakes to take him under his wing. The film focuses very much on their close relationship, and they eventually team to help end the Mandalore threat. Yoda makes a brief appearance, and is defied by his pupil Kenobi. The film is cast as a dark counterpart to ep. 4, with much of the rousing spaceadventure colored by dark foreshadowing of what lies ahead. Ep. 2 begins to bring the disintegration of the Republic to the forefront, and Kenobi and Skywalker are re-teamed on a mission whose success may help restore order to the galaxy. The film parallels Ep.5 and ends ambiguously, the "mission" devolving into the first confrontation between Kenobi and Skywalker, instigated by an as-yet unknown force. Finally, Ep. 3, which is as yet not as fully developed as 2 and certainly not as much as the drafted Episode 1, will introduce Vader, the Emperor, and Boba Fett, and climax with the safe escape of Anakin's child(ren) from Imperial forces.The source refuses to disclose more, for fear not only of his job security but also of ruining a potentially great experience for many. He assures that what is conveyed above does not even begin to hint at the fullness of the experience that fans should experience come 1999. Lucas, it has been revealed, has deliberately added fuel to the fire of many rumors which, even when true, he considers dreadfully obvious "revelations," and he intends to really defy the expectations of both die-hard and casual fans, as well as complete neophytes. The one major sticking point, I might add, is the middle ground between eps. 2 and 3. Lucas is considering possible ways he can preserve continuity in the series by keeping the origins of Vader a mystery--that is, to not ruin the Vader revelation in Ep. 5 for new fans who Lucas wants to experience the eventual nonology sequentially. The Leia/Luke connnection is apparently not as great a concern." [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
What Rumor Control has to say: The scoop informant hints that a young Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker do not know of "the Force", which doesn't correspond with what we already know about the Force. Yoda knew of it; the Jedi Knights from Kenobi's youth knew of it; the comic books and novels have character who wield it thousands of years before Luke Skywalker's time. It doesn't seem like Lucas to just simply forget about this, does it?
"Short of him dying, Kenneth Branagh is a LOCK.. No ifs, ands or buts..." [Scoop reported anonymously.]
What Rumor Control has to say: Without trying to spark off a deluge of angry email from people who've asked Steve Sansweet at Star Wars cons about the validity of the Branaugh rumor, we'll beat them to the punch. Sansweet, who's as close as we or anyone else can get for public validation of rumors has maintained that the noted British actor will not portray Obi-Wan Kenobi. We believe that's a diversion from the real question Sansweet evaded, "And what about Yoda? Is it true he'll sport a beard and have an English accent??"
"Hello again. I wrote yesterday concerning some of the plot details of the new starwars trilogy, and I now have just a few more tidbits to pass on. The source a at lfl informs that Lucas is "100% sure" that 20th century fox will be granted the distribution rights to all three new movies, and any agreement will likely include a proviso covering the rights to the proposed third trilogy--which the source is convinced will be made and will begin to be released around 2010. Frank Darabont is not only a confirmed screenwriter on the ep.1 project, but is also tentatively the front-runner to direct ep.2, which is expected to be more character-driven, again paralleling the sequence of the original trilogy. No theories as to what may lie in store for ep.3. As conveyed earlier, the source reaffirms that Lucas' biggest hangup at the moment concerns the transformation of Anakin into Vader, which will be dealt with either at the close of ep. 2 or in ep.3. The rationale apparently is not only that lucas wants fans to be able to view the whole series of films sequentially from 1 to 9, but also that only three characters are to have direct knowledge of Anmakin's fall--Kenobi, the Emperor, and Yoda. The Mandalore-armored troopers are confirmed for ep.1, likewise the introduction of Boba Fett for ep.3, and I asked the source about the interesting rumor I read on your site about the Boba Fett doll with Anakin's features beneath it. As it turns out, the Madalore enemies will not be vanquished in ep.1, just as the Empire was not vanquished in ep.4, but their immediate threat to the republic will be repelled. Ep.2 will find the Republic-Mandalore conflict still in place some ten years later, and the figure MAY indicate that Lucas is planning to have the older Anakin infiltrate the Mandalore forces, much as Luke and Han dressed up as stormtroopers in ep.4 and Luke goes undercover as an imperial guard in Shadows. That is merely speculation, and my own prediction is that this suggests (considering what was conveyed to me earlier about the central twist of ep.2, the Anakin-Kenobi confrontation), that Anakin may take advantage of his incognito status to strike against Kenobi, having been corrupted in some way by this point, and Kenobi may unwittingly send his pupil into the lava pit mentioned in the ep. 6 novelization, only to see Anakin's face as he sinks to his "death." Or perhaps my vision is a bit too melodramatic--I guess that's why I'm not the screenwriter. Casting rumors remain just that--at least this source has no knowledge, one way or the other. And finally, the Kenobi character is shaping up to be much more interesting that I think most would anticipate. He is being fashioned more as a rogue along Han-Solo lines and with more ambiguity than most would suspect. The completed saga will be a chronicle of his own rise fall and redemption/triumph, not quite like Vader, but along the lines of Luke's rise fall and redemption/triumph in eps.4-6, if you can get some idea of what I mean. Meanwhile the completed 6 part saga will be a chronicle of Vader's rise, fall, and redemption/triumph. Lucas is either very secretive or very unsure of what he wishes to treat in eps. 7-9, although the rumor that Luke Skywalker will somehow be involved is about the only thing we can be reasonably sure is true.
Interesting side-note: Lucas has reportedly expressed his interest in seeing the fabled Journal of the Whills printed in book form around the time of the release of the last episode. Why is it being discussed now? Because Lucas apparently envisions a tome of literally Biblical proportions (perhaps intended for die-hards only) that will chronicle ALL the major events of the SW universe comprehensively, much moreso than K.Anderson's epic. Lucas wants to begin contracting a large number of writers and artists to work on this project, which Lucas envisions as an elaborate mythological history in book form with majestic illustrations. At which point, Lucas MAY say, the SW universe is officially closed! and the saga may be brought to its end." [Scoop reported anonymously.]
What Rumor Control has to say: A follow-up to the first submission. While there's not too much to try and confirm in the scooper's info, it will be interesting to see how the show's plotline shapes up over the coming course of the year of pre-production. Will some of the rumors the scooper mentioned pan out?
"hello again, this is my third time with you. Just a little something interesting this time. Source at lfl testifies that Lucas has already broached the subject of directing ep. 2 with Frank Darabont. Lucas has also mentioned David Fincher (director of Alien 3 and Se7en) as a possible director of the second or third installment. Other directors names who have been mentioned prominently at Lucasfilm include Irvin Kershner (director of ep.5) and (no kidding) Francis Ford Coppola, perhaps pseudonymously. These talks are just that, though, and no decision is expected to be made until late 1998 at the earliest." [Scoop provided anonymously.]
What Rumor Control has to say: Fincher would make an interesting choice. David Lynch was up for the Return of the Jedi gig back in '82, passing on it instead to direct Dune. Darabont seems like a shoo-in, coming off of his critical success directing The Shawshank Redemption.
October 8, 1996... 'Deep Throat LFL' returns:
"Hello again. Just another juicy tidbit from source at lfl: Lucas and director David Fincher apparently had lunch together the other day at Lucas' ranch. While the subject of the conversation is not known, this would seem to be more than coincidence considering that just days before Lucas had reportedly mentioned Fincher's name as a possible director for one of the later installments. Again, though, it is unlikely any decision will be finalized at least until late next year. The source adds that Lucas may have quickly gotten over his jam about how to preserve continuity and suspense throughout all six films (i.e. how to keep Darth Vader's identity a secret), as he has mentioned that the final plot outlines for eps. 2 and 3 are done, and that he will work on the screenplays from now through production of ep.1 and beyond. Designs and effects for the next 2 films should begin soon. The source reaffirms his belief that ep. 1 should be in theatres on memorial day weekend 1998, not 1999 as has been announced."
Whether it's for real or not, the Fincher rumor is an interesting one, and he would certainly make a gritty second chapter - akin to what Irvin Kershner did for The Empire Strikes Back. But the real question remains: what did Lucas and Fincher eat at lunch?
And others comment on the mysterious scooper's October 6th 'force' message. We took the message as the scooper talking about The Force as the unknown 'force'. Upon posting that, we've received comments from the readers of CA who take the comment differently. We've re-read the original scoop, and we can now see that it can be taken that way. Of course, the original writer wrote to us about it:
"Hello again. Just one correction that I think needs to be made in relation to my first message--"the force" which Anakin and Kenobi are supposed to be unaware of is not THE Force but merely the force or cause that instigates their going on a special secret mission, during the course of which they have their first outright confrontation with one another. If there was some confusion, I apologize for not being clearer. And be assured there is no attempt at deception on my part: if any of this is untrue, then I'm the one being jerked around by my contact at lfl. Most recently, I inquired about the possibilty of the "mission" in ep. 2 having to do with the fabled Kaibur crystal which has appeared in several sources, including the early drafts of ep.4. The outline for ep.2 is not that specific, but it ceratinly leaves open that possibility. This might make even more sense, if one considers the overall plot: Anakin and Kenobi are sent on this mission for reasons they are not aware of, and as a result of this mission, they will come into direct conflict with one another. A powerful Force-user like the emperor would probably know about a force artifact like the crystal, and could engineer this mission so that young, vulnerable Anakin could come into possesion of it and, overcome with its feeling of power, turn against his master and toward "the Dark Side." This is speculative, but makes a lot of sense. Nothing will be certain until Lucas hammers out the ep. 2 script over the next year and a half, though. That's all that is new, but I might add that the source, when I asked again about this subject, insisted that all the internal signs regarding the pace and schedule for pre-production, casting, filming, and editing, point toward a summer 1998 release, not 1999, as has been reported." [Scoop reported anonymously.]
Keep your ear open, and watch out for assassin droids. Also, this regular contributor had this to add:
"Apparantly, right before the release of "SW: Genesis," Del Rey was going to publish the Star Wars Encyclopedia. This was to be the history of the Star Wars universe from Episode IV to the last book published, which is also known. It was to be written as a Holocron document that Luke was creating and was to be a coffee table edition like the Illustrated SW Universe was. I wonder now if this has been scrapped given Lucas' rummored interest in a Journal of the Whills, or if that's how this rumor started.
"Finally, given what we know from Lucas' own statements about what the saga is all about, many of the plot points that this scooper has presented make sense, the most notable example is the Ben Kenobi redemption idea. Remember that every major "good" character has been redeemed in some way in the Star Wars Universe. Lando, Han, Luke, Anakin...only Leia hasn't been redeemed in some way. We have already seen Ben's redemption in Luke Skywalker. He trained made right by bringing up Luke, who was able to redeem Anakin. I would put a lot of faith into many of the ideas presented in this post. They seem more than reasonable, they seem logical and fitting given Lucas' 'vision' for the saga." [Scoop sent in by 'imho'.]
And last but not least (but certain to cause even more mail)...
"There's some speculation in my neck of the woods that almost all of the rumors concerning this film are false, except for the very oldest ones. Lucasfilm may be setting up a kind of smoke screen to distract fans and preserve the surprise. So, I've heard, the oldest news is the real dope: May 1998 is in fact the release date, and principal photography is happening RIGHT NOW in Leavesdon, England. That's apparently why the next James Bond film has been delayed (Star Wars is shooting in its studio) and why Lucas isn't involved with The Lost World. Balance of the Force is the title of the first film, and Kenneth Branagh is playing a young Jedi Knight. Trust the first news out of the gate!! A trailer for Episode 1 will appear in front of Return of the Jedi Special Edition, and the film will indeed premier in summer of 1998, as anounced long ago. At least, those are the freshest rumors ..." [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
Yikes. March, 1997 will decide if this last rumor is bogus or not...
October 14, 1996... "Not that I have any great faith in all this 1998 talk, but the LucasArts Adventurer for summer 1996 which was just packed in with last week's release of THE LUCASARTS ARCHIVES VOLUME II: THE STAR WARS COLLECTION mentions in its company section:
(Note: There is a hefty lead time for catalogs so it's quite likely a change to 99' couldn't be worked in on time.)
"IT'S A LUCASFILM FACT: Master filmmaker George Lucas is currently penning the next three Star Wars motion picture installments. He hopes the first new film will be in theaters in 1998" Also quoting just below "(1-800-98-LUCAS, get it?)" That number is LucasArts U.S. Company Store Order Line.
Also, It would stand to reason, that if this whole prequel trailer on ROTJ:SE rumor is credible, Fox would make the annoucement to press before ROTJ:SE's release of having the rights to Episode I (NO movie studio attaches trailers for another studio's movies to its own films, although most theater managers can put unattached trailers with anything they so please.)
Also: Natalie Portman, Miramax's Supporting Actress Oscar hopeful (re: Beautiful Girls) has confirmed in at least one Everybody Says I Love You press junket interview, that she, as has been rumored, had been part of the narrow group auditions for two teen female roles in the first prequel. These have been taking place as recently as early September." [Scoop reported by Brent Lynch, mole within the Empire.]
October 15, 1996... "Two things: While standing in a check-out line, I picked up a copy of the dreadful "US" magazine to pass the time. As I flipped through it, I saw a little article on Bijou Phillips. Remembering the Star Wars casting rumors, I scanned through it, and lo and behold, in the last paragraph it said "she's up for the role of Luke Skywalker's mother in the upcoming Star Wars prequel". Wow! I guess the Bijou rumor has some validity after all. And second, although I believe the rumor to be false, David Fincher got his first screen credit working on second unit stuff for Return of the Jedi" [Scoop reported by Diane.]
Hmm. To the best of the recollection of the Director of CA, Fincher was 27 when he helmed ALIEN^3. He did have a more-or-less wunderchilde career earlier, but if Fincher was involved with the filming of ROTJ, he'd have to be somewhere around 16 or 17 years old. Of course, this is just recollection of magazine articles remembered - and others out there may have a better (and more on-line) database than his.
And some emails have been arriving in the mailroom saying that Sansweet has denied the Bijou casting - but again, it hasn't been official.
October 22, 1996... Someone rummaging through David Fincher's old garbage found a list of credits on one of his old resumes while working at ILM:
1.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (matte photography) 2.Return of the Jedi (1983) (assistant cameraman - miniature and optical effects unit) ... aka Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi (1983) 3.Twice Upon a Time (1983) (special photographic effects) One scooper elaborates in further detail: "Although Fincher was indeed under twenty years of age, it is not uncommon. Ken Ralston worked as an Effects Cameraman for Cascade Pictures in the early 70's at the age of 17. He was just over twenty when he joined ILM in 1975; on Star Wars he served as an Assistant Cameraman." This makes those of us assigned to paper routes at that age feel no better. [Scoop info reported by Diane, anonymous sources, and Robert Brooks.]
October 29, 1996... 'GWL' informs us that the Jedi Holocron novel, to be written by Kevin J. Anderson, will be out in early 1999. The Star Wars Encyclopedia will be out a tad earlier, either in 1998 or 1999. Neither tome will reveal any information about the forthcoming trilogy. [Scoop handed in by "GWL'.]
October 31, 1996... A 'friend' who works in ILM tells this fellow that Boba Fett will show up in the first show as a Mandalore Warrior. The ILM source told the friend that Fett is the only survivor of the infamous group in the aftermath of a battle between Fett's group and the Jedis. On top of that, they report that the start of the film will showcases a major space battle that will introduces both Old Republic spaceships and Clone Warrior ships called 'Dreadnauts'. Of course, for this type of information to be accurate and find its way to our page, the fellow's source would have to be a Bothan to get around Lucas security - keep that in mind, fellow Jedis. [Scoop reported by 'bennett'.]
And the mysterious scooper that has been providing Episode 1 rumors claiming they are coming from within Lucasfilm writes again. The scooper's source informs them that internal Lucasfilm documents suggest that at least a small handful of roles have either already been cast or are nearing the final stages of the selection process. No names were given by the source. Additionally, the source was emphatic this time about the release date for episode 1 being summer 1998. "100% sure," were the source's exact words, the scooper says. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
November 3, 1996... An interesting hypothesis arrives in our letter box from a Star Wars aficionado that directly relates to the October 31st scoop from 'Bennett'. We'll let the scooper explain:
"Dreadnaut ships come from Timothy Zahn's Star Wars novel, Dark Force Rising, and have since been featured in TIE Fighter Deluxe Collectors CD from LucasArts. The backstory is that they were often slave-linked (I believe in that reference, as in ships being linked together) and were around about the time the prequels would be occuring. They were captial ships, kind of like slightly deadlier Corvettes (i.e. Tantive IV).
"Which brings up an interesting question, are the 'slave quarters' alluded to by Rick McCallum in Star Wars Insider as possibly being shot in the Tunisia Ksour region, directly linked to the Mandalore and that SLAVE I, Boba Fett's ship, might be a direct reference to slave trade? There are literally dozens of ways Lucas could go with that (were Mandalore slave traders in addition to warriors? Or were Mandalore and or clones, themselves slaves of some kind?)"
If so, Lucas is tying together oblique references and names from both the movies and the book series to create an overall tapestry. If Mandalore were associated with the Clone Wars and slaving, Fett's ship designation takes on a much more deeper meaning. [Scoop reported by Brent Lynch.]
A person who works with a 'large computer/video game company' knows of an associate working for Lucasarts. After the associate's work on the computer game Jedi Knight has been completed, the person is to begin work immediately on a new Star Wars game. He was shown pictures of new spaceship designs from the forthcoming movie in a 'polished' form. Top/front/left designs were already done, allowing the programmers to work on 3D models for the forthcoming game, " Which points to the fact, that most if not all the ships are done." This meeting the scooper had took place during the E3 convention this past May. [Scoop submitted by 'TBRO'.]
Someone who 'has a very good friend at Lucasfilm who knows some people in casting' heard that one of the actors the scouts are looking at is a Jeremy Northam. Northam apparently starred as Knightley in the recent version of Emma but is better known for his role as Sandra Bullock's adversary in The Net. [Scoops sent in anonymously.]
November 4, 1996... 'GWL' feels differently about the mysterious insider who's been submitting scoops. "For each leak from ILM, Lucas reduces the bonuses for ILM. If he were truly from ILM and was smart, he wouldn't be posting." We're not sure about the bonus situation with Lucasfilm, but the scooper claims he knows an individual who works for Lucasfilm, and isn't employed directly by LFL. "Official LFL sources, such as Steve Sansweet, have been touting the new release date as 1999 for quite some time. And let's get real about this -- do you really think that they could have it ready to go by 1998? They haven't even entered final casting stages!" To which we agree. Keeping a project as large and as closely-followed as this one secret until a few months before its release would be impossible. It may be possible to keep the knowledge of a crashed alien saucer secret for fifty years, but the knowledge that the new Star Wars movie is in production? [Scoop thoughts submitted by 'GWL'.]
We're told that after supervising effects work on The Lost World, Dennis Muren will spearhead, along with John Knoll, Joe Letteri and Alex Seiden, the R&D effort to develop the final software advances for the first prequel. Mark Dippe and Steve Williams, once they're free from the Spawn project, will also join the effort. Locations are locked in for Tunisia and are currently being planned for Portugal, the scooper tells us, and a second draft is currently nearing completion written by Frank Darabont. Carrie Fisher is planning to contribute an uncredited "polish" to strengthen female characterizations. Costume Designer Peggy Farrell is in the ongoing process of designing costumes in concert with prequel Art Director Doug Chiang. Working with the art staff in construction of sets in England is Gavin Bocquet. The schedule is shaping up and it looks like the second unit and plate photography is to commence in July or August of '97; principal photography is to begin the following October or November, with completion forcasted for February '98. [Scoop hologram sent in by an anonymous R2 unit.]
Remember the scoop from a 'bennett' up there? This fellow was reading an article in the Australian magazine Who; a small one-column feature on stars in Australia at the moment mentioned the actor who played Boba Fett (Jeremy Bullock). The actor declined an interview because he was "busy getting into role for a private project". This quote has put the 'Who' crew through the law courts before you can say "Star Wars' Secret Sequel", and they now decline any further comment on the matter. A hushed up brouhaha? Methinks it to be so. If not, can someone tell me why these two seperate facts are connected then?" Maybe a secret Ewok tryst? {Sharp-eyed scoop credit is given to Bede Ronzani.]
And another scooper tells us that, "True, Frank Darabont is signed to write on the prequels, but negotiations were done through Rick McCallum, not Lucas, and Darabont has been waiting to hear back from them concerning when to start work, but he has been waiting for months now and is not going to keep his calendar clear if other projects come along. This info is straight from the source." [This info submitted anonymously.]
November 25, 1996... We're told that there has been 63 set designs commissioned for the first film. As well, the three films will not be filmed back-to-back. [Scoop sent in by 'simonbeal'.]
December 3, 1996... Big news: according to Jon Bradley Snyder, Senior Editor of the Star Wars Insider, prequel Co-Producer Rick McCallum has stated that Frank Darabont is no longer involved in pre-production of any of the Star Wars prequels. This means he will not be serving as co-writer or director for any one of the episodes.
However, CA was told that one possible reason could be the long pre-production and development time leading up to the project. Darabont may not have been tired of waiting for Lucas to finish his involvement with the prequels foundations (meaning that his own accomplished career was effectively on-hold), but that there may have been some creative differences between the two. We've been told that Darabont disliked David Fincher's dark Seven flick...could the Fincher rumor be valid? [Scoop handed in by Rogue Squadron member 'Burgerflipper' (hey, it's just as silly as naming a pilot 'Porkins', ok?)]
December 7-9, 1996... The rumors of Darabont's desertion from Star Wars 1 has generated an interesting response on another Web film page. Harry Knowles Ain't It Cool news reports that the same mysterious individual who informed CA of the Fincher rumor now frequents his web site. Known by Harry as 'Deep Throat', the informant testifies that the scoop reported above this one is erroneous, and Darabont is very much a part of the development team working on the prequels. [As appeared on Ain't It Cool News.]
However, our scooper also read Harry's page, and has sent us some further info that will hopefully clarify matters. A posting from the Usenet group 'rec.sf.starwars.misc', attributed to the Star Wars Insider editor Jon Bradley Snyder, was clipped out and sent to our attention:
"That Cinescape was a piece of garbage. Most of the special edition news was plagiarized from the LA Making Magic CD-ROM. The prequel 'plots' are 13 year old complete fabrications. There are badly scanned SE photos ripped off the internet. And then there is a silly interview with Frank Darabont, a man who will have NOTHING to do with the new prequels according to Rick McCallum. BUYER BEWARE. This Cinescape is nothing but a bunch of "borrowed" material (to put it nicely) and hearsay. These guys want your $10 bucks and give little in return. - JBS"
Removing the Cinescape opinions, Snyder's comments about Darabont (or the post alleged to have been made by him) do indicate that Darabont is out, and there may be more to it than a simple wave goodbye. The scooper has forwarded CA email addresses for Snyder and one of Frank Darabont's associates, and we've sent off queries to them. Will any light be shined on the matter? Stay tuned. [Follow-up information sent in by 'Burgerflipper'.]
December 9, 1996... Two scoops (no, don't say the rest of the jingle!) sent to CA mention that Quebec television shows have reported that comic Michel Courtemanche landed a role as a 'holographic droid' in the new Star Wars sequels. One individual saw the report on the Flash program on local station TVA (in Quebec City) on December the 3rd. The second scooper reported the French actor as "...the french-canadian humorist Michel Courtemanche..." and also mentioned that he is supposed to be playing a hologram. Is there truth to these rumors, and somehow, someway, a leak sprang up? [Scoops submitted by Quebec Star Wars fans 'cmathieu' and 'pliades'.]
December 9, 1996... Another cool and interesting scoop: Samuel L. Jackson appeared on the British TV chat show TFI Friday with Chris Evans, on the 6th December. The scooper sent us a transcript of how they remembered the interview:
(if memory serves)
EVANS: If the Grim reaper turned up in Hollywood, and said, "Look, you can make one more film, then I'm taking you with me," what would it be?
SAM: Well, the film I'm chasing right now, is the Star Wars prequel.
EVANS: Who would you play?
SAM: Ah, man, I don't know, I just want to get in a room with George Lucas and tell him I'm interested. I'd be Lando Calrissian's dad, Darth Vader's dad, Luke Skywalker's slave! Anything! I don't know. I just want to tell George I'll do it if he wants me.
The scooper seems to sum it up: "Well, seems that Samuel L. Jackson has expressed great interest in the project." [Scoop sent in by the sharp-eyed 'HAL 2001', with 'robertm' providing confirmation.]
December 10, 1996... A follow-up to the December 9th scoop-rumor about Michel Courtemanche: another scooper who works for a Montreal company confirmed that Lucasfilm scouts were in town during Montreal's 'Just For Laughs' festival, and did indeed contact Michel Courtemanche, and a small friendly talk was held. This was in 1995.
During the summer of 1996, something happened. "This past summer Courtemanche stumbled into the Just For Laughs office. His hands were shaking. He had just come from his agent's office where he signed a contract with Lucasfilm to appea in one or more of the next three Star Wars films. Sort of. Courtemanche is a world reknowned mime. A favorite in France, Germany and Canada. He also appeared to raves in New York and other American cities. I just read in your scoop feedback section - a 'Tommy Hilfiger' item. Consider this corroboration if you wish. Courtemanche will be using his talents as a mime, working with ILM (in studio) to create body movement for un-usual CGI creatures. One can assume that by the time the SPFX guys are through with him, he will, unfortunately, be unrecognizable." One thing we'd like to point out: this scoop was originally sent to us on November 11th - a month before we heard additional rumors about Courtemanche. [Scoop sent in by an anonymous individual.]
December 17, 1996... An alleged pre-production concept sketch of the older Millennium Falcon has shown up on the Ain't it Cool site. According to the site's author Harry Knowles, the image was sent to him by yet another mysterious inside informant in ILM and not 'Deep Throat'. Whether or not the image is genuine is unknown at the present time, although Knowles feels that the image's existance itself offers proof as to the claims of 'Deep Throat'. We remain a bit more skeptical at this moment, but hey, we're always ready to look at stuff sent in the mail. [Scoop sent in anonymously and by 'stangh'; image later proven to be a design from the original Star Wars film.]
January 28, 1997... Harry Knowles Ain't it Cool web site reports that Ewan McGregor has been officially cast as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Although CA receives dozens of emails from scoopers asking (or telling) us if this is true, we haven't heard a peep from our inside sources. When asked directly as to the validity of the rumor, one 'friend' said "If it's real, only two or three people (besides McGregor) know about it. But Harry's been fooled before by a renegade Star Wars fan." Personally, we kinda see McGregor in the part, but have our doubts about the authenticity of the informant who made the claim. However, one very interesting tidbit was seen on a Internet movie group: one fellow said that McGregor is the nephew of the actor who portrayed Wedge Antilles in all three Star Wars films... [Scoops mailed in by dozens upon dozens of cantina patrons.]
And in the "We need to know everything about this film" section, Producer Rick McCallum stated for Star Wars Insider that the working title for the film is simply Star Wars: The Beginning. Filming is scheduled to commence this September. [Info sent in by 'Vader' and Nick Corporon.]
Another scooper reports that Lucasfilm has put R&D on temporary hold while a litigation claim is worked out. Seems that a computer artist claims that he originally developed the software used to make the historical figures talk in Forrest Gump. Both the scooper and ourselves are puzzled as to how this could possibly interfere with development on SW1. [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
February 4, 1997... The ligitation problem centers around the developer of a specific special effects technique (the Forrest Gump placement of actors in already-shot footage, we assume.) The case had first made news last year. [Scoop follow-up done by 'ghentz.]
February 16, 1997... In a recent People magazine article, Warwick Davis (who portrayed Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi and Willow Ufgood in Willow) was quoted saying that he will appear in at least one of the prequels. Another anonymous individual said Davis received a fax from Lucasfilm asking for his involvement. [Scoop provided by Brent Lynch and anonymously.]
There is also a rumor going around the 'net about a supposed pre-production sketch for the opening sequence of the first Star Wars prequel. This sketch appeared in Time magazine's recent Star Wars article, and Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool Web site reports that it is genuine.
The sketch in question shows passengers boarding a streamlined floating transport admist the hustle-and-bustle of a futuristic cityscape. Floating vessels are moving along in a path off in the distance between huge monolithic skyscrapers (could this place be Coruscant, future throneworld of the Emperor Palpatine?)
There's no way to verify the sketch as genuine, unless someone in Lucasfilm would be so kind as to make a photocopy of said artwork, on embossed-Lucasfilm paper, and send it off our way. Barring this remote development, we here at CA advise you to hold off "buying the bridge" just yet. Here's some interesting commentary from one indivuidual:
"Being a dealer in computer graphic workstations, I recently had the GREAT privilage of travelling to skywalker ranch, where one of Lucas's representatives met with me to discuss the aquisition of nearly five dozen workstations. I was able to see a computer generated sequence which the representative said would be used in the opening of SW1. The sequence began with the familiar scrolling text, of which only the title was complete (SW: Balance of the Force). The 'camera' then panned down to the surface of a bustling city world, wherean apparent passenger ship was boarding. There were gaps in this footage, presumably where live action footage will later be added. The ship then took off through the avenues of the city, and was soon set upon by five or six small black ships, resembling tie fighters with sweeping fins. The ships pursued the large craft through the city, firing all the time. The sequence, which was probably only a couple of minutes in length, looked great, and I hope the rest of the film is as spectacular." [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
The latest issue of the Star Wars Insider lists the new working title as Star Wars, Episode One: The Beginning. It also reports Lucasfilm is on the verge of locking down casting of two of the key roles, with addiitonal others on a short list. The magazine also reports that Frank Darabont has left the project due to other committments. [Scoop sent in by 'mcelroyh'; orignally appeared in the Star Wars Insider.]
"Do you honestly believe that the 'splines' and compositing software used for Forrest Gump will be the standard for the Prequels. ILM's development program goes far beyond that. Lucas Digital and Lucasfilm are not, in any way, slowing development on the Prequel Trilogy." [Commentary by anonymous.]
Two scoopers have sent us information that Kate Winslet (Sense and Sensability, Jude and the upcoming Titanic film) may be considered for a role in the new films. The anonymous scooper told us that Winslet met with Lucas two weeks ago at the Skywalker facility. [Scoop sent in by 'Sefster' and anonymously.] And this scooper reports that the January 10 issue of Entertainment Weekly confirmed that the Young Queen is Luke and Leia's mother. [Info sent in by Scott at 'http://aero25.tamu.edu/~swpage'.]
February 18, 1997... "The scooper claiming to have met with Lucas respresentatives regarding the acquisition of new computer workstations is talking utter twaddle. Considering how secretive Lucasfim are, especially with regard to this film, is it really likely that some visiting salesman is going to be shown detailed sequences of the new film which most of the Lucasfilm staff probably haven't even seen?!" [Comment made by 'Jolaris'.]
On the February 16th scoop listing, the rumors concerning the authenticity of the alleged pre-production sketch from SW1...has been confirmed. During a segment of the MTV Star Wars Special the artwork was briefly shown. This does indeed make it the first released conceptual image from the new trilogy - proof that the fellas down at Skywalker Studios are indeed doing something between coffee breaks. Art Supervisor Doug Chaing is credited for the work.
Time magazine labelled the picture as 'Planet Coruscant: Production art from the prequel'. Although Coruscant will be shown at the end of Return of the Jedi: The Special Edition, this doesn't appear to be a scene showcasing the major celebration held in the aftermath of the Empire's defeat at Endor. A release from within the Lucasfilm camp has said that the last scene of ROTJ:SE leads directly into the first scene of SW1; could the victory celebration on Coruscant be the final image of the show, thus leading into the 'Passengers Boarding' scene?
Also dropped in for further speculation was the commentator's mention of the return appearance (or is that pre-return appearance?) of Boba Fett 'somewhere' in the new trilogy. Exactly when this return will be, and in which chapter, remains to be announced. [Information relayed by Brian, 'Beej', 'Deino', C.P. Hamilton, 'Jedi Ranger', 'jjehrnwa', 'wnorman', 'potiki' and anonymously.]
February 21, 1997... The Clone Wars will be seen in the new Star Wars films - but not in the first chapter - or so this scooper's been told by someone involed with the production. The scooper was told of only small, tantalizing ideas; if accurate, they'll be among the first solid concepts the public will have heard about the films. The scooper heard about three other possible plot points:
Strangly enough, we're kinda hoping we've been lied to, or the scooper's received erroneous information. If it's all true, we'd hate to see Lucasfilm management come down heavy on the employees. If anyone from ILM/Lucasfilm is reading these words, would it help to say that the information was obtained through nefarious means involving truth-drug serums? [Scoop sent in by Brian Hader.]
February 25, 1997... This scooper tells us they've seen the press conference made for the release of the Star Wars Special Edition. "When asked about the prequels, Lucas said that 'It will feature a race of cosmic beings that will be entirely computer generated and the biggest problem is to make these creatures seamlessly interact with human actors.'" [Scoop sent in by 'fuxoft'.]
An Atlanta reader passes on information taken from a local paper which conducted an interview with Kenneth Branagh on his Hamlet publicity tour. In the interview, Branagh explains that the Obi-Wan rumor began in one of the Australian Star Wars fanzines, which conducted a wish-list of actors they'd like to see in roles in the prequels. Lucasfilm was almost immediately questioned if there were any truth to this rumor (which they denied), and when Branagh learned of it he was flattered - then he contacted Lucasfilm and told them he absolutely did not start it. Then Branagh says something startling - Lucasfilm and Branagh began a conversation where they discussed the possibility of the actor actually cast as a young Obi-Wan...but nothing has ever come of it. When asked if he would take the part if it were offered to him, Branagh replied "Absolutely." [Scoop presented by 'widgett'.]
March 5, 1997... In an interview done for BBC Radio One on March 2nd, George Lucas commented on the three new Star Wars chapters. Lucas spoke briefly about the direction of the first picture: "The first one I'm doing is very much like the first one I did before, it is kind of upbeat and fun. The first one always gets to introduce the characters and does not have all that much else to do, so it is easy." [Scoop sent in by Dark Lord 'Jolaris'.]
For those of you interested (y'know, the three or four of you)...'Jolaris' sent in a transcript of the pertenant sections Lucas and producer Rick McCallum had to say about the three new films. Some small details can be picked out and puzzled over in the interim while we wait for that first official Lucasfilm press release...
"The first three really deal with the fall of Anakin - you will just see the saga of a young boy, his relationship with mother, how he grows up, who he marries, the children he has. He makes a pivotal choice in his life: a road that takes him to the dark side and he pays the consequences of that. We see his children grow up and see him finally redeemed." - Producer Rick McCallum.
"The fascination with doing the new movies is, you know, I've been interested in doing a lot of other things since I finished the first trilogy which I kind of burned out after doing - but there's always been this lure about going back because the story as a whole, all 12 hours of it, is actually more interesting than what is out there now. When you actually get the whole story and see it in context, then you understand what Vader's side of the story is, what we have not heard yet and it makes it a much more interesting drama - it's a man struggling with temptation and he loses.
"The big chance that I am taking is that I am working on something that I started 20 years ago and whether it will fit into the modern world marketing wise I am not sure. The first one I'm doing is very much like the first one I did before, it is kind of upbeat and fun. The first one always gets to introduce the characters and does not have all that much else to do, so it is easy. Second one things start to go wrong and get complicated, and the third one is the dark one - it will probably fit in really well with 21st century!" - George Lucas.
[A major, major thank you to 'Jolaris' for capturing some of that elusive information!]
March 18, 1997... The pre-production sketch thought to be designed for Chapter 1 of the new trilogy is false after all. Said image of a transport ship on Coruscant has now been verified as a design sketch for the new end celebration footage seen in Return of the Jedi - The Special Edition. [News reported by 'GRiffDoggieDog' and other sources.]
Rumors of Lucasfilm ordering a fan-designed Star Wars web page (called Jedinet) to remove certain material listed on their site have been sent to CA. According to these scoopers, the Web page in question has removed the material. This has fueled much speculation that the information concerning Episode 1 appearing on the page was accurate enough for Lucasfilm to respond. Of course, there are also scoopers who doubt the validity of this 'event', questioning if it may be an attempt by the page writer to boost attention to their site. In any case, the page claimed that an pre-Imperial starship called a 'Dreadnaught' (and mentioned in the Star Wars novels) will be seen; that a world named 'Concord Dawn' will be shown; and that Boba Fett will make an appearance as either a young man or boy. Our source who owns a time machine and who recently visited the year 1999 ("around the end of May or thereabouts", they said), ain't talkin' to us. Or letting us play with their new Kenner action figures. [Scoop info sent to us by Bothans Brent Lynch and Jay Majer.]
March 23, 1997... A scooper reports that Mexican Customs at Puebla International Airport received forms to legalize the entry of 'digital filming equipment' into Mexican territory. The equipment comes from the U.S.A. and its point-of-departure was Los Angeles International Airport. The description of the equipment was stated as 'digital filming equipment', a.k.a. video equipment. Dennis Muren, ILM's FX whiz, said that the prequels would be entirely shot on video, to make digital manipulation easier, faster and cheaper. The scooper neglected to mention if this actually was equipment owned by Lucasfilm...we're assuming they meant to tell us that. [Scoop provided by Jacinto el Jedi.]
March 29, 1997... On Sunday March 23rd the BBC programme Omnibus showed an hour-long report profiling George Lucas and highlighting the United Kingdom release of the Star Wars Special Edition. During the show they also showed shots of a backstage tour inside Leavesden Studios with Rick McCallum and George Lucas, and lurking in the background of some shots could be the first glimpse of a possible Episode 1 vehicle (the images on the right; click on them to view larger pictures of them.)
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Comments from the readers who saw the programme:
"Some very short shots of space ship models that are under construction were shown and there was also a glimpse of design drawings that Lucas was looking at. The models shown were that of a ship with a WWII-like fuselage with very big B747-type jet-engines. There were a very big version and a tiny one shown. At the end of the sequence Rick McCallum opens the big slide doors to an empty sound stage and spoke the words: 'And here at stage B of Leavesden is where it all begins...' [Sent in by Gert Kuiper.]
"...towards the end of the show a clip was seen of Lucas walking through what appeared to be a pre-production model shop and stopping to discuss some design blueprints. The clip was too brief to see the drawings but the camera crew obviously knew that they were onto a good thing and zoomed in on a completed vehicle model sitting on a workbench. It appeared to be the type of model used for digitising purposes (as in the 'full size' figures used in the making of Toy Story) as it seemed to be made of clay (no painted details) and too small for use in matte shots. The craft itself was a wingless cigar shaped body with two very large 747-Jumbo type engines toward the rear (one each side).
"The documentary makers held the close up for a second or two, so there should be ample opportunity for someone with the right equipment to framegrab a shot (I've got the show but not the equipment). Following the appearance of the Coruscant design sketch in the Jedi Special Edition, I think I'm right in saying that this is the first authentic shot of any Episode One design." [Report from Ian Lambeth.]
"Forget your X, Y, B, A wings, the new ships are really cool!
"The first one was pretty plain. It was long with a smooth pointdee nose (like a squashed concorde or the front of a Blackbird spy plane.) It had NO wings, but hanging off each side and a little below were these MASSIVE turbine/rocket engines. Their diamaeter was bigger than the fusealage. I guess it would be about the size of the Falcon (although the model was only a couple of metres wide. The second one was really cool, and I got a much better look at it. It reminded me of one of the Amercian jets used in Vietnam.
"It was so unbelievable I wondered whether they could be fakes designed to delibrately fool us. The ships in Episode 1 are likely to be CGI, so unless they had to make one for actors to climb in and out of, there would be little need for physical models. If it is true, then I would expect the Falcon to be in Episode 1. Compared with these retro designs the Falcon would be state of the art." [Sent in by Adrian Faulkner.]
So just how much can we learn from this quick snapshot of the ships? The clay texture of the ship is indicitive of it being a pre-production model. These are created to give designers a 'concrete' view of all sides of the model so continuity is preserved.
But what about the ship's retro look, and those huge engines that resemble jet turbines? One of our regular readers (and a major Star Wars aficiando) had some thoughts on the vessel in question...
"I hope that is a pre pre pre production model, because all it is is an A-10 model fuselage with the A-10 engines glued on the sides... [Written by 'JDAILY74'; forwarded by Brent Lynch.]
"Talk about your kit-bashing (for the not-in-the-know, it's the practice ILM'ers have of taking a bunch of off-the-shelf model kits, bashing them to bits and sticking their pieces together to make a ship) , there's a reason why that clay model ship...looks vaguely like a 'modern-day' aircraft. I'm kinda embarrassed that I didn't notice this one off the bat..." [Commentary by Brent Lynch.]
Is this mystery ship going to be seen in Chapter 1? Or is it just a discarded design? Chances are the ship is genuine, although not as important in its place in the prequel as other designs kept under lock-and-key. [In addition to those mentioned above, we'd also like to thank 'Gerto' and 'THX 1138'. But the real person to thank is 'Gyger' for sending us in scanned in images of the ship design. If we were still in school, he'd get our 'Star of the Week' award.]
March 30, 1997... Two reports are received that the British pop-ambient group Sneaker Pimps has been asked to 'collaborate' on Lucas' new film, 'Star Wars: Balance of the Force'. Liam Howe, one of the group, was quoted on the Planet Sound programme on Channel 4 as saying, ""George Lucas insists on everything just the way he likes it, but he's given us a free hand with the theme so far." Both scoopers don't know what to make of this at all...it kind of flies against the pre-established tradition of having instrumental music being the primary musical score heard in the show (if you don't count the two alien songs in Return of the Jedi, that is.) Our best guess is that the Pimps are doing an dance mix homage of the theme and that it won't be featured in the new show. [Scoops sent in by Andrew Asbury and Gavin.]
April 2-5, 1997... Liam Neeson is now the frontrunner to play a new character in the prequels. The unnamed character is a Jedi: not quite a Jedi Master, but more than a Jedi Knight (a Jedi Mentor, perhaps?) The character will be to a young Obi-Wan Kenobi as the elder Kenobi was to young Luke Skywalker. Neeson has reportedly tested with several unnamed actors who are frontrunners for their character roles. Neeson has met with Lucas on several occasions and discussions are on-going. [Scoops sent in by Gavin, James, Jack Bryan, 'wvh', 'Maverick', 'JTR555', Clifford T. Bircks, Cory, Brian Varland, 's_nova', 'spook', 'Godzookie', 'Zappadog', Todd Dupler, Jeff Donnell, 'Obi-Marc', Scott, 'Taikicker', 'JRoyce', 'Dodonna', 'Meglar', Christian, 'Curmudgeon', anonymous individuals and a lot of other people.]
A 'Luke Skyhopper' reports that he heard Neeson's character's name was 'Bosh'. [Scoop submitted by 'Luke Skyhopper'.]
Also, a report given on the CHUM Canadian satellite network reports that Christian Slater was auditioning for a role. [Scoop sent in by Marko Sapiano.]
If this one's fake, the fella gets credit for originality:
"My friend's brother's friend (I know, I know, it doesn't sound solid) works for ILM and found out saber colors for the prequels. They are: yellow, green, blue, magenta, white. Also, the hilt's aren't going to be like DV's, Ben's, or either of Luke's. He says that they are going to be a composite of all of them and a bit longer with wider openings. (I can believe the wider opening thing. Obi-Wan's has a wide opening, then, when Luke made his green saber, it had a wide opening. Maybe wide openings keep back falling into fashion. 'Levi's Wide Leg Sabers. It's wiiiide open.') [Rumor sent in by 'High Roller'.]
April 16, 1997... An anonymous writer tells us that their 'brother's friend who works at ILM 'told him that they saw artwork for special effects shots. On the bottom of the pictures were listed the following monikers: 'Balance of the Force' for the part one artwork; 'Rise of the Empire' for the part two artwork; and 'Fall of the Jedi' for the part three artwork. [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
Another individual says that we shouldn't believe anything posted on another movie rumor site (hell, d'you think we believe the stuff on here?) "There is NO Bosh, OR Bonjok [characters]. Natalie Portman will NOT play the young queen. Obi-Wan will be played by an unknown 30ish British actor. Oh,the queen will be a Latina 14yr old in Ep.1! P.S:I've read some of the Queen's lines 'punched up' by Carrie. This is one hell of a movie!" George, do us a favor - announce the casting already! [Scoop sent in by, uh, 'Princess Zara of Utapau.]
April 29, 1997... We've been hearing rumors that Gregory Hines is being considered for a character to be seen throughout all three prequel films. One scooper, known as 'Tom', tells us he is "very close friends with Gregory Hines' agent" wrote us that his character is named 'A-90' and no, it's not a robot. The same person said filming begins in London in May, and that it was a small supporting role only, but the character is seen in all three films. Meanwhile, an anonymous fella says Hines will portray a relative of Lando Calrissian, and that his character is involved with the downfall of the Republic.
So why do we post two conflicting rumors? To show you a) how these things get started, b) maybe help with rumor control, and c) show you the headache it gives us. The 'A-90' rumor is particularly juicy: sounds like someone's following up on our 'OB-1' speculation (remember - you read it here first!) [Rumors sent in by 'frankie', Tom and anonymously.]