Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Behind-the-Scenes

‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’ Released 25 Years Ago – Take a Look Behind-the-Scenes

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Mr. Daps
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25 years ago today, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released into theaters. This was the first new Star Wars movie in years and kicked off a new era of Star Wars with new characters, locations, and also fans. 25 years after this movie arrived in theaters, StarWars.com has shared some behind-the-scenes photos of the making of this movie. Take a look at these photos below!

Shooting the Mos Espa Grand Arena miniature for the Podrace sequence.
Paintina a Jar Jar costume bust in the creature shop.
Ray Park sits for his Darth Maul makeup.
Preparing to film the Senate vote against Chancellor Valorum.
Security protects the entrance ramp to the Naboo Royal Starship. The ship and background, shot on blue screen, would be added later.
Life-size Podracer props on-set, used for closeups.
Ray Park (left) practices with assistant stunt coordinator Andreas Petrides.
Naboo N-1 starfighter prop on-set.
Kenny Baker, whop played R2-D2 in the original trilogy, returns for select scenes.
Filming the Tatooine trek sequence in Tunisia, with the ramp and blue-screen underbelly of the Naboo Royal Starship in the background.
The busy Mos Espa spaceport set in Tunisia.
In The Phantom Menace, C-3P0 appears in an early form — without his signature gold coverings. To bring this version of the droid to life, production employed a mixture of techniques old and new: A puppeteer employed the classic Japanese Bunraku method, standing behind C-3P0, and was digitally erased.
Ray Park is catapulted backwards during a fight scene in Tunisian.
Full-scale prop of Sebulba’s Podracer, used for closeups.
Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) leads her security forces into the Naboo Royal Palace — in front of a blue screen that would be filled in later.
Filming the Jedi’s arrival at the Naboo Royal Palace.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is once again in theaters again. In the film, two Jedi visit Naboo to negotiate a trade dispute. However, things don’t go as planned and soon they find themselves in the middle of something much darker and more sinister than ever imagined. While they try to help the people of Naboo, they find a young boy who is incredible strong with the Force. This isn’t the only discovery, however. They also encounter Darth Maul, a new Dark-side threat. The Phantom Menace is the first chapter in the Skywalker Saga and is the first chapter in the Palpatine’s rise to power, the Clone Wars, and eventually the Rebellion against the Empire. After a 16-year hiatus, it was the first Star Wars movie and kicked off a fairly consistent stream of Star Wars content ever since.

What do you think of these behind-the-scenes photos of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace? Which one is your favorite? Did you see The Phantom Menace in theaters 25 years ago? Are you seeing it this time around? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!

Mr. Daps

Mr. Daps is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Daps Magic! Find Mr. Daps regularly at Disneyland with his trilby and bow tie taking pictures and simply enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth. He is the weekly host of GEEKS CORNER and your reporter for all that Disney And Positive Stuff. Find videos of all of that one the Daps Magic YouTube channel.  Mr. Daps is also a Brand Ambassador with Her Universe! Find Mr. Daps on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads! If you see Mr. Daps in the parks, be sure and say hi!

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