• Obi-Wan and Anakin will have four scenes underwater which won't amount to much screentime.

• The first scene will involve Obi-Wan tangling with an enemy combatant and will involve close-ups of Obi-Wan.

• The last scene requires a wave machine and the water will fill a room to its ceiling. The set is lowered into the water to give the illusion of rising water.

• Matt Sloan has finished his scenes as Plo Koon and a wrangling droid.


August 18, 2003; SW Insider #70 Tidbits from Rick McCallum:
(Chewbacca delivers the Skywalker twins to Obi-Wan Kenobi?)
McCALLUM: “Can’t comment.”

(By the end of the film, Yoda ends up on Dagobah?)
McCALLUM: “These rumors are pretty good. We’ll see.”

(Anakin loses more body parts?)
McCALLUM: “Absolutely.”

(We’ll see Darth Sidious wield a lightsaber?)
McCALLUM: “Maybe. If you’re good. Maybe.”


August 20, 2003; Hyperspace: "A Helpful Alien on a New World"

• Today's shooting focused on a new planet, with new landing platforms and wind machines providing a breeze. The architecture of the planet is curved and ribbed and gives the environment an alien feel. The planet will be primarily digitally created since it is unlike any earthly environment where location shooting could help.

• The planet's inhabitants are costumed performers and not digital aliens. The aliens "look fantastic" and "creepy" and "impossible" with inhuman proportions and angular costumes.

• Bruce Spence and two other actors were on set to shoot their scenes. A ground crew of aliens will be digitally added for the scene(s).

• Spence's character is tall, gaunt, has macabre makeup, an ashen complexion, obsidian eyes and twisted teeth - giving a chilling smile that got reactions from the crew.

• George was impressed with Spence's performance and did many takes to get the most of the great shots.

Hyperspace Webchat with Rick McCallum

• Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine) has a much larger and important role in Episode III (for obvious reasons).
• Rick has been trying to convince George to do a cameo in the prequels but George refuses.
• The emphasis of Ep3 is as much story as Visual FX.
• Ep3 will have the same emotional depth as ESB.
• Visually, Ep3 is the most ambitious film yet due to all the number of new planets.
• The film will end on a sad note, but there is hope for the future of the story (Classic Trilogy).
• Rick can neither confirm nor deny whether the character Tarkin will be in Ep3.
• Three major lightsaber duels have been shot so far.
• The underwater tank set will feature a scene where Obi-Wan fights with droids.
• Rick asks that the fans have faith in the decision to go with the CGI trooper suits as opposed to actual costumes.
• George is always making changes (likely to include the script to Ep3).
• Rick's favorite film of the saga is Episode V.
• Rick realizes the fan anticipation for this final film in the SW saga.
• When asked if he had a favorite character in Ep3, Rick stated that he thought Palpatine was fantastic.
• Three words that Darth Vader speaks in Ep3 are "I don't fear..."
• The movie will explain all of Anakin's injuries except for one (the facial scar as noted in the recent HS set diary).
• Currently, production is two days ahead of schedule, but the underwater scenes (with the water tank) are quite challenging.
• Ep3 will provide the answers the fans have been waiting for, but may also pose some new questions.
• The opening battle is entirely in space, but there will be land battles in the film.
• Only small segments of the duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan have been filmed. The main action is yet to come.
• September 19th will be Hayden's last day of filming.
• Rick and/or George have never changed a scene for musical scoring purposes.
• Kamino is not in Episode III.
• Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) will film his scenes in March of 2004.
• The underwater scenes are not a battle, but a fight.
• Count Dooku will only use one lightsaber in Ep3.
• One character in the film will use two lightsabers at once "and he's bad."
• A certain amount of Jedi will die in Ep3, but Rick would not specify how many.
• There will be a scene when Anakin is given the name of Darth Vader and an explanation as to why he was given the name and what it means.
• Rick refused to comment on the possibility of a volcanic environment or planet.
• We will see Mace in a certain form of "space action".
• Rick would not give any hints on the EU character that appears in the film.
• All the hairstyles are bad in Ep3, which will link the film to the Classic Trilogy.
• It won't be the special effects that make the Obi-Wan/Anakin duel so thrilling, it will be the betrayal.
• Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars) will shoot one day's work of shooting in 2004.
• We will definitely see Palpatine/Sidious use an "awesome display of the dark side of the force".
• Beru Whitesun (Bonnie Piesse) will appear in the film along with Owen.
• Rick felt saddened, shocked, angry and betrayed after reading the story of Anakin's downfall.
• Chewbacca will be easily identified during his scenes and character depth will be added to the classic trilogy Chewbacca.
• The originally planned six sets of alien armor have been reduced to one set.
• The one character that will make the best action figure is the one character Rick is not allowed to discuss.
• Dave Prowse will not be playing Darth Vader.
• Many people believe the reason Anakin turns to the dark side is a love triangle between Anakin, Padmι and Obi-Wan.
• John Williams will begin scoring the film in November of 2004.
• The last ten minutes of the film will be "a dream come true" for all fans.
• Until a final cut of the film is ready, it is too early to predict how the score may blend in with some of the Classic Trilogy musical themes.
• Rick didn't confirm or deny that a major character in the film, other than Boba Fett, is a clone.
• The story will move much quicker than the previous films.
• About 80 pages of script have been shot so far.
• "Birth of an Empire" is not even close to the real title of the film.
• Currently, the script is 129 pages long.
• Ewan McGregor may do a webchat in a few weeks.
• Rick's favorite set to shoot for this film was the Classic Trilogy set.
• Jar-Jar does not die in the film.
• The animatics that Rick has seen for the film are "brilliant".
• Ep3 will conclusively answer whether Palpatine is Sidious.
• Kit Fisto will not use a double-bladed lightsaber.
• The "rule of two" (Sith at once) remains true in Ep3.
• There is still one big role that has yet to be cast.
• Padmι is a Senator throughout Ep3.
• Dormι will not return for Ep3.
• Ep3 is a "2-hour turn to the dark side".
• Boss Nass will not appear in Ep3.
• At the end of the movie, the twins Luke and Leia are less than a month old.
• We will see Padmι pregnant in the film.
• Anakin will have scenes named "ceiling of a flooded room".
• We will see female Jedi fighting in Ep3.
• We will see who was born first, Luke or Leia.
• We will see Yoda fighting again.

the official 'Star Wars' website has officially revealed that Senator Palpatine and Darth Sidious are in fact the one and same.

Thanks to his piece: Palpatine instituted a military build-up unprecedented in galactic history. He created the New Order, a Galactic Empire that ruled by tyranny. The Jedi Knights, his biggest threat, were extinguished by his greatest dark side pupil: Anakin Skywalker, who had become Darth Vader. The only reason i have posted this is because everyone seems to think palpatine & sidious are not the same our tht palpatine is a clone of sidious episode 3 will reveal that both are the same

EP3: Ryan Church Chat Highlights
The Official Site updated with a chat with Ryan Church, concept designer for Episode III. Here's some highlights from what was a stellar day for spoilers:
We will see prototype TIE Fighters.
We will see both the "used universe" design style common in the Classic Trilogy as well as the sleek, "pretty" environments seen so far in the prequels.

We will see evidence of Rebel Alliance ships.

We will see a new location on Naboo.

The new bad guy has a lot of screen time, a memorable role, and he is central to the plot.

Ryan designed the prototype for the X-Wing.

Some of the old Ralph McQuarrie images were incorporated into Ep3. At the start of designing, George pointed out certain designs he definitely wanted to see in the film.

There are not too many scenes that take place in or around a Death Star.

The new Federation Cruiser is a large and aggressive warship. It will look "slightly familiar".

My pleasure Lando it makes it alot easier to have it all on one thread insted of running all over the place looking for spoilers ...btw the rumours of the duel being  surrounded by lava seems to be true .The duel on the set of episode 3 is said to be donned i red lighting !!

Anakin's transformation to Darth Vader is extremely graphic. Anakin suffers complete burn wounds from the neck down. His head takes severe injuries also. Anakin is going to look horrible. Due to some of the intense scenes shot for Episode 3, Lucas is going to have a hard time getting a PG rating in the United States. The death star plans are not primary to the Episode 3 plot. The dark side cave on Dagobah will not be seen. Sidious will remove his hood during the movie. Episode 3 WILL reveal how Jedi become ghosts/spirits.

We will be seeing more of Coruscant." - John Knoll

 "Tatooine will tie everything together in Ep3." - Rick McCallum

"There are a few scenes you will go nuts over." - Gavin Bocquet


 The last 3 pages of the script gave Rob Coleman goosebumps.


 There is a sequence in Ep3 that makes Rob Coleman think "this is what I always wanted to see in the prequels".


Page 7, word twelve of the script is "trench". - John Knoll

"Expect someone serious as the new villain." - Rick McCallum


• "We will some new, even bigger monsters/creatures." - Rick McCallum


• "A character from the Clone Wars cartoon will appear in Episode III." - Rick McCallum


• "The Clone Troopers will again be CG, yet different than seen before." - John Knol


• "We will see lots of great changes like the transformation of clones into stormtroopers, uniforms, etc." - Rick McCallum

• "We will see Battle Droids (including Supers) and Destroyer Droids in Episode 3 - as well as some cool new ones." - Rick McCallum


• The battle droids in Ep3 will be a mix of what we've seen before, but the clone troopers will have some new markings to match their new designs. - Star Wars.com

• "The clonetroopers will be all CGI and there will be new variations of them that look really cool." - Rick McCallum


• "All the characters are moving to the way we first saw them in the Original Trilogy as far as look." - Rick McCallum


• "The scenes for the EU character will not be shot until 2004 and no one has been cast for the part." - Rick McCallum


• "Wat Tambor is back, and "badder" than ever." - John Knoll


• Rune Haako only has one line. - Star Wars.com


• "Artoo will still have his jet rockets." - John Knoll


• Plo Koon will have a brief appearance in Episode III, but the script requires very specific actions for him. - Star Wars.com


• Plo does have scripted dialogue in Episode III, but there is no guarantee that it'll remain in the finished film. - Star Wars.com