Archived Rumours XI

• Bounty Hunter in Comics
  Here's something from the official site;
  There's no holiday for bounty hunters this year, as Dark Horse Comics unleashes two of Episode II's most fearsome predators in comic format. Jango Fett and Zam Wesell are each introduced to readers in their own titles. Star Wars: Jango Fett, by Ron Marz and Tom Fowler, is due out around Christmas 2001, while Star Wars: Zam Wesell, featuring the creative team of Ron Marz, Ted Naifeh and Dave Stewart, is scheduled for release in January 2002.

• No Episode II Trailer Until November
  Rumors are still running rampant on the web and in print magazines about the release of an Episode II trailer with Planet of the Apes this summer. And while this looked to be the perfect timing and film to attach it to, we want to reiterate that Lucas has stated publically that we'll see it in November and there's been nothing to connect the trailer to the film except for the same studio and the similar genre. We'll just all have to wait until this fall for out first look at Episode II

• New Character Uv Gizen in Episode II
  A character, UV GIZEN, is officially known as the Supreme Chancellor's AIDE, or right-hand man. Sources outside of Lucasfilm said that he has something to do with the attempts on the life of Senator Padme. And in one scene, he is riding aboard a small one-man floating scooter in the middle of the confused Jedicouncil. What is the confusion over? Perhaps because after this aide is seen chatting briefly with the new Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the future Emperor announces the tragic and disturbing news that Senator Amidala of the Naboo system had been assassinated!

• Anthony Daniels Talks Episode II
  There is a short interview with Anthony Daniels in a regional paper's leisure part called the '7 Days' Here are the main things he said about the prequels: -
  1) He is busy on Episode Two and has signed up for Episode Three.
  2) His role in Episode Two is that of puppeteer.
  3) He admitted he has returned recently from Tunisia, but wouldn't confirm if it was based in a desert world.
  4) He said "In the new film, some of the places where Padme/Amidala hangs out are just beautiful in decorative terms, architecturally quite beautiful".
  5) When asked if he will reveal anything else he answered "You have to wait and see. I think it's better to let the audience imagine. The secrecy is for all sorts of reasons."
  6) He adds that Ewan McGregor has "more to show off" in the next episode.
  7) "They like me on the set because I go "wow". Alot of the spaceships are made of plastic. They are rubbish but they look fantastic."
  8) It also says how another of the few things he will give away is that most sets are computer generated behind the actors, and scenes for the next few films are expected to be even better"
  9) A final point he adds, although I'm uncertain whether it concerns Episode Two, or just the previous films is that he says there is only an actor in R2D2's suit about one percent of the time, the rest is remote control. -theforce.net

• The Dark Side of the Force
  An informant of theforce.net has some intersting tumour and information:-
  Anakin begins to turn to the dark side in Episode II. After seeing TPM, I thought that Anakin's turn to the dark side would be something to do with him loosing faith for not being able to free his mother from slavery.
  But apparently the cause goes much deeper than this. Not feeling comfortable with the blossoming relationship between Anakin and Padme, Obi-Wan decides to take matters into his own hands and when something happens to Padme he tells Anakin that Padme has in fact died! The result of this - or the result of Anakin finding out that Obi has in fact lied to him - pushed Anakin over the edge and starts his path down the road of the dark side.
  This also goes a long way to establishing the resentment that builds up between mentor and tutor.
  Now this would seem to be accurate on several levels, including the Select picture that showed Padme with scratches on her back. Perhaps she is captured or kidnapped and Obi-Wan needs to refocus Anakin to the task at hand so he tells the young Jedi that she is in fact gone. At some point further down the road in the movie they discover, of course, that she is in fact alive and Obi-Wan lied.

• 10 Minute Trailer in the UK?
  This is Sunday Newspaper report from UK newspaper "News of the World". Probably completely false, but here is the report anyway. It appears on the Showbiz column by "Rav" on page17.
  (Headline) TEN-MINUTE WAR-NING
  Get ready for more Star Wars craziness. A ten-minute trailer for the new Episode Two will be shown in cinemas over here from December. Last time they did that, fans were paying to get in, watching the trailer, then leaving! -theforce.net

• Lucas on 'hot-rod' scene on Episode 2
  Lucas was just on access hollywood, and he explained the "American Grafitti" episode 2 select pic from a few weeks back. He said there is a "hot-rod scene in Episode 2 with a yellow hot-rod" so he thought it would be a little humor to stick the vehicle in with Mel's Diner from American Graffit.. -theforce.net

• Funny moments from Sydney, Australia
  Here are some humorous moments on set in Sydney. This article comes from theforce.net:
  I think they were filming what will become an intimate scene between Padme and Anakin, as the camera was looking up towards her from it's position, almost a close-up view of her face. The best part about watching this scene though is that the actors kept fluffing it completely.
  
  They would get to a particularly tender looking moment and Natalie would suddenly laugh. "Cut" would be called and they would try again, but as they already had the giggles they would ultimately end up doing the same thing over and over. I was told they did this same thing about a half dozen times before they finally got it right.
  
  Later there was another intimate moment being filmed between Anakin and Amidala. This scene was particularly important to George, and he would whisper hints of advice to Hayden and Natalie. They probably did about 8 takes of this scene, one had to be re-done because Hayden's nose started to run! But they were eventually happy when George yelled - "Cut ... perfect."

• Hayden and Natalie?
  According to E! Online's Gossip Section, Natalie Portman and her Star Wars: Episode II costar Hayden Christensen, catching a movie in Harvard Square. On a school night. The usually cute Ivy League coed dressed like a student, not a star, in a knee-length black raincoat, jeans and Adidas sneakers. The pair trotted out of the theater arm in arm.

• Christopher Lee to use Lightsaber
  From the French Edition of the Star Wars Insider, it is officially confirmed that Christopher Lee will use a lightsaber! -theforce.net

• Episode II Select Unwrapped!
  If you are still what wondering what the latest Select picture is, here it is... click on image to enlarge.
  
  What we're looking at is essentially a landscape shot of the Lars Homestead on Tatooine.
  Picture from episodeii.com
  

• Episode II Sets and Backdrops
  theforce.net came up with a short list of many of the major sets and backdrops. Keep in mind that the digital nature and massive amounts of blue screen could allow many more scenes or backdrops to be added in post-production with the greatest of ease. Here's the list they provided:-
  The Queen's chapel
  Boba/Jango Fett's office
  Aunt Beru's Kitchen
  Freighter hold
  Palpatine's office/room
  The Queen's apartment
  A street set
  A Huge cave that took up half of a sound stage
  A big night club/cantina
  Also of interest, a green ship and the landing pad for Slave-1. There was also a ship called a "Solar Sailer" and also a highly detailed model of a heavily-armed troop transport of some sort as well.

• Episode II Storyboards: Fight Sequence!
  Naboonline.com received a few storyboards scans from their infomant. It is believed to be real. However, due to the fact that they do not want to get into trouble with Lucasfilm, they have decided to not post those images. However, there is a panel by panel description of the storyboard.

• Rumour: Weapon of the Emperor
  theforce.net 's source tells them that the "Emperor" will have a lightsaber that is singled ended, and Scimitar shaped (meaning it is a curved blade).

• Smits on Episode ii
  The local NBC affiliate news here in philadelphia just showed an interview with Jimmy Smits talking about Episode ii. Nothing new really, he said he only appears in the movie very briefly and that it was a lot of fun being in Australia and working with the cast. -theforce.net

• Episode ii Call Sheets!
  TheForce.net has received some scans of a few possible Episode II call sheets. There are several scenes from the sheets that will sure to excite all Star Wars fans! :-
  Several of the scenes to be filmed (or are filming currently) in Elstree Studios in England are listed in the call sheets. Two scenes to be filmed include KI-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, 6 Jedi stuntmen and 4 Neimodian pilots. In the scene description, which is partially cut off, it looks like someone is trying to load some kind of droid onto the droid control ship. Wow, Neimodians? Pilots? Droid Control Ship? Another scene to be filmed includes Obi-Wan by a small blue window-like structure. There are several Hologram scenes in Episode II as well, with at least two from the Chancellor's Office and one on Tatooine.
  To find out more, Click Here!

• Seville Wrap-Up!
  On September 13, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman finished their last day of principal photography on Episode II. The Plaza de España in Seville, Spain was the beautiful backdrop for their final scene. Hundreds of enthusiastic fans stayed throughout the day, bringing with them cheers and banners. Director George Lucas, Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll and other members of the crew stayed and signed autographs for an hour after the shoot. -starwars.com

Rumour Highlight

Anthony Daniels signs on for Episode III

A ten-minute trailer for the new Episode Two will be shown in cinemas over in the UK from December.

Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen, was seen catching a movie in Harvard Square.

Episode II Information

"In the new film, some of the places where Padme/Amidala hangs out are just beautiful in decorative terms, architecturally quite beautiful"
-Anthony Daniels

Episode II Spoiler

Obi-Wan discovers that the Geonosians are secretly builing a massive battle droid army

Anakin and Obi-Wan guard Padme in her apartment from assassins