'Phantom' blasts into Japan with record take
JAPAN (AP) - "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" erupted like wildfire in box-office-starved Japan, setting an industry opening weekend record of $12.2 million ($16.7 million with previews) on 403 screens. The opening blast beat the entry of "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" by 20%, according to 20th Century Fox. "The Phantom Menace" led the way in another torrid overseas summer weekend that saw "The Mummy" topping the $100 million mark, and "The Matrix," "Tarzan," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Notting Hill" maintaining a pace that is reviving the box office wherever they set foot. With Japan rated as "Phantom's" top market, the George Lucas prequel, which has reached a foreign total of $80.5 million, is expected to top $100 million this coming weekend with second-weekend results from Japan and other overseas markets.

'Star Wars' tickets cause frenzy
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Force was kind to those who waited. Advance tickets for the first "Star Wars" movie since 1983 went on sale Wednesday amid a frenzied demand matched only by the film's hype. "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," a prequel to the earlier George Lucas trilogy, doesn't open until May 19. But that didn't stop fans across the country from putting up with driving rain, long lines, busy signals and clogged Web sites to become the first to buy tickets. Despite the film's early mixed reviews, tickets sold out within minutes. Director-producer George Lucas initially barred advanced sales to prevent scalping, but relented under pressure from theater owners. In a compromise, theaters restricted sales to a maximum of 12 tickets per person.

Star Wars Trailer Released!!
This is what everyone has been waiting for! The trailer this time reveals more of the character, speacial effects, lightsaber duels, space battles and excellent speacial effects!!
If you have not seen it, you can download it Here! (starwars.com)
For international release date of the trailer, Click Here! (starwars.com)
If you want a shot-by-shot description of the trailer, Click Here!
Pictures from the 2nd Trailer! Click Here!
If you want to see the movie poster, Click Here!

Episode 2 plot revealed!!!
This was found on the news letter of filmthreat. The plot was submitted by an unnamed source and the plot sypnosis sounds legit. I recommend you to read this with skepticism. Click Here for the sypnosis. (filmthreat.com)

Subtitle Font Revealed
Subtitles are currently being added to Star Wars: Episode I. The translations are for Ben Burtt's Huttese language, the voice of choice among Mos Espa locals. The lucky font used is ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Bold, 69 point with -30 tracking, a match to the titles used in the original Star Wars Trilogy. (StarWars.com)

Desciption of Trailer B revealed!
Some one has leaked a shot-by-shot description of the forthcoming second Episode 1 trailer, which is due out in March. Word is that the trailer is very very long and feature a lot more dialogue which helps to make clear the overall plot of the film.
The trailer also gives a definate release date of May 21st 1999 but unfortunately early signs say that it will not feature any of John Williiam's new score, but rather use of music from the previous movie. (Full Force)
Click Here for the description.

2nd trailer to be released!
In an official statement, star-wars creator George Lucas and official starwars site starwars.com have announced the forthcoming release of a SECOND Episode 1 trailer. As George Lucas announced this week, the Star Wars: Episode I trailer will be released this March in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. At the same time, expect to see a new one-sheet poster featuring characters from the film. (As with the teaser one-sheet, the new poster will be available through www.starwars.com's online store. (Full Force)

Who is the Phantom Menace?
The obscure villain implied in the title The Phantom Menace turns out to be a character named Darth Sidious, the last of an ancient race of people called the Sith, who were conquered by the same Dark Side of the Force nastiness that eventually claims the soul of Anakin Skywalker in George Lucas' new trilogy. Weirdly enough, only audiences for The Phantom Menace will know Sidious exists; the characters don't see him, but we do. Not so with his apprentice Darth Maul (Ray Park), a corrupted Jedi with whom the young Obi-Wan Kenobi has a show-stopping duel with light sabers. (Film.com)

Jar Jar Binks confirmed exist!
A new character entirely generated by software named Jar Jar Binks has been satisfied by confirmation that he indeed exists. Jar Jar is an upright, lizard-like creature who is sidekick to Liam Neeson's samurai-looking Jedi knight, Qui-Gon Jinn. Essentially, Jar Jar is Chewbacca to Qui-Gon's Han Solo, though comparisons between Neeson's and Harrison Ford's characters probably end there. Qui-Gon serves as mentor to Obi-Wan Kenobi just as the latter becomes mentor to little Anakin Skywalker. (Film.com)
Dialog between Jar Jar Binks and Qui-Gon Jinn can be found on TheForce.net

Evan McGrogor confirms involvement in Episodes 2 and 3.
"There is a film with his uncle (Wedge Antilles) and then, somewhere along the way, there are TWO MORE Star Wars prequels ("Am I meant to say I'm in them?" he wonders. "Well, I am. F*** it. I am. I'm in them all. All three." thus spake Ewan. (StarWars.com)

Episodes 2 and 3 to be filmed in Australia.
At a packed press conference in Sydney, Australia, on November 4, Lucas announced that he will make the second and third episodes of the series at the newly opened Fox Studios Australia, which recently housed production on George Miller's Babe sequel. (The Phantom Menace was shot in England.) Episode II is scheduled to start shooting in April 2000, and Episode III sometime in 2003. Variety reports that the combined price tag for parts two and three will be $240 million, making this the biggest production commitment in Australian film history. (Film.com)

Star Wars ends at Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi.
In an official statement, star-wars creator George Lucas has stated that the saga will end at episode 6: Return Of the Jedi. This ends speculation that the saga was supposed to consist of NINE installments, and that Lucas would work on Sequel episodes 7, 8 and 9 after his work on the prequels was complete. Producer Rick Mcallum jokes "we'd all be dead by then!" George Lucas says that his main reasons for ending the saga at ROTJ was because he had not thought out stories for eps 7, 8 & 9 and that he wanted [after the prequels] to lay Starwars to rest and work on some small 'experimental movies' (the possibility of another Indiana Jones adventure??!!). When asked whether he would allow other screenwriters/directors to continue the Starwars saga, George Lucas simply said "probably not". (Full Force)

Fox is the Official distributor for the Star Wars films.
Peter Chernin, president and chief operating officer of News Corporation and chairman and chief executive officer of the Fox Group, Thursday announced that 20th Century Fox has entered into a far-reaching agreement with Lucasfilm Ltd. to distribute the next three Star Wars films, which are prequels to the original Star Wars trilogy. Fox will handle the worldwide theatrical and video distribution for all three of the upcoming films. In addition, Fox Broadcasting Co. has licensed the network broadcasting rights to the first of the new films, tentatively titled EPISODE I. (FOX)

Quick Facts

Episeode 1 Reviewed! Click Here!

For the match up of the cast and their character, Click Here!

Ten years are supposed to pass over the course of the trilogy.

In the movie, Qui-Gon Jinn, "Venerable" Jedi Knight is age 60 and Obi-Wan Kenobi is aged 25.

Star Wars 2nd Trailer is Out!! More on PrequealMania News.

TPM is set 30-40 years before 'A New Hope'

Obscure villain implied in the title The Phantom Menace is Darth Sidious! More on PrequealMania News.

New character named Jar Jar Binks has been satisfied by confirmation that he indeed exists! More on PrequealMania News.

The Jedi Council consists of 12-members.

Coruscant and Tatooine will be main settings in the film.

When Steven Spielberg was asked how he liked the movie when he saw it recently, he said that he loved it and would probably see it about 12 or 13 more times.

Click Here for the Star Wars midi!

'Balance of the Force' was the proposed title for Episode 1 before The Phantom Menace was selected as the official title.

The final battle scene is the one that took one year for ILM to write software to create.