With the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace approaching, we discuss the development and production of the first movie of the sequel trilogy.
Another Star Wars movie is celebrating a big anniversary this year. It may surprise some, but The Phantom Menace debuted in movie theaters 25 years ago this coming May. As Lucasfilm and Star Wars fans around the world get ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace, we take a look back at the development and production of the first movie of the prequel trilogy. We focus on many members of the cast and crew that made this movie happen. In addition, we take a look at some of the milestone moments leading to the release of the movie, including the first teaser trailer, the announcement of the title, the release of the movie posters, and the technical issues around watching the trailers online.
In this fully armed and operational episode of Podcast Stardust, we discuss:
- What was happening in Star Wars after Return of the Jedi and before The Phantom Menace,
- What changed in the film industry that inspired George Lucas to make the prequels,
- Some of the key people responsible for The Phantom Menace,
- A couple of casting stories,
- How George Lucas ended up directing this episode of Star Wars after approaching other directors to do it,
- Some of the issues that plagued filming The Phantom Menace,
- The distribution of the movie, and
- The trailers, poster, and title of the movie.
Thanks for joining us for another episode. Please subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and spread the word to all of your Star Wars friends. May the Force be with you!
Don’t forget to check out our last episode on the development of The Force Awakens in episode 674.
Contact the Hosts
Dennis Keithly can be followed @DJKver2 and Jay Krebs is @JoyceKrebs.
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Find all of our episodes and Jay’s unboxing videos on YouTube.
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Podcast Stardust is the fully armed and operational podcast inspired by the code name for the Death Star. Hosted by first-generation Star Wars fans, Dennis Keithly and Jay Krebs, Podcast Stardust endeavors to bring thought provoking discussion on recent Star Wars news on a weekly basis. Between news episodes, Dennis and Jay review the latest episodes from Star Wars television covering everything from Resistance, Rebels, and The Clone Wars to The Mandalorian and other live action productions on Disney+. Of course, Podcast Stardust wouldn’t be complete without thematic discussions, top ten lists, and interviews on everything from Star Wars literature, comics, and the films themselves.