1 00:00:01,376 --> 00:00:03,253 [FILM CLICKING] 2 00:00:05,631 --> 00:00:07,883 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:09,801 --> 00:00:12,012 NARRATOR: By the early 1980s, 4 00:00:12,012 --> 00:00:14,348 Star Wars had taken the world by storm. 5 00:00:14,348 --> 00:00:16,225 -We're all right! -You did great! 6 00:00:16,225 --> 00:00:17,643 [LAUGHS] 7 00:00:17,643 --> 00:00:19,728 NARRATOR: Not once... not twice... 8 00:00:19,728 --> 00:00:21,438 but three times. 9 00:00:21,438 --> 00:00:23,523 -I feel like... -YODA: Feel like what? 10 00:00:23,523 --> 00:00:24,942 Like we're being watched. 11 00:00:24,942 --> 00:00:27,194 NARRATOR: From the biggest box office figures, 12 00:00:27,194 --> 00:00:29,488 to the smallest collectible figures, 13 00:00:29,488 --> 00:00:32,074 Star Wars was a phenomenon. 14 00:00:32,074 --> 00:00:35,035 Star Wars changed a generation. 15 00:00:35,035 --> 00:00:37,579 NARRATOR: But Star Wars hadn't only changed a generation, 16 00:00:37,579 --> 00:00:40,415 it also changed its creator. 17 00:00:40,415 --> 00:00:43,502 He had been burned out. He had done so much with Star Wars... 18 00:00:43,502 --> 00:00:46,129 NARRATOR: The world's best loved movie franchise 19 00:00:46,129 --> 00:00:48,006 had grown into an empire. 20 00:00:49,174 --> 00:00:51,426 Like a famous chicken walker 21 00:00:51,426 --> 00:00:55,555 the man who built it had been brought to his knees. 22 00:00:55,555 --> 00:00:58,392 The chicken walker was a full-scale model. 23 00:00:58,392 --> 00:01:01,520 I said to George, "Would you like to have this at the Ranch?" He said... 24 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:02,646 CHEWIE: [ROARS] 25 00:01:02,646 --> 00:01:03,855 "Yeah." 26 00:01:03,855 --> 00:01:06,441 So I went to the art director and I said, 27 00:01:06,441 --> 00:01:08,235 "Take it apart carefully, 28 00:01:08,235 --> 00:01:10,946 we're gonna reinstall it at the Ranch." 29 00:01:10,946 --> 00:01:13,907 NARRATOR: But this was anything but a careful dismantling 30 00:01:13,907 --> 00:01:16,326 because when it arrived... 31 00:01:16,326 --> 00:01:19,204 The man who was building out the Ranch at the time, 32 00:01:19,204 --> 00:01:22,749 he said, "It's been hacked up by blow torches 33 00:01:22,749 --> 00:01:25,294 and we can't put it back together." 34 00:01:25,294 --> 00:01:27,587 NARRATOR: For George, it seemed that Camelot 35 00:01:27,587 --> 00:01:31,216 had crumbled into literal pieces of a chicken walker. 36 00:01:31,216 --> 00:01:33,635 To make sure this analogy isn't lost on anyone... 37 00:01:33,635 --> 00:01:36,346 HOWARD KAZANJIAN: He said, "We'll bury it somewhere at the Ranch." 38 00:01:36,346 --> 00:01:38,724 Only the head construction guy 39 00:01:38,724 --> 00:01:42,311 at that time knows exactly where it is. 40 00:01:42,311 --> 00:01:43,895 NARRATOR: For George Lucas, 41 00:01:43,895 --> 00:01:46,273 Star Wars had been laid to rest, 42 00:01:46,273 --> 00:01:48,191 but he was mourning more than just the end 43 00:01:48,191 --> 00:01:49,609 of his space opera trilogy. 44 00:01:52,738 --> 00:01:54,823 [EXCITING MUSIC] 45 00:02:25,354 --> 00:02:27,564 [DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING] 46 00:02:27,564 --> 00:02:29,816 NARRATOR: For cast, crew, and fans alike, 47 00:02:29,816 --> 00:02:32,361 The Return of the Jedi marked the end of an era. 48 00:02:32,361 --> 00:02:35,447 The last of the Jedi will you be. 49 00:02:35,447 --> 00:02:37,115 NARRATOR: But for George Lucas, 50 00:02:37,115 --> 00:02:41,036 it signaled the end of a ten-year endeavor 51 00:02:41,036 --> 00:02:43,038 that had consumed his life 52 00:02:43,038 --> 00:02:45,207 and didn't help his marriage. 53 00:02:45,207 --> 00:02:48,168 The next chapter for him would be one of recovery. 54 00:02:48,168 --> 00:02:50,587 Both emotional and financial. 55 00:02:53,048 --> 00:02:56,176 MARCIA LUCAS: When I left we had investment accounts. 56 00:02:56,176 --> 00:02:58,804 Divorce in California is a 50-50 divorce. 57 00:02:58,804 --> 00:03:01,223 So we split that personal money. 58 00:03:01,223 --> 00:03:03,850 When it came to the business I said 59 00:03:03,850 --> 00:03:05,852 I would take a small percentage of Lucasfilm... 60 00:03:05,852 --> 00:03:07,771 TOM POLLOCK: [ECHOES] Own your own business. 61 00:03:07,771 --> 00:03:09,523 And George said, "No." 62 00:03:09,523 --> 00:03:11,316 I said, "Lucasfilm will be yours." 63 00:03:11,316 --> 00:03:14,778 NARRATOR: George had turned his back on Marcia and Star Wars. 64 00:03:14,778 --> 00:03:16,530 [STATIC CRACKLES] 65 00:03:16,530 --> 00:03:17,697 [CLICKS] 66 00:03:17,697 --> 00:03:19,783 The last gasps of Star Wars 67 00:03:19,783 --> 00:03:22,119 were these TV movies. 68 00:03:22,119 --> 00:03:25,539 I wish we had furry creatures like you where I came from. 69 00:03:25,539 --> 00:03:27,165 Furries? 70 00:03:27,165 --> 00:03:30,043 JOHN MUIR: We had two Saturday morning animated series. 71 00:03:30,043 --> 00:03:31,253 ♪ Ewoks!♪ 72 00:03:31,253 --> 00:03:32,629 Say you were like me. 73 00:03:32,629 --> 00:03:34,881 You watched Star Wars when you were seven 74 00:03:34,881 --> 00:03:38,051 and, you know, Return of the Jedi comes out when you're 13 or 14 75 00:03:38,051 --> 00:03:39,678 and then it's like, "What next?" 76 00:03:39,678 --> 00:03:42,097 Well, the things you want at that age as you become 77 00:03:42,097 --> 00:03:44,057 16, 17, 18 years old, 78 00:03:44,057 --> 00:03:46,560 they're not gonna be, you know, satisfied 79 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,728 by the Ewoks cartoon. [CHUCKLES] Right? 80 00:03:48,728 --> 00:03:49,980 They're just not. 81 00:03:49,980 --> 00:03:51,940 VICTORIA BENNETT: The Droids and Ewok shows 82 00:03:51,940 --> 00:03:53,650 come and go very rapidly. 83 00:03:53,650 --> 00:03:56,528 By the time you get to 1987, Star Wars is kind of 84 00:03:56,528 --> 00:03:58,447 faded from the public consciousness. 85 00:03:58,447 --> 00:04:00,991 NARRATOR: This was an era of emptiness 86 00:04:00,991 --> 00:04:03,160 serious enough to have its own name. 87 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,288 DAN MADSEN: There was literally nothing to cling on to 88 00:04:06,288 --> 00:04:09,040 and a lot of the fans actually today 89 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:10,709 call that "The Dark Times". 90 00:04:10,709 --> 00:04:13,378 And even when I would talk with George Lucas 91 00:04:13,378 --> 00:04:16,131 and ask him if he was thinking about starting 92 00:04:16,131 --> 00:04:17,716 some new Star Wars films, 93 00:04:17,716 --> 00:04:19,968 you know, he was always very evasive and he'd say, 94 00:04:19,968 --> 00:04:24,514 "Well, I plan on getting to it, but I'm not doing it right now." 95 00:04:24,514 --> 00:04:27,100 NARRATOR: What George was interested in getting around to 96 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:29,478 at this point was pushing the state-of-the-art 97 00:04:29,478 --> 00:04:30,979 for visual effects. 98 00:04:30,979 --> 00:04:32,939 George always had it in the back of his mind 99 00:04:32,939 --> 00:04:35,025 that he wanted to make another Star Wars trilogy, 100 00:04:35,025 --> 00:04:36,943 but he didn't want to make it with the same 101 00:04:36,943 --> 00:04:39,613 practical effects that he did with the original films. 102 00:04:39,613 --> 00:04:41,740 He felt like he had taken that technology 103 00:04:41,740 --> 00:04:43,200 as far as he could at that point. 104 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,869 George would talk about technology 105 00:04:45,869 --> 00:04:49,206 that simply didn't exist. Like the word "digital." 106 00:04:49,206 --> 00:04:52,125 NARRATOR: And when it came to digital visual effects, 107 00:04:52,125 --> 00:04:54,336 Lucas' own Industrial Light and Magic 108 00:04:54,336 --> 00:04:56,630 was pushing the pixelated envelope. 109 00:04:56,630 --> 00:04:59,216 Lucas created ILM to work on his own films, 110 00:04:59,216 --> 00:05:01,676 but he opened the door to other filmmakers 111 00:05:01,676 --> 00:05:03,220 to use his own technology. 112 00:05:03,220 --> 00:05:05,764 So, all the effects that ILM did 113 00:05:05,764 --> 00:05:07,891 was just George experimenting in public 114 00:05:07,891 --> 00:05:10,310 while people were paying him to do so. 115 00:05:10,310 --> 00:05:12,479 [FEMALE VOICE] Project Genesis. 116 00:05:12,479 --> 00:05:15,106 BENNETT: You had the first fully computer-generated sequence in Star Trek II. 117 00:05:15,106 --> 00:05:16,650 Fascinating. 118 00:05:16,650 --> 00:05:18,819 BENNETT: Then there was the stained-glass knight 119 00:05:18,819 --> 00:05:20,529 in Young Sherlock Holmes 120 00:05:20,529 --> 00:05:23,114 that was the first fully computer-generated character in a movie. 121 00:05:23,114 --> 00:05:26,243 NARRATOR: It served as a window into an as yet unreachable realm 122 00:05:26,243 --> 00:05:28,703 of computer-generated effects. 123 00:05:28,703 --> 00:05:31,831 A totally convincing, computer-generated lead character. 124 00:05:31,831 --> 00:05:34,668 NARRATOR: A concept that Lucas wanted to explore further. 125 00:05:34,668 --> 00:05:37,045 This time in his own film. 126 00:05:37,045 --> 00:05:38,255 Oh, Jesus. 127 00:05:38,255 --> 00:05:40,215 NARRATOR: Oh, no. Not him. 128 00:05:40,215 --> 00:05:42,425 But of different character who also came 129 00:05:42,425 --> 00:05:43,969 down from up high. 130 00:05:43,969 --> 00:05:46,471 MAN: Howard the Duck! 131 00:05:46,471 --> 00:05:48,765 NARRATOR: George hoped that this would be the quack 132 00:05:48,765 --> 00:05:50,350 heard 'round the world. 133 00:05:50,350 --> 00:05:52,269 -[CAWS] -[MAN SCREAMS] 134 00:05:52,269 --> 00:05:53,895 The plan early on was to make Howard the Duck 135 00:05:53,895 --> 00:05:55,772 a fully computer-generated character. 136 00:05:55,772 --> 00:05:57,691 What are you, crazy? 137 00:05:57,691 --> 00:05:59,484 But they realized pretty early 138 00:05:59,484 --> 00:06:01,319 that the technology just wasn't there yet. 139 00:06:01,319 --> 00:06:03,280 NARRATOR: With CGI of the era 140 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,198 not all it was quacked up to be, 141 00:06:05,198 --> 00:06:08,827 Howard was forced to suit up, like his Ewok predecessors. 142 00:06:08,827 --> 00:06:09,953 [SPEAKS GIBBERISH] 143 00:06:09,953 --> 00:06:11,371 NARRATOR: And the film itself? 144 00:06:11,371 --> 00:06:14,249 It was misconceived and mis-executed. 145 00:06:14,249 --> 00:06:15,792 Howard, you really are the worst. 146 00:06:15,792 --> 00:06:17,294 [CHUCKLES] 147 00:06:17,294 --> 00:06:19,963 NARRATOR: A humble Lucas stepped back, 148 00:06:19,963 --> 00:06:21,423 leaving ILM to resume 149 00:06:21,423 --> 00:06:23,466 lending its talents to other people's films. 150 00:06:23,466 --> 00:06:25,927 But he was still watching and waiting the whole time. 151 00:06:25,927 --> 00:06:29,055 NARRATOR: Then in 1989 George received the call 152 00:06:29,055 --> 00:06:30,640 every child dreads. 153 00:06:31,683 --> 00:06:34,102 His mother Dorothy had died 154 00:06:34,102 --> 00:06:38,023 and in 1991 George's father also passed away. 155 00:06:38,023 --> 00:06:40,859 They were getting at a good... a good place in their relationship. 156 00:06:40,859 --> 00:06:44,446 The parents are very proud because it... 157 00:06:44,446 --> 00:06:47,032 not... not because the kid is a multi-millionaire, 158 00:06:47,032 --> 00:06:50,744 but that their... their kid had a vision 159 00:06:50,744 --> 00:06:54,414 of who they could be and they not only achieved it, 160 00:06:55,165 --> 00:06:56,833 they achieved it wildly. 161 00:06:56,833 --> 00:06:59,502 Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader, Luke, 162 00:06:59,502 --> 00:07:02,589 that relationship there, you can read that 163 00:07:02,589 --> 00:07:04,924 as telling you something about the relationship 164 00:07:04,924 --> 00:07:07,177 between George Lucas and his father. 165 00:07:07,177 --> 00:07:10,555 It's a commentary on the redemption of fathers 166 00:07:10,555 --> 00:07:15,060 and the idea of the younger generation coming to understand 167 00:07:15,060 --> 00:07:17,687 what their fathers meant to their children. 168 00:07:17,687 --> 00:07:20,357 I won't leave you. 169 00:07:20,357 --> 00:07:23,526 With Lucas being in the situation where both his parents are gone, 170 00:07:23,526 --> 00:07:27,155 you, maybe, start thinking about things a little bit differently. 171 00:07:27,155 --> 00:07:29,699 NARRATOR: But would those things include Star Wars? 172 00:07:29,699 --> 00:07:31,743 Well, not yet. 173 00:07:31,743 --> 00:07:34,204 George had once revolutionized film, 174 00:07:34,204 --> 00:07:37,832 this time he was set to revolutionize something else. 175 00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:39,918 Lucas decides to make this TV series 176 00:07:39,918 --> 00:07:41,920 about Young Indiana Jones. 177 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,047 NARRATOR: For Lucas, it was a return 178 00:07:44,047 --> 00:07:45,965 to his childhood where he grew up watching 179 00:07:45,965 --> 00:07:48,760 adventure serials on TV. The issue was, 180 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,012 some of Lucas' key collaborators 181 00:07:51,012 --> 00:07:52,514 were either out of favor... 182 00:07:52,514 --> 00:07:54,391 I'm not there. [CHUCKLES] 183 00:07:54,391 --> 00:07:55,975 NARRATOR: ...or unavailable. 184 00:07:55,975 --> 00:07:57,769 KAZANJIAN: George asked me to... 185 00:07:57,769 --> 00:08:00,063 and he told me it was gonna be a year in Europe 186 00:08:00,063 --> 00:08:02,148 and other countries and I said, 187 00:08:02,148 --> 00:08:05,610 "I don't want my kids in London at their schools 188 00:08:05,610 --> 00:08:08,863 and other places. Family's most important." 189 00:08:08,863 --> 00:08:11,282 [WOMAN SCREAMING] 190 00:08:11,282 --> 00:08:14,577 NARRATOR: Kate Capshaw wasn't the only one screaming. 191 00:08:14,577 --> 00:08:17,997 Without Howard by his side, George faced serious issues. 192 00:08:17,997 --> 00:08:19,708 It would take a special man to match 193 00:08:19,708 --> 00:08:21,584 George's filmmaking style. 194 00:08:21,584 --> 00:08:23,670 And, so he peered through the looking glass 195 00:08:23,670 --> 00:08:27,215 meeting producer Rick McCallum on the set of Dreamchild, 196 00:08:27,215 --> 00:08:29,676 a film about the real Alice in Wonderland. 197 00:08:29,676 --> 00:08:33,680 George said, "Would ya?" And Rick said, "Yes." 198 00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:36,307 And they went about assembling a whole new team. 199 00:08:36,307 --> 00:08:39,102 He basically gets this unit of people 200 00:08:39,102 --> 00:08:40,895 going to produce this show. 201 00:08:40,895 --> 00:08:43,815 Uh, Director of Photography, David Tattersall 202 00:08:43,815 --> 00:08:45,734 and a Production Designer, Gavin Bocquet. 203 00:08:45,734 --> 00:08:48,486 Rick proves that he can handle anything. 204 00:08:48,486 --> 00:08:50,905 NARRATOR: He's also able to make a dollar 205 00:08:50,905 --> 00:08:52,907 look like two dollars. 206 00:08:52,907 --> 00:08:56,119 He's got two crews running. One crew's shooting 207 00:08:56,119 --> 00:08:59,038 while the other crew rests and they handle producing 208 00:08:59,038 --> 00:09:03,042 this giant series of epic scope for television 209 00:09:03,042 --> 00:09:05,795 which we just never seen anything like that before. 210 00:09:05,795 --> 00:09:07,964 NARRATOR: But George was just getting started. 211 00:09:07,964 --> 00:09:10,341 The Young Indy Chronicles was more of George doing 212 00:09:10,341 --> 00:09:13,136 that same experimentation on somebody else's dime, 213 00:09:13,136 --> 00:09:15,388 except this time it was not a film, 214 00:09:15,388 --> 00:09:16,890 it was a TV show. 215 00:09:16,890 --> 00:09:18,892 NARRATOR: George knew that bringing the magic 216 00:09:18,892 --> 00:09:21,227 and scale of Indiana Jones to the small screen 217 00:09:21,227 --> 00:09:24,272 would require new tools in the toolbox. 218 00:09:24,272 --> 00:09:26,566 Since George was working with tighter TV budgets, 219 00:09:26,566 --> 00:09:28,818 he had to get creative in order to save money. 220 00:09:28,818 --> 00:09:31,488 The idea is they're gonna produce it 221 00:09:31,488 --> 00:09:33,364 with a lot of digital effects. 222 00:09:33,364 --> 00:09:35,700 They cloned actors to make the crowds look bigger 223 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:38,161 and they digitally painted the sets to extend them 224 00:09:38,161 --> 00:09:40,830 which is common now, but back then, that was unheard of. 225 00:09:40,830 --> 00:09:42,457 NARRATOR: There was also a certain 226 00:09:42,457 --> 00:09:45,126 film making tool that George had been developing... 227 00:09:45,126 --> 00:09:47,170 MAN: EditDroid. 228 00:09:47,170 --> 00:09:49,881 NARRATOR: ... which was poised to transform the craft of editing forever 229 00:09:49,881 --> 00:09:53,843 bringing him closer and closer to finally attaining his dream 230 00:09:53,843 --> 00:09:59,015 of a faster, cheaper, and more digital Lucasfilm. 231 00:09:59,015 --> 00:10:01,976 And he starts to think he can use these technologies 232 00:10:01,976 --> 00:10:04,229 if he's gonna go back into Star Wars. 233 00:10:04,229 --> 00:10:06,564 NARRATOR: But by the early 1990s, 234 00:10:06,564 --> 00:10:09,234 it had been almost ten years since the last installment 235 00:10:09,234 --> 00:10:11,236 in the Star Wars franchise. 236 00:10:11,236 --> 00:10:12,862 There was nothing. 237 00:10:12,862 --> 00:10:14,739 NARRATOR: And, so, maybe what was needed 238 00:10:14,739 --> 00:10:16,282 was something to remind the fans 239 00:10:16,282 --> 00:10:18,368 of what they'd been missing 240 00:10:18,368 --> 00:10:21,496 and maybe to whet their appetite for more. 241 00:10:21,496 --> 00:10:25,667 Lucas decides Star Wars did not have the ongoing, like, 242 00:10:25,667 --> 00:10:28,086 expanded universe that Star Trek did 243 00:10:28,086 --> 00:10:29,921 where novels and different adventures 244 00:10:29,921 --> 00:10:31,714 and new crews and things. 245 00:10:31,714 --> 00:10:36,177 So the idea was, "Let's maybe start doing a series of novels." 246 00:10:36,177 --> 00:10:38,429 You know, to kind of keep Star Wars going. 247 00:10:38,429 --> 00:10:41,349 NARRATOR: And kept going it most definitely did. 248 00:10:41,349 --> 00:10:43,685 They became massive best sellers. 249 00:10:43,685 --> 00:10:45,645 NARRATOR: One book after another. 250 00:10:45,645 --> 00:10:49,482 They said, "Okay, you're a Star Wars fan, you miss it, 251 00:10:49,482 --> 00:10:51,734 here's the next chapter and it's going to be 252 00:10:51,734 --> 00:10:53,862 these novels that are interconnected, 253 00:10:53,862 --> 00:10:55,697 that are smart, that have a vision 254 00:10:55,697 --> 00:10:57,365 for where these characters go 255 00:10:57,365 --> 00:10:59,075 and where the universe is going." 256 00:10:59,075 --> 00:11:00,994 NARRATOR: But this is Star Wars 257 00:11:00,994 --> 00:11:03,830 and where this resurgence was going was fairly obvious. 258 00:11:03,830 --> 00:11:05,665 And then came the merchandising campaign. 259 00:11:05,665 --> 00:11:08,626 And there was everything. There was action figures 260 00:11:08,626 --> 00:11:10,670 and games and all that stuff like that. 261 00:11:10,670 --> 00:11:12,338 NARRATOR: And soon enough store shelves 262 00:11:12,338 --> 00:11:15,216 looked like 1983 all over again. 263 00:11:15,216 --> 00:11:18,011 It sort of created its own little phenomenon 264 00:11:18,011 --> 00:11:20,722 that kept Star Wars alive and that's where you see 265 00:11:20,722 --> 00:11:23,725 the real hard-core fandom start to build. 266 00:11:23,725 --> 00:11:25,977 NARRATOR: By this stage it wasn't just a rejuvenated 267 00:11:25,977 --> 00:11:28,771 fan base that was building, 268 00:11:28,771 --> 00:11:32,150 George's visual effects company was growing into a juggernaut. 269 00:11:32,150 --> 00:11:35,194 ILM is really starting to make advances in digital effects. 270 00:11:35,194 --> 00:11:37,030 NARRATOR: And things have come a long way 271 00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:39,198 since this sharp looking fella. 272 00:11:39,198 --> 00:11:41,284 RAY MORTON: By now they've done 273 00:11:41,284 --> 00:11:43,119 the water weenie from The Abyss 274 00:11:43,119 --> 00:11:45,455 and then the liquid metal guy from Terminator. 275 00:11:45,455 --> 00:11:47,290 So the computer effects are coming along, 276 00:11:47,290 --> 00:11:48,833 coming along, coming along. 277 00:11:48,833 --> 00:11:51,711 NARRATOR: It was ILM's work on one film in particular 278 00:11:51,711 --> 00:11:54,547 that would change the course of Star Wars forever. 279 00:11:54,547 --> 00:11:58,384 Once he sees the test footage for Jurassic Park 280 00:11:58,384 --> 00:12:01,971 he's like, "Let's go! Time... It's time. 281 00:12:01,971 --> 00:12:03,765 This is the time. We can do it now." 282 00:12:03,765 --> 00:12:06,559 NARRATOR: Fans across the galaxy rejoiced 283 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,020 after more than a decade since Return of the Jedi, 284 00:12:09,020 --> 00:12:12,857 The Force was back and it was back for not one, 285 00:12:12,857 --> 00:12:17,278 not two, but three prequel films. 286 00:12:17,278 --> 00:12:19,697 With anticipation at an all-time high, 287 00:12:19,697 --> 00:12:21,658 the question remained, 288 00:12:21,658 --> 00:12:24,577 what would these films be about? 289 00:12:24,577 --> 00:12:27,080 Well, it... it's a very good question. 290 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:28,998 JAR JAR: [ECHOING] Ex-squeeze me? 291 00:12:31,501 --> 00:12:34,045 NARRATOR: With Return of the Jedi, George Lucas had pushed 292 00:12:34,045 --> 00:12:36,422 practical effects to their absolute limit. 293 00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:38,049 [SCREAMS] 294 00:12:38,049 --> 00:12:40,468 But having seen this prehistoric future... 295 00:12:40,468 --> 00:12:42,011 BRIAN JONES: Watching Jurassic Park 296 00:12:42,011 --> 00:12:43,388 and seeing that the effects 297 00:12:43,388 --> 00:12:45,765 were going to be convincing was the game changer. 298 00:12:45,765 --> 00:12:47,892 NARRATOR: Star Wars was back 299 00:12:47,892 --> 00:12:50,561 and so was an unusually enthusiastic George Lucas 300 00:12:50,561 --> 00:12:52,647 who enthusiastically spent four months 301 00:12:52,647 --> 00:12:55,233 on the press circuit without picking up a pen. 302 00:12:55,233 --> 00:12:57,151 We're hearing about a brand-new trilogy, 303 00:12:57,151 --> 00:12:59,988 actually three more Star Wars from you. 304 00:12:59,988 --> 00:13:02,031 -Is that true? -Yeah. 305 00:13:02,031 --> 00:13:04,283 NARRATOR: With the fans now whipped into a frenzy... 306 00:13:04,909 --> 00:13:06,244 [HORN BLOWS] 307 00:13:06,244 --> 00:13:08,705 ...all he had to do was write it. 308 00:13:08,705 --> 00:13:10,665 GEORGE LUCAS: Today is my first day of writing 309 00:13:10,665 --> 00:13:12,208 the new Star Wars series. 310 00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:14,752 NARRATOR: George was so sure of the moment's importance 311 00:13:14,752 --> 00:13:17,338 he had it all documented for StarWars.com. 312 00:13:17,338 --> 00:13:20,299 LUCAS: It starts with me sitting here doodling in my little binder, 313 00:13:20,299 --> 00:13:22,552 but it ends up with a couple thousand people 314 00:13:22,552 --> 00:13:25,221 working together in a very, very intense, 315 00:13:25,221 --> 00:13:27,515 emotional, creative way I mean, it's all here. 316 00:13:27,515 --> 00:13:29,976 It's jut a dream. It's just kind of a... 317 00:13:29,976 --> 00:13:31,936 a thing that I can sit here and do and say, 318 00:13:31,936 --> 00:13:33,771 "Wouldn't it be great if..." 319 00:13:33,771 --> 00:13:35,481 And then pounding that into reality 320 00:13:35,481 --> 00:13:37,900 takes a huge amount of effort. 321 00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:40,445 NARRATOR: But Lucas' burden wasn't just creative, 322 00:13:40,445 --> 00:13:42,071 it was financial, too. 323 00:13:42,071 --> 00:13:44,157 If George was going to self-finance the prequels, 324 00:13:44,157 --> 00:13:46,492 he would need a lot of cash. So the pressure was on 325 00:13:46,492 --> 00:13:49,203 to create a kid-friendly character like the Ewoks. 326 00:13:49,203 --> 00:13:51,706 NARRATOR: While wrestling with that problem, 327 00:13:51,706 --> 00:13:54,500 George realized another way to help pay for Phantom 328 00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:56,669 was to re-release the original trilogy 329 00:13:56,669 --> 00:13:58,129 with a few tweaks. 330 00:13:58,129 --> 00:14:01,007 MAN: The Star Wars trilogy, special edition. 331 00:14:01,007 --> 00:14:03,718 NARRATOR: These original beloved masterpieces would be getting 332 00:14:03,718 --> 00:14:05,261 a top-to-bottom digital makeover. 333 00:14:05,261 --> 00:14:06,554 [SCREAMS] 334 00:14:06,554 --> 00:14:08,723 MUIR: He was adding material into the films 335 00:14:08,723 --> 00:14:10,099 that we'd not seen before 336 00:14:10,099 --> 00:14:11,893 with special effects updates. 337 00:14:11,893 --> 00:14:13,728 NARRATOR: But these tantalizing tweaks 338 00:14:13,728 --> 00:14:15,188 were more than just a cash cow, 339 00:14:15,188 --> 00:14:17,356 or rather a digital Dewback. 340 00:14:17,356 --> 00:14:19,525 George wanted to prove beyond a shadow of doubt 341 00:14:19,525 --> 00:14:21,778 that digital was ready to create 342 00:14:21,778 --> 00:14:23,988 not just a smattering of extra creatures, 343 00:14:23,988 --> 00:14:28,451 but full blown acting, emoting characters. 344 00:14:28,451 --> 00:14:31,287 MUIR: Jabba the Hutt was inserted into the film 345 00:14:31,287 --> 00:14:33,748 for a scene with Han Solo. 346 00:14:33,748 --> 00:14:34,999 He and Jabba have almost 347 00:14:34,999 --> 00:14:37,251 the exact same conversation that Han just had 348 00:14:37,251 --> 00:14:39,212 with Greedo five minutes earlier. [CHUCKLES] 349 00:14:39,212 --> 00:14:40,963 [HAN] Even I get boarded sometimes. 350 00:14:40,963 --> 00:14:42,632 Do you think I had a choice? 351 00:14:42,632 --> 00:14:45,676 Look, Jabba, even I get boarded sometimes. 352 00:14:45,676 --> 00:14:48,054 -[SQUEALS] -You think I had a choice? 353 00:14:48,054 --> 00:14:49,889 NARRATOR: Well, it had been Marcia's choice 354 00:14:49,889 --> 00:14:52,266 to cut that scene out in the first place. 355 00:14:53,726 --> 00:14:55,561 George put the Jabba the Hutt scene 356 00:14:55,561 --> 00:14:57,313 back in the original Star Wars. 357 00:14:57,313 --> 00:14:59,816 NARRATOR: However, the character was originally 358 00:14:59,816 --> 00:15:02,401 conceived in a slimmed-down Irish form. 359 00:15:02,401 --> 00:15:04,529 I just can't afford to make exceptions. 360 00:15:04,529 --> 00:15:06,656 I don't know why he does these things, 361 00:15:06,656 --> 00:15:08,241 but he does. 362 00:15:08,241 --> 00:15:09,700 I'm not there. [CHUCKLES] 363 00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:11,327 NARRATOR: And without Marcia's wisdom, 364 00:15:11,327 --> 00:15:13,246 he kept doing these things. 365 00:15:13,246 --> 00:15:17,625 For some reason George Lucas felt it would be necessary, 366 00:15:17,625 --> 00:15:20,837 uh, for Greedo to shoot at Han Solo 367 00:15:20,837 --> 00:15:22,964 before Han Solo shot at him. 368 00:15:22,964 --> 00:15:24,382 I don't know why he changed it. 369 00:15:24,382 --> 00:15:25,758 I have no idea. 370 00:15:25,758 --> 00:15:28,553 That was a big change and it really roiled fandom. 371 00:15:28,553 --> 00:15:31,389 NARRATOR: All these seemingly unnecessary tweaks 372 00:15:31,389 --> 00:15:34,725 did have some fans nervous as the new films approached. 373 00:15:34,725 --> 00:15:37,812 However, not enough to stop the special editions 374 00:15:37,812 --> 00:15:39,730 from becoming a staggering success. 375 00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:43,442 Hauling in over $200 million at the box office. 376 00:15:43,442 --> 00:15:45,486 This was the nest egg Lucas needed 377 00:15:45,486 --> 00:15:47,196 to self-finance the prequels. 378 00:15:48,030 --> 00:15:49,782 But the question remained, 379 00:15:49,782 --> 00:15:52,034 who would direct these movies? 380 00:15:52,034 --> 00:15:54,912 Because the last time George directed... 381 00:15:54,912 --> 00:15:56,914 MORTON: George actually became so stressed out 382 00:15:56,914 --> 00:15:58,416 that he ended up in the hospital. 383 00:16:00,293 --> 00:16:01,669 NARRATOR: So... 384 00:16:01,669 --> 00:16:04,338 with near-limitless cash, George went straight 385 00:16:04,338 --> 00:16:06,549 to Hollywood's A-list directors. 386 00:16:06,549 --> 00:16:08,843 Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, 387 00:16:08,843 --> 00:16:10,428 and Ron Howard. 388 00:16:10,428 --> 00:16:12,138 All three declined 389 00:16:12,138 --> 00:16:14,640 and encouraged George to take the helm. 390 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,268 He's staying away because the directing experience 391 00:16:17,268 --> 00:16:19,854 has been so bad for him. 392 00:16:19,854 --> 00:16:22,565 NARRATOR: With the bad experience in his past, 393 00:16:22,565 --> 00:16:25,109 what or who, could possibly convince George 394 00:16:25,109 --> 00:16:26,652 to have another go at directing? 395 00:16:26,652 --> 00:16:28,112 BENNETT: Rick McCallum who produces 396 00:16:28,112 --> 00:16:29,822 the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. 397 00:16:29,822 --> 00:16:32,450 There's not going to be any crew problems because if there is, 398 00:16:32,450 --> 00:16:34,410 Rick is just gonna remove the problem. 399 00:16:34,410 --> 00:16:36,495 This is what makes 400 00:16:36,495 --> 00:16:39,373 George Lucas comfortable with the idea of directing again 401 00:16:39,373 --> 00:16:42,919 because he sees Rick McCallum is this bulldog 402 00:16:42,919 --> 00:16:45,129 who will solve any production problem. 403 00:16:45,129 --> 00:16:46,964 [UPBEAT MUSIC] 404 00:16:46,964 --> 00:16:49,675 NARRATOR: With independent financing now in place, 405 00:16:49,675 --> 00:16:53,596 George Lucas would make his feature film directorial return. 406 00:16:53,596 --> 00:16:56,766 He really felt, "Well, this is another experiment. 407 00:16:56,766 --> 00:16:58,976 This is an experimental process. 408 00:16:58,976 --> 00:17:00,811 We're gonna be moving to digital. 409 00:17:00,811 --> 00:17:02,897 Um, I... I need to be there. I need... 410 00:17:02,897 --> 00:17:04,649 And since I'm going to be there, 411 00:17:04,649 --> 00:17:06,192 I may as well direct it." 412 00:17:08,194 --> 00:17:10,112 Production gears up at Skywalker Ranch. 413 00:17:10,112 --> 00:17:12,573 Everyone is really excited. The energy is high. 414 00:17:12,573 --> 00:17:15,952 NARRATOR: It was time to start assembling his team. 415 00:17:15,952 --> 00:17:18,788 JONES: Lucas likes working with people he's comfortable with. 416 00:17:18,788 --> 00:17:20,790 He likes working with his collaborators. 417 00:17:20,790 --> 00:17:23,000 So Lucas bringing the team from Young Indiana Jones 418 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,002 to work with him on the prequels is very much 419 00:17:25,002 --> 00:17:26,754 par for the course on how Lucas works. 420 00:17:26,754 --> 00:17:29,006 NARRATOR: However, the consequences 421 00:17:29,006 --> 00:17:30,633 of moving into the digital realm 422 00:17:30,633 --> 00:17:32,176 were already beginning to be felt. 423 00:17:32,176 --> 00:17:34,011 Many of the practical effects artists 424 00:17:34,011 --> 00:17:36,097 and model makers from the original trilogy 425 00:17:36,097 --> 00:17:38,891 would not be part of George's new vision. 426 00:17:38,891 --> 00:17:41,060 With that, all the stuff was going to be done digital. 427 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:44,397 You know, so there was no discussion about that. 428 00:17:44,397 --> 00:17:46,524 NARRATOR: Legendary designer Ralph McQuarrie 429 00:17:46,524 --> 00:17:48,442 would also be missing. 430 00:17:48,442 --> 00:17:50,152 By that time he was no longer working 431 00:17:50,152 --> 00:17:51,904 as a production illustrator. 432 00:17:51,904 --> 00:17:54,824 George had to find someone new who could fill those shoes 433 00:17:54,824 --> 00:17:56,576 and that was Doug Chiang. 434 00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:59,453 Doug Chiang admired the work of Ralph McQuarrie. 435 00:17:59,453 --> 00:18:01,247 Aspired to that kind of work 436 00:18:01,247 --> 00:18:05,001 and had that kind of creative vision sensibility. 437 00:18:05,001 --> 00:18:08,170 NARRATOR: While drawing inspiration from McQuarrie's original work, 438 00:18:08,170 --> 00:18:11,465 the prequels were to have a different look and design to them. 439 00:18:11,465 --> 00:18:13,217 JOHN TENUTO: The sort of filthiness... 440 00:18:13,217 --> 00:18:15,970 the dirtiness of the original trilogy 441 00:18:15,970 --> 00:18:18,723 was a representation of how the Empire 442 00:18:18,723 --> 00:18:20,558 had let the galaxy fall apart. 443 00:18:20,558 --> 00:18:23,936 Phantom Menace provides us a look at, 444 00:18:23,936 --> 00:18:25,730 the great "before time." 445 00:18:25,730 --> 00:18:27,982 BENNETT: So this is the height of civilization right now. 446 00:18:27,982 --> 00:18:29,608 This is pre-fascism, 447 00:18:29,608 --> 00:18:32,737 so it's the 1930s before the Nazis. 448 00:18:32,737 --> 00:18:34,113 This was the time 449 00:18:34,113 --> 00:18:36,782 when civilization was enlightened. 450 00:18:36,782 --> 00:18:38,451 NARRATOR: George was going new. 451 00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:40,786 New technology, new crew, 452 00:18:40,786 --> 00:18:42,038 and a new prequel, 453 00:18:42,038 --> 00:18:43,289 but would he remember 454 00:18:43,289 --> 00:18:44,999 about the heart of the film? 455 00:18:44,999 --> 00:18:49,754 Something his ex-editor, Marcia, dedicated herself to. 456 00:18:49,754 --> 00:18:53,799 There was not one single scene of any real 457 00:18:53,799 --> 00:18:56,135 emotional dramatic substance 458 00:18:56,135 --> 00:18:58,054 that didn't go through her hands. 459 00:18:58,054 --> 00:19:01,349 I think movies and film are about storytelling. 460 00:19:01,349 --> 00:19:04,226 With George it was special effects. 461 00:19:04,226 --> 00:19:05,770 [DRAMATIC MUSIC] 462 00:19:05,770 --> 00:19:08,647 NARRATOR: Together, George and Marcia had made magic, 463 00:19:08,647 --> 00:19:10,399 but would George be able to continue 464 00:19:10,399 --> 00:19:12,485 that success without her? 465 00:19:12,485 --> 00:19:15,613 ♪ ♪ 466 00:19:15,613 --> 00:19:18,449 NARRATOR: With his team of core collaborators assembled, 467 00:19:18,449 --> 00:19:20,701 George continued to battle away with drafts 468 00:19:20,701 --> 00:19:22,286 of The Phantom Menace script. 469 00:19:22,286 --> 00:19:24,246 Importantly, his vision for a kid-friendly, 470 00:19:24,246 --> 00:19:26,916 and therefore toy-friendly, character in the film 471 00:19:26,916 --> 00:19:28,501 was coming together. 472 00:19:28,501 --> 00:19:31,754 His name would be Jar Jar Binks 473 00:19:31,754 --> 00:19:34,465 and George had big plans for him. 474 00:19:34,465 --> 00:19:37,301 He wanted it to be the first digital co-star. 475 00:19:37,301 --> 00:19:40,304 George really believed in the character from the beginning. 476 00:19:40,304 --> 00:19:42,056 The concept of Jar Jar Binks, 477 00:19:42,056 --> 00:19:43,974 it's a great idea. Kid-friendly, 478 00:19:43,974 --> 00:19:46,018 trickster, you know, character. 479 00:19:46,018 --> 00:19:48,145 Um, funny. That kind of thing. 480 00:19:48,145 --> 00:19:49,647 I think Lucas thought he'd created, like, 481 00:19:49,647 --> 00:19:52,316 the next big iconic character in Star Wars. 482 00:19:52,316 --> 00:19:54,360 NARRATOR: George's character designers also believed 483 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:57,196 he'd hit a homerun and excitedly came up 484 00:19:57,196 --> 00:19:59,198 with illustrations of what this new superstar 485 00:19:59,198 --> 00:20:01,450 character might look like. 486 00:20:01,450 --> 00:20:05,413 They finally settled on this floppy-eared amphibian. 487 00:20:05,413 --> 00:20:08,332 With Jar Jar on his way to super stardom, 488 00:20:08,332 --> 00:20:11,127 George shifted his attention to casting 489 00:20:11,127 --> 00:20:13,587 and he was facing a problem he hadn't dealt with before, 490 00:20:13,587 --> 00:20:17,758 choosing younger versions of his iconic characters. 491 00:20:17,758 --> 00:20:20,594 I'm getting too old for this sort of thing. 492 00:20:20,594 --> 00:20:23,264 For the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, they'd considered 493 00:20:23,264 --> 00:20:25,599 Tim Roth and Kenneth Branagh. 494 00:20:25,599 --> 00:20:28,144 NARRATOR: But there was another up-and-coming performer. 495 00:20:28,144 --> 00:20:30,354 Scottish actor Ewan McGregor. 496 00:20:30,354 --> 00:20:32,606 It was Trainspotting that really impressed them 497 00:20:32,606 --> 00:20:34,483 with Ewan McGregor's acting chops. 498 00:20:34,483 --> 00:20:37,528 I mean, he even had the accent when he came into audition. 499 00:20:37,528 --> 00:20:39,363 You were right about one thing, Master, 500 00:20:39,363 --> 00:20:40,948 the negotiations were short. 501 00:20:40,948 --> 00:20:42,283 That's good. 502 00:20:42,283 --> 00:20:43,868 NARRATOR: George was also on the hunt to find 503 00:20:43,868 --> 00:20:45,703 the perfect Qui-Gon Jinn, 504 00:20:45,703 --> 00:20:47,538 Obi-Wan Kenobi's mentor. 505 00:20:47,538 --> 00:20:49,540 TENUTO: They considered the character being 506 00:20:49,540 --> 00:20:52,585 60-years-old and they also envisioned 507 00:20:52,585 --> 00:20:54,211 this character having a Mohawk. 508 00:20:54,211 --> 00:20:57,798 They'd considered Denzel Washington, 509 00:20:57,798 --> 00:21:00,760 Kurt Russell, and Morgan Freeman. 510 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:02,303 NARRATOR: After carefully considering 511 00:21:02,303 --> 00:21:05,097 which middle-aged man would look good with a Mohawk... 512 00:21:05,097 --> 00:21:07,933 They finally did decide to cast Liam Neeson 513 00:21:07,933 --> 00:21:10,478 who, obviously, is much younger than 60-years-old, 514 00:21:10,478 --> 00:21:12,938 so they changed the character. 515 00:21:12,938 --> 00:21:16,275 NARRATOR: George was also looking for a young Anakin Skywalker. 516 00:21:16,275 --> 00:21:18,944 Just how young was the question. 517 00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:21,197 Casting a 12 year old wouldn't have the same 518 00:21:21,197 --> 00:21:23,449 pull on your heartstrings effect as casting 519 00:21:23,449 --> 00:21:25,201 an eight year old would have. 520 00:21:25,201 --> 00:21:28,204 NARRATOR: Jake Lloyd nabbed the role after a killer screen test 521 00:21:28,204 --> 00:21:31,624 beating off hundreds of other potential Sith Lords. 522 00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:34,585 Mom! I did it! Yeah! 523 00:21:34,585 --> 00:21:37,046 NARRATOR: But his co-star, and later love interest, 524 00:21:37,046 --> 00:21:39,131 Natalie Portman, was the only leading lady 525 00:21:39,131 --> 00:21:40,216 on George's mind. 526 00:21:40,216 --> 00:21:41,675 MUIR: Natalie Portman, uh, 527 00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:43,302 had done The Professional before this. 528 00:21:43,302 --> 00:21:45,846 I think in 1994 and was fantastic in that. 529 00:21:45,846 --> 00:21:49,558 So she was a great choice to be Amidala. 530 00:21:49,558 --> 00:21:51,477 NARRATOR: Rounding out the list of new arrivals 531 00:21:51,477 --> 00:21:53,812 was Samuel Jackson playing Mace Windu. 532 00:21:53,812 --> 00:21:56,106 Sam Jackson's the baddest mother in the galaxy. 533 00:21:56,106 --> 00:21:57,816 NARRATOR: And stuntman Ray Park 534 00:21:57,816 --> 00:21:59,276 who would play Darth Maul. 535 00:21:59,276 --> 00:22:03,405 Originally that part is cast with, uh, Benicio del Toro 536 00:22:03,405 --> 00:22:06,534 and Benicio del Toro leaves when the character 537 00:22:06,534 --> 00:22:08,494 eventually doesn't have any dialogue. 538 00:22:08,494 --> 00:22:10,454 NARRATOR: But George Lucas always planned to include 539 00:22:10,454 --> 00:22:13,123 some characters from the original trilogy 540 00:22:13,123 --> 00:22:17,628 and nobody knows that better than Ian McDiarmid. 541 00:22:17,628 --> 00:22:21,507 When I first met George he said, "Hey, great nose!" 542 00:22:21,507 --> 00:22:23,425 NARRATOR: But George planned to make use of 543 00:22:23,425 --> 00:22:26,220 more than just Ian's nose this time around. 544 00:22:26,220 --> 00:22:27,972 IAN McDIARMID: So when I got the script I found 545 00:22:27,972 --> 00:22:30,641 that I was playing a Senator and he seemed like 546 00:22:30,641 --> 00:22:33,269 a straight-forward, reasonable guy and, uh, 547 00:22:33,269 --> 00:22:36,355 finally people are able to see my face. 548 00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:38,691 NARRATOR: Yes and no. 549 00:22:38,691 --> 00:22:40,067 McDIARMID: So, there's this other guy, 550 00:22:40,067 --> 00:22:42,236 Darth Sidious, and he's working behind the scenes 551 00:22:42,236 --> 00:22:44,405 working against the regime 552 00:22:44,405 --> 00:22:46,198 and against the Queen. Very mysterious. 553 00:22:46,198 --> 00:22:48,158 And I thought, "Oh, God, that's the part, isn't it? 554 00:22:48,158 --> 00:22:50,578 Wish I was playing that." I got the first call sheet 555 00:22:50,578 --> 00:22:54,290 and I saw my name or number, uh, opposite Darth Sidious. 556 00:22:54,290 --> 00:22:56,292 So I got hyper excited. 557 00:22:56,292 --> 00:22:57,918 I was this apparently innocuous, 558 00:22:57,918 --> 00:22:59,962 perfectly straight-forward politician 559 00:22:59,962 --> 00:23:03,674 and really I was this, you know, murderous devil, 560 00:23:03,674 --> 00:23:07,803 uh, working his... his evil charm. 561 00:23:07,803 --> 00:23:10,389 NARRATOR: Anthony Daniels returning as C-3PO 562 00:23:10,389 --> 00:23:12,099 would also be in for a shock. 563 00:23:12,099 --> 00:23:13,726 ANTHONY DANIELS: George Lucas, he says, um, 564 00:23:13,726 --> 00:23:17,938 "Your character is made by, um... Anakin." 565 00:23:17,938 --> 00:23:19,607 A few days later I clicked. 566 00:23:19,607 --> 00:23:21,400 Anakin turns into Darth Vader. 567 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,528 Darth Vader has made my character 3PO. 568 00:23:24,528 --> 00:23:27,323 -Oops. -DANIELS: I was genuinely... 569 00:23:27,323 --> 00:23:29,074 shocked and surprised. 570 00:23:29,074 --> 00:23:30,993 -[R2-D2 BEEPS] -Of course I'm worried. 571 00:23:30,993 --> 00:23:32,703 And you should be, too. 572 00:23:32,703 --> 00:23:34,955 NARRATOR: C-3PO wasn't the only droid fans 573 00:23:34,955 --> 00:23:36,707 would be looking for. 574 00:23:36,707 --> 00:23:39,168 Surely R2-D2's Kenny Baker would be excited 575 00:23:39,168 --> 00:23:40,669 to return with his old pal. 576 00:23:40,669 --> 00:23:42,713 R. CHRISTIAN: Kenny would say, "Anthony never liked me. 577 00:23:42,713 --> 00:23:44,006 I don't know why." 578 00:23:44,006 --> 00:23:46,550 Anthony came from theater. He regarded himself 579 00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:48,636 as a thespian, as an actor. 580 00:23:48,636 --> 00:23:51,055 Kenny was... inside 581 00:23:51,055 --> 00:23:54,266 -this kind of metal egg. -[CHUCKLES] 582 00:23:54,266 --> 00:23:56,018 Just trying to make it work. 583 00:23:56,018 --> 00:23:59,730 So there was no "actorially" connection 584 00:23:59,730 --> 00:24:01,148 between the two of them. 585 00:24:01,148 --> 00:24:03,942 -Wake up. Wake up! -[R2-D2 BEEPS] 586 00:24:03,942 --> 00:24:05,277 CHRISTIAN: He used to say, you know, 587 00:24:05,277 --> 00:24:06,904 "He doesn't respond. I'm talking to him" 588 00:24:06,904 --> 00:24:09,156 and everything, but that was part of the... 589 00:24:09,156 --> 00:24:12,701 You couldn't... He doesn't talk. He beeps. 590 00:24:12,701 --> 00:24:15,162 NARRATOR: Possibly the biggest casting decision of all 591 00:24:15,162 --> 00:24:17,164 was that of Jar Jar Binks. 592 00:24:17,164 --> 00:24:18,832 He was gonna be an all-digital character. 593 00:24:18,832 --> 00:24:20,250 NARRATOR: It wasn't as straight-forward 594 00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:22,252 as just creating him in a computer. 595 00:24:22,252 --> 00:24:25,047 The difficult thing is trying to create a character 596 00:24:25,047 --> 00:24:28,008 from a wire-framed model that feels like a human 597 00:24:28,008 --> 00:24:29,927 and as dignified as a human, that has the same 598 00:24:29,927 --> 00:24:32,846 emotional impact as a human character. 599 00:24:32,846 --> 00:24:34,473 NARRATOR: George needed to find an actor 600 00:24:34,473 --> 00:24:38,268 who could portray the elastic characteristics of Jar Jar. 601 00:24:38,268 --> 00:24:41,647 Then using motion-capture technology and visual effects, 602 00:24:41,647 --> 00:24:43,565 he would combine the performance with Jar Jar's 603 00:24:43,565 --> 00:24:46,610 digital image to complete the character. 604 00:24:46,610 --> 00:24:50,864 Interest in playing the role came from an unusual source. 605 00:24:50,864 --> 00:24:53,575 Michael Jackson actually wanted to play Jar Jar himself, 606 00:24:53,575 --> 00:24:56,036 but he wanted to do it in full prosthetics 607 00:24:56,036 --> 00:24:58,247 and George wanted a full digital character. 608 00:24:58,247 --> 00:25:02,000 So the part went to Broadway performer Ahmed Best. 609 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,461 Casting Director Robin Gurland went to see 610 00:25:04,461 --> 00:25:07,506 a performance of Stomp! and that's where, uh, 611 00:25:07,506 --> 00:25:11,802 she sees Ahmed Best and thinks, "There's our Jar Jar Binks." 612 00:25:11,802 --> 00:25:14,263 I hired Ahmed because he's very physical 613 00:25:14,263 --> 00:25:16,640 and he can act with his body. 614 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,475 NARRATOR: George had found his creature 615 00:25:18,475 --> 00:25:19,852 and soon there would be a new 616 00:25:19,852 --> 00:25:21,562 fan favorite in the universe. 617 00:25:22,229 --> 00:25:25,065 Or so he hoped. 618 00:25:25,065 --> 00:25:27,860 LUCAS: I know this is gonna work. I know it's gonna work. 619 00:25:27,860 --> 00:25:29,862 Jar Jar's the key to all this. 620 00:25:29,862 --> 00:25:31,363 Hopefully it'll work. 621 00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:39,079 NARRATOR: It's 1997. 622 00:25:39,079 --> 00:25:41,498 Three years since the announcement of Episode One. 623 00:25:41,498 --> 00:25:43,834 Production gears up at Skywalker Ranch. 624 00:25:43,834 --> 00:25:45,377 The stars are now involved. 625 00:25:45,377 --> 00:25:47,963 I'm Jake and I'm playing Anakin Skywalker. 626 00:25:47,963 --> 00:25:50,674 The designs have been made. Energy's high. 627 00:25:50,674 --> 00:25:52,301 NARRATOR: But with a new cast... 628 00:25:52,301 --> 00:25:54,219 George was yearning for some old crew 629 00:25:54,219 --> 00:25:55,971 to rejoin the gang 630 00:25:55,971 --> 00:25:57,639 to help bring his vision to life. 631 00:25:57,639 --> 00:26:00,559 Roger Christian who'd worked on A New Hope 632 00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:02,269 was at the top of his list. 633 00:26:02,269 --> 00:26:04,563 The problem was, Roger had moved on 634 00:26:04,563 --> 00:26:06,607 from his days as a set decorator 635 00:26:06,607 --> 00:26:10,611 and was now forging a career as a director in his own right. 636 00:26:10,611 --> 00:26:13,322 We had a chat. Said, "Who's doing second unit?" 637 00:26:13,322 --> 00:26:15,240 You know, 'cause I love Star Wars 638 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,075 and I love doing this and he said, 639 00:26:17,075 --> 00:26:18,869 "Oh, we don't need it on this one. We've... 640 00:26:18,869 --> 00:26:21,079 You know, George is shooting." So, I said, "Well... 641 00:26:21,079 --> 00:26:22,873 just put my name down." 642 00:26:22,873 --> 00:26:25,876 NARRATOR: Two weeks later Roger received a phone call. 643 00:26:25,876 --> 00:26:28,045 CHRISTIAN: I got a call from Rick McCallum and he said, 644 00:26:28,045 --> 00:26:31,215 "George has only got 12 weeks to shoot this whole movie. 645 00:26:31,215 --> 00:26:33,675 There is a lot more than we thought. 646 00:26:33,675 --> 00:26:35,844 So can you start? Would you do it?" 647 00:26:35,844 --> 00:26:38,096 And I said, "Yeah, yeah. I've just got to go to... 648 00:26:38,096 --> 00:26:40,265 back to Vancouver. I'll do this mix." 649 00:26:40,265 --> 00:26:43,393 And they said, "No, Roger, you have to start now. 650 00:26:43,393 --> 00:26:44,686 We'll give you five minutes. 651 00:26:44,686 --> 00:26:47,397 We're gonna leave the room. Make a decision." 652 00:26:47,397 --> 00:26:51,443 NARRATOR: So, Roger promptly agreed and got to work. 653 00:26:51,443 --> 00:26:53,737 But George was dealing with more than just a tight schedule. 654 00:26:53,737 --> 00:26:56,073 Locations were also proving a headache. 655 00:26:56,073 --> 00:26:58,826 With much of the film to be shot in Tunisia, 656 00:26:58,826 --> 00:27:02,204 George was hoping to reuse his old locations 657 00:27:02,204 --> 00:27:03,956 from A New Hope, 658 00:27:03,956 --> 00:27:05,999 but there was a problem. 659 00:27:05,999 --> 00:27:08,085 No one remembered where they were. 660 00:27:08,085 --> 00:27:10,170 Back in those days it was nobody's job 661 00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:12,923 to archive wilderness locations. 662 00:27:12,923 --> 00:27:17,469 He just was like beside himself that no one knew where we shot. 663 00:27:17,469 --> 00:27:19,179 NARRATOR: It seems George didn't realize 664 00:27:19,179 --> 00:27:21,557 that several years earlier a young archaeologist 665 00:27:21,557 --> 00:27:23,392 named David West Reynolds 666 00:27:23,392 --> 00:27:27,271 had contacted Lucasfilm about finding the lost locations. 667 00:27:27,271 --> 00:27:29,565 Lucasfilm's response had been something like, 668 00:27:29,565 --> 00:27:32,484 "We're not sure. Turn left at Algeria." 669 00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:35,988 It was a spectacular success and I published the story 670 00:27:35,988 --> 00:27:38,156 just because I wanted to share it. 671 00:27:38,156 --> 00:27:42,077 NARRATOR: Unfortunately, no one at Lucasfilm had read it. 672 00:27:42,077 --> 00:27:45,664 Eventually the article found its way on to Rick McCallum's desk 673 00:27:45,664 --> 00:27:47,082 and he said... 674 00:27:47,082 --> 00:27:48,250 "Get him on the phone." 675 00:27:48,250 --> 00:27:51,420 And they flew David to Tunis. 676 00:27:51,420 --> 00:27:54,214 He identified every single location. 677 00:27:54,214 --> 00:27:57,509 NARRATOR: With a tight shooting schedule and a self-funded budget, 678 00:27:57,509 --> 00:28:00,137 it was a break George desperately needed. 679 00:28:00,137 --> 00:28:03,724 Rick picks up the fiberglass ring in the Mos Eisley Plaza 680 00:28:03,724 --> 00:28:05,976 and says, "Look! It's some unidentifiable piece 681 00:28:05,976 --> 00:28:08,186 of Mos Eisley Plaza!" And I said, 682 00:28:08,186 --> 00:28:10,063 "That's not unidentifiable, Rick, 683 00:28:10,063 --> 00:28:12,024 that's a Dewback tether ring." 684 00:28:12,024 --> 00:28:14,651 NARRATOR: David was duly rewarded for his efforts. 685 00:28:14,651 --> 00:28:16,862 He wanted me to come back to Skywalker Ranch 686 00:28:16,862 --> 00:28:19,865 and this eventually becomes an offer. 687 00:28:19,865 --> 00:28:23,493 NARRATOR: An offer to become an archivist at Lucasfilm. 688 00:28:23,493 --> 00:28:26,038 REYNOLDS: Up until they hired me at Lucasfilm, 689 00:28:26,038 --> 00:28:28,165 the policy was "never hire fans." 690 00:28:28,165 --> 00:28:30,542 I was the first exception to that. 691 00:28:30,542 --> 00:28:32,794 NARRATOR: However, 20 years later, 692 00:28:32,794 --> 00:28:35,923 Medenine had come a long way which is great for Medenine, 693 00:28:35,923 --> 00:28:37,758 but not so great for the crew. 694 00:28:37,758 --> 00:28:39,676 There's dense developments all around it. 695 00:28:39,676 --> 00:28:41,762 We wouldn't have angles where you wouldn't see 696 00:28:41,762 --> 00:28:44,848 the modern world, but we went up on some roofs 697 00:28:44,848 --> 00:28:47,100 we looked around, there was a section of this 698 00:28:47,100 --> 00:28:49,478 that if it was fully dressed, we'd get enough angles 699 00:28:49,478 --> 00:28:52,481 to make that location worth it. So, Ksar Medenine ends up 700 00:28:52,481 --> 00:28:56,068 being the location for where Anakin parts from his mother 701 00:28:56,068 --> 00:28:57,486 and you see all of the doorways. 702 00:28:57,486 --> 00:28:59,446 CHRISTIAN: Uh, we're gonna get that shot ready now. 703 00:28:59,446 --> 00:29:01,198 NARRATOR: But they'd also be shooting, 704 00:29:01,198 --> 00:29:03,909 once again, in a British film studio. 705 00:29:03,909 --> 00:29:06,453 And in June of 1997 706 00:29:06,453 --> 00:29:09,498 filming of The Phantom Menace began. 707 00:29:09,498 --> 00:29:10,958 And... action! 708 00:29:10,958 --> 00:29:15,629 This is the first major digital effects film from Lucas. 709 00:29:15,629 --> 00:29:18,215 CHRISTIAN: Rick McCallum said, "There is more blue screen 710 00:29:18,215 --> 00:29:20,759 than any film in the history of cinema." 711 00:29:20,759 --> 00:29:23,261 NARRATOR: For the actors, this new way of movie making 712 00:29:23,261 --> 00:29:25,639 was going to take some getting used to. 713 00:29:25,639 --> 00:29:27,724 George would say, which was a little disconcerting, 714 00:29:27,724 --> 00:29:30,936 "We won't divide it into close ups and mid shots 715 00:29:30,936 --> 00:29:33,021 and long shots, we'll do them all at once 716 00:29:33,021 --> 00:29:34,564 'cause these cameras can do that." 717 00:29:34,564 --> 00:29:36,984 So we knew we had to have absolute concentration. 718 00:29:36,984 --> 00:29:39,152 JONES: You're asking an awful lot of your actors. 719 00:29:39,152 --> 00:29:40,904 You have to imagine what's chasing you, 720 00:29:40,904 --> 00:29:42,990 you have to imagine what the weather is like, 721 00:29:42,990 --> 00:29:45,158 you have to imagine what you're seeing out the window. 722 00:29:45,158 --> 00:29:48,120 NARRATOR: But George had a whole other list of priorities. 723 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,831 I think George Lucas believed "I will be able to control 724 00:29:50,831 --> 00:29:53,417 everything. Performance, light, uh... 725 00:29:53,417 --> 00:29:56,837 You know, everything will be exactly as I want it." 726 00:29:56,837 --> 00:29:58,630 That's always been Lucas' ambition 727 00:29:58,630 --> 00:30:02,592 is to let the film maker control everything that's on the screen. 728 00:30:02,592 --> 00:30:05,470 NARRATOR: But while shooting digitally gave George creative freedom, 729 00:30:05,470 --> 00:30:09,057 it wouldn't always be a cinematic silver bullet. 730 00:30:09,057 --> 00:30:10,851 Especially when dealing with a stature 731 00:30:10,851 --> 00:30:12,477 of a man like Liam Neeson. 732 00:30:12,477 --> 00:30:15,355 Liam Neeson is 6'4" tall 733 00:30:15,355 --> 00:30:19,359 and so it cost them an additional $150,000 734 00:30:19,359 --> 00:30:22,612 because they had to build the sets up to his full height. 735 00:30:22,612 --> 00:30:24,865 NARRATOR: With only 12 weeks to shoot the film, 736 00:30:24,865 --> 00:30:27,826 it was an issue Lucas could ill afford. 737 00:30:27,826 --> 00:30:30,078 And the problems kept coming. 738 00:30:30,078 --> 00:30:31,580 CHRISTIAN: I looked at their R2-D2 739 00:30:31,580 --> 00:30:33,331 and now it was full of equipment. 740 00:30:33,331 --> 00:30:35,500 You know, now these worked, the radio control, 741 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,627 and I said, "Have you had Kenny in this?" 742 00:30:37,627 --> 00:30:39,963 And they said, "No, no." And I said, "Get him down." 743 00:30:39,963 --> 00:30:42,424 So I call him down to the set and he couldn't get in it. 744 00:30:42,424 --> 00:30:44,051 I said, "I-I told you he couldn't." 745 00:30:44,051 --> 00:30:47,679 And then we had to try to make it work to get him in it. 746 00:30:47,679 --> 00:30:50,807 NARRATOR: It became harder and harder for the original trilogy alumni 747 00:30:50,807 --> 00:30:54,144 to watch Lucasfilm 2.0 learn on the job. 748 00:30:54,144 --> 00:30:57,147 REYNOLDS: Frank Oz and his crew performing Yoda. 749 00:30:57,147 --> 00:31:00,275 It's a new puppet. The original was latex 750 00:31:00,275 --> 00:31:04,362 and now it's cast in silicone which is much heavier. 751 00:31:04,362 --> 00:31:07,074 So Frank Oz is performing Yoda underneath the stage. 752 00:31:07,074 --> 00:31:09,409 All the stage rostra are all elevated, 753 00:31:09,409 --> 00:31:11,620 but it's really heavy on his arm 754 00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:14,289 and it's... it's a huge physical effort 755 00:31:14,289 --> 00:31:16,666 for him to hold this up and try and do a performance 756 00:31:16,666 --> 00:31:18,877 that's delicate and nuanced through his hands 757 00:31:18,877 --> 00:31:20,754 and right in the middle of Yoda saying, you know, 758 00:31:20,754 --> 00:31:22,798 "Concerned I am. I wonder what to say! 759 00:31:22,798 --> 00:31:24,758 God damn! This is so heavy!" 760 00:31:24,758 --> 00:31:26,802 And Yoda would disappear down the hole 761 00:31:26,802 --> 00:31:30,680 and Frank was so frustrated with the new puppet. 762 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,100 NARRATOR: Though no one could deny George's pioneering 763 00:31:33,100 --> 00:31:35,060 filmmaking methods were the future, 764 00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:36,978 would they come at a personal cost? 765 00:31:36,978 --> 00:31:39,523 DANIELS: My first day we got over to the set 766 00:31:39,523 --> 00:31:42,317 and there was somebody wearing 3PO and it's not me. 767 00:31:42,317 --> 00:31:44,194 -[BEEPS] -NARRATOR: After creating 768 00:31:44,194 --> 00:31:47,155 C-3PO's distinctive walk, Anthony Daniels had been 769 00:31:47,155 --> 00:31:49,366 moved aside for a puppeteer. 770 00:31:49,366 --> 00:31:50,784 What are you talking about? 771 00:31:50,784 --> 00:31:54,246 Of course ultimately I go back in and I put the voice 772 00:31:54,246 --> 00:31:56,206 on somebody else's work. 773 00:31:56,206 --> 00:31:59,584 They didn't care about how I would feel about that. 774 00:31:59,584 --> 00:32:02,295 You know, I just said to George, "Um, he kind of... 775 00:32:03,463 --> 00:32:05,924 is walking in a weird way." 776 00:32:05,924 --> 00:32:07,384 "Just been built by a little boy, 777 00:32:07,384 --> 00:32:08,468 what do you expect?" 778 00:32:10,303 --> 00:32:12,347 [DRAMATIC MUSIC] 779 00:32:16,143 --> 00:32:18,228 NARRATOR: It's 1997. 780 00:32:18,228 --> 00:32:21,898 Filming of The Phantom Menace is in full swing, 781 00:32:21,898 --> 00:32:24,776 but George's transition to digital filmmaking 782 00:32:24,776 --> 00:32:27,279 is creating a rocky road for members of the cast. 783 00:32:27,821 --> 00:32:29,364 MAN: That's cut! 784 00:32:29,364 --> 00:32:31,116 NARRATOR: Well, not everyone. 785 00:32:31,116 --> 00:32:33,410 Okay, everyone, let's start with a brief warm up. 786 00:32:33,410 --> 00:32:35,579 Ahmed Best, you hear stories from the set. 787 00:32:35,579 --> 00:32:37,038 People are like, "He is hysterical. 788 00:32:37,038 --> 00:32:38,915 He's gonna be the next breakthrough character 789 00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:40,584 in Star Wars." 790 00:32:40,584 --> 00:32:42,460 NARRATOR: Liam Neeson even called his agent 791 00:32:42,460 --> 00:32:45,922 to tell him he was working with the next Eddie Murphy. 792 00:32:45,922 --> 00:32:48,341 It was George's baby. He wrote it the way he wanted 793 00:32:48,341 --> 00:32:50,010 and he directed it the way he wanted. 794 00:32:50,010 --> 00:32:51,887 TENUTO: He was happy. George really felt 795 00:32:51,887 --> 00:32:54,222 the character of Jar Jar Binks was fantastic. 796 00:32:54,222 --> 00:32:56,892 NARRATOR: While the hype around Jar Jar was building on set, 797 00:32:58,018 --> 00:33:00,228 there was also building going on... 798 00:33:00,228 --> 00:33:01,479 on set. 799 00:33:01,479 --> 00:33:02,772 When we were on set 800 00:33:02,772 --> 00:33:04,941 they weren't just constructing the next set 801 00:33:04,941 --> 00:33:07,402 around the corner, they were building the studio. 802 00:33:07,402 --> 00:33:09,529 There was... As if a guided missile had suddenly 803 00:33:09,529 --> 00:33:10,906 hit the building every five minutes. 804 00:33:10,906 --> 00:33:11,990 It was insane. 805 00:33:13,491 --> 00:33:16,328 NARRATOR: But once filming started in Tunisia, 806 00:33:16,328 --> 00:33:18,330 they'd come across a drama that almost put a nail 807 00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:20,373 in the production's coffin. 808 00:33:20,373 --> 00:33:24,169 We just got these storms and it completely destroyed 809 00:33:24,169 --> 00:33:25,629 the entire camp. 810 00:33:25,629 --> 00:33:28,965 Wipe them out, all of them. 811 00:33:28,965 --> 00:33:32,302 Pods were smashed. The costume department, make up, 812 00:33:32,302 --> 00:33:33,970 there was... everything was in the mud. 813 00:33:33,970 --> 00:33:36,806 I remember somebody saying, "Ooh, I've got Liam's beard. 814 00:33:36,806 --> 00:33:39,100 Here look!" And they were putting water on it. 815 00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:40,393 It was down to that. 816 00:33:40,393 --> 00:33:42,812 Rick just got everybody going. 817 00:33:42,812 --> 00:33:44,564 Rick is fantastic. 818 00:33:44,564 --> 00:33:46,441 NARRATOR: Was he, though? 819 00:33:46,441 --> 00:33:49,486 While there was no doubt Rick was a wonderful producer for George, 820 00:33:49,486 --> 00:33:53,073 he was not universally loved by cast and crew. 821 00:33:53,073 --> 00:33:54,908 KAZANJIAN: A lot of people don't like him. 822 00:33:54,908 --> 00:33:57,160 I have no idea what the problem is, 823 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:58,703 but I know that. 824 00:33:58,703 --> 00:34:01,998 And people close to George have told me that. 825 00:34:01,998 --> 00:34:04,709 Howard Kazanjian, just adorable... 826 00:34:05,252 --> 00:34:06,753 [SIGHS SHARPLY] 827 00:34:06,753 --> 00:34:08,421 and then Rick McCallum. 828 00:34:11,049 --> 00:34:13,218 He's not someone who, uh, 829 00:34:13,218 --> 00:34:17,180 who runs politely with things that he... he didn't agree with. 830 00:34:17,180 --> 00:34:18,682 NARRATOR: But as the saying goes, 831 00:34:18,682 --> 00:34:21,810 to make an omelet, you got to break a few eggs 832 00:34:21,810 --> 00:34:25,063 and on this shoot, Rick was the head chef. 833 00:34:25,063 --> 00:34:27,357 But relationships weren't the only things heating up. 834 00:34:27,357 --> 00:34:29,192 Temperatures in the desert were soaring. 835 00:34:29,192 --> 00:34:32,779 It was so hot we fried an egg on R2-D2's head. 836 00:34:32,779 --> 00:34:35,490 In August the Tunisians themselves locally 837 00:34:35,490 --> 00:34:36,908 call it "suicide week." 838 00:34:36,908 --> 00:34:39,077 It was unbearable, the heat, 839 00:34:39,077 --> 00:34:41,830 but we didn't have a choice. He wanted Natalie Portman 840 00:34:41,830 --> 00:34:44,291 and that was the only window she had. 841 00:34:44,291 --> 00:34:46,459 She was going to school, I think, full time 842 00:34:46,459 --> 00:34:47,836 during the making of the films. 843 00:34:47,836 --> 00:34:49,546 Just really, really working hard. 844 00:34:49,546 --> 00:34:51,298 Was exhausted a lot of times. 845 00:34:51,298 --> 00:34:54,926 NARRATOR: And to make a bad situation even worse... 846 00:34:54,926 --> 00:34:58,305 the crew still had to shoot the epic pod race scene. 847 00:34:58,305 --> 00:34:59,639 CHRISTIAN: So there's these stands 848 00:34:59,639 --> 00:35:01,349 with Tunisians all dressed up 849 00:35:01,349 --> 00:35:03,518 in rubber heads and helmets 850 00:35:03,518 --> 00:35:06,021 and we had somebody doing what they had to do and then cut. 851 00:35:06,021 --> 00:35:08,815 Get the helmets off 'cause they would've died in this heat. 852 00:35:08,815 --> 00:35:10,692 NARRATOR: With the Tunisia shoot about to wrap, 853 00:35:10,692 --> 00:35:12,193 Roger Christian could look forward 854 00:35:12,193 --> 00:35:14,487 to a well-deserved break. However... 855 00:35:14,487 --> 00:35:18,116 Lucas had just one more tiny request 856 00:35:18,116 --> 00:35:20,452 for his fatigued second-unit director. 857 00:35:20,452 --> 00:35:22,412 George then said, "You'll have to carry 858 00:35:22,412 --> 00:35:24,039 the last ten days of the shoot. 859 00:35:24,039 --> 00:35:27,334 I have to go back to the Ranch. We're under such pressure. 860 00:35:27,334 --> 00:35:30,712 This is the most complex film we've ever handled 861 00:35:30,712 --> 00:35:31,838 special effects-wise." 862 00:35:31,838 --> 00:35:33,715 NARRATOR: And just like that 863 00:35:33,715 --> 00:35:36,176 George flew home and left Roger 864 00:35:36,176 --> 00:35:38,094 to direct the rest of the movie. 865 00:35:38,094 --> 00:35:40,889 His imagination is really working overtime. 866 00:35:40,889 --> 00:35:43,808 NARRATOR: Well, for VFX supervisor John Knoll 867 00:35:43,808 --> 00:35:45,435 that was a problem. 868 00:35:45,435 --> 00:35:49,981 CHRISTIAN: John said, the special effects-wise was 3,200 shots. 869 00:35:49,981 --> 00:35:54,361 Every shot had a digital effect 870 00:35:54,361 --> 00:35:57,447 and the digital effect may have been just 871 00:35:57,447 --> 00:36:00,075 having you shake your head... 872 00:36:00,075 --> 00:36:02,202 or move you to the other side. 873 00:36:02,202 --> 00:36:04,496 NARRATOR: And George's attention to detail 874 00:36:04,496 --> 00:36:05,789 wouldn't end there. 875 00:36:05,789 --> 00:36:07,415 I know the film was shot... 876 00:36:07,415 --> 00:36:10,460 a lot of it was shot in... 1997. 877 00:36:10,460 --> 00:36:12,712 The film didn't come out till 1999. 878 00:36:12,712 --> 00:36:15,465 There was a lot of reworking and reshooting. 879 00:36:15,465 --> 00:36:17,926 NARRATOR: But George did have an ally. 880 00:36:17,926 --> 00:36:19,928 His legendary sound effects creator 881 00:36:19,928 --> 00:36:21,930 and now editor, Ben Burtt. 882 00:36:21,930 --> 00:36:24,891 The experience of cutting Young Indy digitally 883 00:36:24,891 --> 00:36:26,726 was paying off big time. 884 00:36:27,185 --> 00:36:28,311 This is... 885 00:36:29,229 --> 00:36:31,398 cyber directing. [CHUCKLES] 886 00:36:31,398 --> 00:36:33,024 LUCAS: Right? Yeah. 887 00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:34,943 LUCAS: 3-D editing. 888 00:36:34,943 --> 00:36:37,987 NARRATOR: George's galaxy was coming back to life. 889 00:36:37,987 --> 00:36:41,324 Throughout 1997 and into 1998, 890 00:36:41,324 --> 00:36:43,952 work continued on the blockbuster. 891 00:36:43,952 --> 00:36:46,788 Lucasfilm's archivist/archaeologist 892 00:36:46,788 --> 00:36:48,707 now has a new job to perform. 893 00:36:48,707 --> 00:36:50,708 Crafting Phantom's trailer. 894 00:36:50,708 --> 00:36:53,336 We're very aware of all the expectations 895 00:36:53,336 --> 00:36:56,256 that are resting on this little piece of film 896 00:36:56,256 --> 00:36:59,092 because it's gonna set the emotion that we're gonna 897 00:36:59,092 --> 00:37:01,177 bring to the release of the film. 898 00:37:01,177 --> 00:37:04,597 So much depends on the reaction to this trailer. 899 00:37:04,597 --> 00:37:06,599 NARRATOR: But while making the trailer, 900 00:37:06,599 --> 00:37:10,812 David had come to a devastating conclusion about the film. 901 00:37:10,812 --> 00:37:14,607 It's not exactly what I was looking for. 902 00:37:14,607 --> 00:37:17,235 NARRATOR: He had a huge decision to make. 903 00:37:17,235 --> 00:37:20,029 "Are we gonna make a trailer... 904 00:37:20,029 --> 00:37:21,990 that reflects what this movie really is... 905 00:37:21,990 --> 00:37:23,908 QUI-GON: Are you brainless? 906 00:37:23,908 --> 00:37:26,828 ...or are we gonna make the trailer for the movie that we wish this was?" 907 00:37:26,828 --> 00:37:29,330 We went with, "Let's create the trailer 908 00:37:29,330 --> 00:37:31,332 that... that we thrill to see 909 00:37:31,332 --> 00:37:34,586 before you find out what you're really gonna get." 910 00:37:34,586 --> 00:37:36,671 NARRATOR: In November of 1998 911 00:37:36,671 --> 00:37:40,675 The Phantom Menace teaser premiered to great fanfare. 912 00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:42,802 They had lines outside the theater 913 00:37:42,802 --> 00:37:45,096 to get in to see movies that would never 914 00:37:45,096 --> 00:37:46,681 have had lines to get in to see it. 915 00:37:46,681 --> 00:37:48,683 The anticipation was that high. 916 00:37:48,683 --> 00:37:51,227 NARRATOR: The question was, would fans see through 917 00:37:51,227 --> 00:37:52,937 David's own visual effect. 918 00:37:52,937 --> 00:37:54,689 MUIR: You know, I think one of the first shots 919 00:37:54,689 --> 00:37:56,024 when you start to see these things 920 00:37:56,024 --> 00:37:57,442 and we don't know what they are 921 00:37:57,442 --> 00:37:58,943 emerging from the mist... 922 00:38:00,403 --> 00:38:02,530 and you hear the music... 923 00:38:02,530 --> 00:38:05,200 and my God, if that didn't get you, nothing would. [CHUCKLES] 924 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,702 [STAR WARS THEME PLAYING] 925 00:38:10,288 --> 00:38:11,956 -[SPEAKS GIBBERISH] -[WHOOSHING] 926 00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:14,501 People really responded well to that trailer. 927 00:38:14,501 --> 00:38:17,170 People are going to the theater, buying tickets, 928 00:38:17,170 --> 00:38:19,088 going in, watching the trailer... 929 00:38:19,088 --> 00:38:21,758 And then come back for the second screening 930 00:38:21,758 --> 00:38:25,094 of that movie just so they could watch the trailer again. 931 00:38:25,094 --> 00:38:26,721 We always felt misgivings. 932 00:38:26,721 --> 00:38:28,806 I just hope that people would forgive us for that 933 00:38:28,806 --> 00:38:31,017 eventually because it was a sincere gesture. 934 00:38:31,017 --> 00:38:32,644 We were trying to show them 935 00:38:32,644 --> 00:38:34,896 that somebody here knows what you wanted. 936 00:38:34,896 --> 00:38:37,482 NARRATOR: David's misgivings over the quality of the film 937 00:38:37,482 --> 00:38:39,692 initially appeared to be misplaced. 938 00:38:39,692 --> 00:38:42,195 It was, uh, well received in those early screenings. 939 00:38:42,195 --> 00:38:44,697 NARRATOR: This gave George the confidence to use Jar Jar 940 00:38:44,697 --> 00:38:46,658 as a major promotional tool. 941 00:38:46,658 --> 00:38:48,952 They thought Jar Jar Binks was gonna be 942 00:38:48,952 --> 00:38:52,121 this massive smash success character. 943 00:38:52,121 --> 00:38:54,582 Those who have seen the private screenings 944 00:38:54,582 --> 00:38:56,042 of this film in advance, say... 945 00:38:56,042 --> 00:38:59,170 -Yeah, what's the... -...the effects are stunning. 946 00:38:59,170 --> 00:39:02,465 NARRATOR: But Lucas was, at heart, a storyteller 947 00:39:02,465 --> 00:39:04,968 and if the effects didn't tell a story, 948 00:39:04,968 --> 00:39:06,511 it would all be for nothing. 949 00:39:06,511 --> 00:39:08,638 George always said to me, 950 00:39:08,638 --> 00:39:10,473 "The important thing is story... 951 00:39:11,683 --> 00:39:12,809 characters... 952 00:39:13,851 --> 00:39:17,063 sets, so you know where you're at... 953 00:39:17,063 --> 00:39:20,984 but visual effects only when you need them." 954 00:39:20,984 --> 00:39:23,194 NARRATOR: The only important answer to that question 955 00:39:23,194 --> 00:39:24,904 would come from the fans. 956 00:39:24,904 --> 00:39:27,365 One week from today Star Wars fans 957 00:39:27,365 --> 00:39:30,076 will get their first glimpse at George Lucas' prequel. 958 00:39:30,076 --> 00:39:33,329 The Phantom Menace hitting theaters near you. 959 00:39:33,329 --> 00:39:36,833 NARRATOR: Fan appetites proved insatiable. 960 00:39:36,833 --> 00:39:38,459 -[CHEERING] -They're here to get tickets. 961 00:39:38,459 --> 00:39:40,503 -It's Star Wars, you know? -Waited 20 years. 962 00:39:40,503 --> 00:39:42,255 It's... It's time to get back into it. 963 00:39:42,255 --> 00:39:44,757 [CROWD SHOUTING IMPERIAL MARCH] 964 00:39:46,467 --> 00:39:48,177 There's no way it's gonna be a disappointment. 965 00:39:48,177 --> 00:39:50,305 [DRAMATIC MUSIC] 966 00:39:51,431 --> 00:39:54,183 NARRATOR: On May the 19th, 1999, 967 00:39:54,183 --> 00:39:56,561 The Phantom Menace premiered marking an end 968 00:39:56,561 --> 00:39:58,855 to Star Wars', "Dark Age." 969 00:39:58,855 --> 00:40:01,691 Are there any of you that think this is gonna be a lousy movie? 970 00:40:01,691 --> 00:40:03,276 CROWD: [SHOUTS] No! 971 00:40:03,276 --> 00:40:04,652 [SCREAMING] 972 00:40:07,739 --> 00:40:09,949 NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the immediate reaction 973 00:40:11,034 --> 00:40:12,327 was one of... 974 00:40:12,327 --> 00:40:15,079 When is it gonna... get there? 975 00:40:15,079 --> 00:40:16,706 I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, 976 00:40:16,706 --> 00:40:19,709 "When is that feeling of Star Wars gonna come back?" 977 00:40:19,709 --> 00:40:21,336 You get to about an hour or so into it 978 00:40:21,336 --> 00:40:24,422 and that's when it hits you like a ton of bricks. 979 00:40:25,757 --> 00:40:27,717 It's not gonna happen. 980 00:40:27,717 --> 00:40:30,011 I don't wanna bag the movie, but I don't think I cared about the characters. 981 00:40:30,011 --> 00:40:31,888 I'm not too big on the acting. 982 00:40:31,888 --> 00:40:34,641 I think I deserve a public apology from George Lucas. 983 00:40:34,641 --> 00:40:37,727 People who saw the film as young people, children, 984 00:40:37,727 --> 00:40:39,729 have now grown up. They're looking at this 985 00:40:39,729 --> 00:40:41,564 with nostalgic expectations 986 00:40:41,564 --> 00:40:43,399 through the eyes of a child's memory. 987 00:40:43,399 --> 00:40:46,611 NARRATOR: And it wasn't just the old-school fans 988 00:40:46,611 --> 00:40:48,488 that felt let down. 989 00:40:48,488 --> 00:40:49,781 It wasn't to my taste. 990 00:40:51,699 --> 00:40:53,284 Absolutely not. 991 00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:55,078 I actually left during the credits 992 00:40:55,078 --> 00:40:56,913 I was so... shocked. 993 00:40:56,913 --> 00:41:00,291 After I saw the movie I went out and I sat in my car and I cried... 994 00:41:01,125 --> 00:41:03,211 because I was so sad. 995 00:41:03,211 --> 00:41:05,880 You... He told me... 996 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,675 that his vision for the prequels 997 00:41:08,675 --> 00:41:10,760 were gonna be much more like The Godfather 998 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:12,970 and dark and moody and... 999 00:41:12,970 --> 00:41:15,306 and more cloak and dagger-ish. 1000 00:41:15,306 --> 00:41:18,768 Like, "Oh, that could be really cool." 1001 00:41:18,768 --> 00:41:21,854 Anyhow... didn't quite turn out that way. 1002 00:41:21,854 --> 00:41:24,148 I thought the movie was racist. 1003 00:41:24,148 --> 00:41:26,150 I mean, there were Chinese men... 1004 00:41:26,150 --> 00:41:28,277 [CHINESE ACCENT] You think she suspect an attack? 1005 00:41:28,277 --> 00:41:29,529 There were... 1006 00:41:29,529 --> 00:41:31,197 what was he supposed to be? Jewish I think? 1007 00:41:31,197 --> 00:41:32,740 [AFFECTED VOICE] I am a Toydarian. 1008 00:41:32,740 --> 00:41:35,660 Mind tricks don't work on me. Only money. 1009 00:41:35,660 --> 00:41:38,830 George was upset by the accusations 1010 00:41:38,830 --> 00:41:41,124 particularly of racism against him 1011 00:41:41,124 --> 00:41:44,502 because George... anyone isn't racist it's George. 1012 00:41:44,502 --> 00:41:46,921 There's a little bit of regret there. 1013 00:41:46,921 --> 00:41:49,757 If I was there, I know the prequels 1014 00:41:49,757 --> 00:41:53,261 would've been better and I think part of that... 1015 00:41:53,261 --> 00:41:57,974 problem is that he had "yes men" around him. 1016 00:41:57,974 --> 00:42:00,476 NARRATOR: While the film came in for some heavy criticism, 1017 00:42:00,476 --> 00:42:03,479 it was nothing compared to the backlash one character received. 1018 00:42:03,479 --> 00:42:05,231 Mesa called Jar Jar Binks. 1019 00:42:05,231 --> 00:42:06,774 Mesa your humble servant. 1020 00:42:06,774 --> 00:42:08,234 JONES: The reaction to Jar Jar, 1021 00:42:08,234 --> 00:42:10,570 I think Lucas was genuinely surprised. 1022 00:42:12,113 --> 00:42:14,574 I think Ahmed Best, um, you know, gets a bum rap. 1023 00:42:14,574 --> 00:42:16,826 In terms of doing what was asked of him? 1024 00:42:16,826 --> 00:42:18,244 He was great! 1025 00:42:18,244 --> 00:42:20,747 Just the character is not particularly well-conceived. 1026 00:42:20,747 --> 00:42:21,914 [UPBEAT MUSIC] 1027 00:42:21,914 --> 00:42:23,124 NARRATOR: The thing was 1028 00:42:23,124 --> 00:42:24,834 George was looking at the bigger picture. 1029 00:42:24,834 --> 00:42:27,128 There was a whole new generation in front of him 1030 00:42:27,128 --> 00:42:30,214 ready to be swept up into the Star Wars universe 1031 00:42:30,214 --> 00:42:31,632 and their reaction was... 1032 00:42:31,632 --> 00:42:33,634 There's a lot more action in it than all the others 1033 00:42:33,634 --> 00:42:34,886 and that's why I liked it more. 1034 00:42:34,886 --> 00:42:36,429 I asked my son. He was six 1035 00:42:36,429 --> 00:42:38,639 and he said he loved Jar Jar Binks. 1036 00:42:38,639 --> 00:42:41,642 A lot of action. A lot of noise. It was cool. 1037 00:42:41,642 --> 00:42:44,353 Well, I've got two girls. Jar Jar Binks came on 1038 00:42:44,353 --> 00:42:46,022 he was their favorite character. 1039 00:42:46,022 --> 00:42:47,482 WOMAN: What's your favorite character? 1040 00:42:47,482 --> 00:42:49,066 Uh, Jar Jar Binks. 1041 00:42:49,066 --> 00:42:50,610 NARRATOR: George's creative decisions 1042 00:42:50,610 --> 00:42:53,321 had been vindicated by his legions of new fans 1043 00:42:53,321 --> 00:42:55,907 and by the box office. 1044 00:42:55,907 --> 00:42:58,910 The film made over $900 million 1045 00:42:58,910 --> 00:43:00,661 during its initial run. 1046 00:43:00,661 --> 00:43:04,874 Here's the kicker. You wait, uh, 20 years later? 1047 00:43:04,874 --> 00:43:06,834 Suddenly people who were 10 at the time 1048 00:43:06,834 --> 00:43:09,837 are now 30... Favorite film. 1049 00:43:09,837 --> 00:43:11,255 Absolutely adored it. 1050 00:43:11,255 --> 00:43:15,259 Maybe it was really smart to make a Star Wars movie 1051 00:43:15,259 --> 00:43:18,262 towards... made for that new generation. 1052 00:43:18,262 --> 00:43:20,097 NARRATOR: George had made yet another 1053 00:43:20,097 --> 00:43:23,351 massively successful chapter in the Star Wars saga. 1054 00:43:23,351 --> 00:43:26,437 Once again, he'd done it outside of the Hollywood system 1055 00:43:26,437 --> 00:43:28,231 and on his own terms. 1056 00:43:28,231 --> 00:43:29,774 And... action! 1057 00:43:29,774 --> 00:43:32,068 NARRATOR: All while pushing film-making technology 1058 00:43:32,068 --> 00:43:34,403 ahead by decades and paving the way 1059 00:43:34,403 --> 00:43:36,030 for blockbusters to come. 1060 00:43:36,781 --> 00:43:38,491 But what about the fans 1061 00:43:38,491 --> 00:43:40,618 who'd been there from the beginning? 1062 00:43:41,869 --> 00:43:45,540 Could he afford to leave them in the past? 1063 00:43:45,540 --> 00:43:47,875 There was a lot of pressure on George 1064 00:43:47,875 --> 00:43:51,087 to somehow make Episode II... 1065 00:43:52,088 --> 00:43:53,923 more likeable. 1066 00:43:53,923 --> 00:43:56,801 NARRATOR: Lucas had committed himself to financing two more films 1067 00:43:56,801 --> 00:43:58,719 and there was no guarantee audiences 1068 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:00,930 would return for more. 1069 00:44:00,930 --> 00:44:03,224 George had a decision to make. 1070 00:44:03,224 --> 00:44:05,977 Should he listen to his critics and respond accordingly? 1071 00:44:05,977 --> 00:44:09,021 The human element and the story got pushed out of the frame. 1072 00:44:09,021 --> 00:44:10,523 NARRATOR: Or look inward 1073 00:44:10,523 --> 00:44:13,234 and follow his heart? 1074 00:44:13,234 --> 00:44:15,570 With his father's words echoing in his head... 1075 00:44:15,570 --> 00:44:18,239 POLLOCK: [ECHOES] Control your own fate. 1076 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,867 Make your own financial decisions. 1077 00:44:22,618 --> 00:44:25,288 NARRATOR: He knew the choice he had made 1078 00:44:25,288 --> 00:44:29,375 could decide the future of the entire franchise. 1079 00:44:29,375 --> 00:44:30,960 [CLICKS] 1080 00:44:32,169 --> 00:44:33,254 This party's over. 1081 00:44:36,299 --> 00:44:38,676 [DYNAMIC MUSIC]