May 19, 2002 / NBC Extra Interviews Stars of Ep2:
Lucas: "Well in 3, Anakin becomes Darth Vader so that's about as dark as you can get."

• Ewan McGregor comments on his upcoming duel with Anakin Skywalker, "we want it to be the biggest baddest fight scene ever set to movies."

• Hayden on donning the Vader suit, "that will be amazing, to actually, really wear Darth Vader's outfit."

• The announcer reports about the birth of the twins, Luke and Leia, the rise of the Empire, and the fall of the Jedi for Episode 3.

• Samuel L. Jackson talks about his exit in EP3, "I don't think I'm going out like some, some girl. I gotta go down, you know, in a blaze of glory. It (EP3) will lead perfectly into what we know as, you know, the original."
 

May 20, 2002 / Movie Nights Interview with Hayden Christensen:
• (And you say George hasn’t told you anything –have you told him anything that you would like to do what you’d expect for the character?)

"Not really - it’s his molding of it really and how he sees fit, but I have sort of nagged him a little bit about getting to wear the dark helmet and Darth Vader's costume, and he sort of gives me the wink, wink, nudge, nudge that I will – so that would be really cool, but other than that they’re asking me to put on a little bit of weight or size – I’m not going to go De Niro and get real fat but just so I can be wicked with a light saber, so I think there are going to be some pretty extensive fight sequences in the next one especially between Obi Wan and myself and that’ll be fun." (And are you practicing your moves in the mirror – do you sort of pose with a light saber and see how it goes?) "No I don’t do that, but I’m constantly playing with it and trying to find little different things to do with it. Ewan and I have made a pact to go out to Australia a couple of months before we start filming the next one and just get wicked with our light sabers, just so we can really have a go at each other – and you know I get on really well with Ewan so I think we’ll have some really good fun doing that."
 

May 22, 2002 / Star Wars Insider Interview with Lucas:
• (Will any OT characters like Tarkin or Chewbacca might appear in Episode III?)

"There are some, if I can fit them in, but I won't say who they are. Some key characters are scheduled to be fit in if I can make it work. They are not so integral to the story--it's really done to say, 'Oh look, there's so-and-so."
 

May 27, 2002; E! Daily News Interview with Lucas:
...and finally got an answer on the mystery surrounding what R2-D2 and C-3PO should and shouldn't remember of their adventures in the prequels. "Well, one, his brains have, his memory system has been erased and so has R2's. So, they don't remember anything from the first trilogy. I'm telling you something from Episode III, but I shouldn't be telling you that, but I think most of the fans already know that."
 

May 28, 2002 / Interview with Ahmed Best:
Ahmed shares some words on Jar Jar. First, it says he promises to be back in E3, after that it says, "George told me I'm going to be there."
 

Jun 06, 2002 / Lucas interview on Entertainment Tonight:
"The Clone Wars would end at the beginning of the film, and it would then become very small and personal." Looks like the big battle will be at the beginning, like in ESB.
 

Jun 24, 2002 / Starlog Magazine Interviews Lucas:
• STARLOG: And isn’t that Qui-Gon Jinn’s [Liam Neeson] voice we hear during Anakin’s attack on the Tusken Raiders who killed Shmi Skywalker [Pernilla August]?

LUCAS: "That’s a fan thing, isn’t it? It’s actually more than that. It’s a plot point. All I can really say is that you’ll find out [more] in the next film. If you thought really hard, you would probably be able to figure it out, but it really is a set-up for the next film. It’s connected with the whole ability to be brought into and become a part of the Force, but still be able to retain YOUR ability – which, up to this point, Anakin couldn’t do. We talked to Liam about [recording new dialogue], and we went back and forth [about it]. This [dialogue] is something we already had [from Menace]. Next time will be a little more complicated."

• STARLOG: What about Boba Fett?

LUCAS: “Boba WILL be in Episode III, but his role definitely won’t be larger. He’s in a transition period of becoming a bounty hunter. The next film takes place two or three years later, so Boba would only be 13 and still wouldn’t fit in the suit."

• STARLOG: And what about killing Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Mace Windu?

LUCAS: “Sam’s a little concerned that I make it nice and dramatic. It won’t be in the movie’s first scene.”"

• STARLOG: What of all the plot threads and character tidbits that remain to be tied up in Episode III are you – the guy who created this whole universe – most excited to get on film?

LUCAS: "The scene where Anakin does actually become Vader is pretty good [as written in Lucas’ Episode III outline]. I mean, I like it. It’s a little in the vocabulary of…I don’t know how much I want to give away…but it’s in the vocabulary of a time – of the 1930s and 1940s. It’s a pretty neat little thing, I think, and hopefully it’s going to work."

• STARLOG: Will we see more of Anakin or Darth Vader in Episode III?

LUCAS: "It’s mostly Anakin."
 

Jul 16, 2002 / Nick Gillard Comment at Celebration II:
When asked what he may have in store for the final Duel in Ep3 between Anakin and Obi-Wan, he said that he wasn't 100% sure that he'd be doing the choreography on Ep3 because he was starting to direct. Nick expressed how much he enjoyed directing, but also how he would probably not miss out of putting together what was sure to be the most memorable moment of any Star Wars film... the final duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan.
 

August 02, 2002 / OS "Ask jedi Council", Rick M. Question:
Will Hugh Jackman be in Episode III?

Answer: "No, we haven't spoken to him.I've heard the recordings on the net of a fan asking me that question at Celebration II in Indianapolis. What happened was that I couldn't hear the question, even when he repeated it, and the moderator said to me, "I think he's asking about Sio Bibble (Oliver Ford Davies)," so I replied, "Yes, as of now" or something like that. I didn't realize he was asking about Hugh Jackman. That's a question I misunderstood."
 

August 03, 2002 / Interview with George Lucas in Film Comment magazine,p.32 Jul/Aug issue:
FC: One last question: In ANH, why don't R2D2 and C3PO tell Luke what happened in the first 3 episodes and tell him who his father is?

GL: "Should I really tell you why that didn't happen? Their memories will be erased at the end of EpIII. In the end when it's all finished, I'm sure people will spend a lot of time figuring out all the loopholes."
 

August 27, 2002 / Natalie Portman: "Forbidden Love" / starwars.com feature interview:
• ...Lucas had to give Portman a summary of all three prequels before she signed on to play Padmé for Phantom Menace. "He mainly told me the plot of the three films and where we were going," she said. "I pretty much knew the basic storyline of Attack of the Clones from the start, because George had given me the basic gist of what was going to happen when I decided to do all three movies at 14."

• That means that Portman is one of the few people who has been given a heads-up on what's in store for Episode III from the man himself. "It's very basic--I think it's pretty much what everyone knows about Episode III," she said. "The children are born, and Anakin goes to the dark side. But that's pretty much all I know."

• But does Natalie Portman know what part Padmé plays in Anakin's tragic turn? "I don't think you can say someone else's decisions or actions are caused by a particular person," she said, "but I think everyone's environment shapes them. So I have a feeling that everyone who ever came into Anakin's world had some effect on him that led him to where he ended up--and especially Padmé, being such a central part of his life, from such a young age, probably influenced him a little bit."
 

September 04, 2002 / Preparing for Episode III, McCallum Interview / OS:
• With George Lucas busy writing the final film in the Anakin Skywalker saga, Producer Rick McCallum is mobilizing the rest of the creative team for the three years of work ahead.

• A small team of artists have already been doing some exploratory sketches. "They've been doing research on some different scenes and potential new environments," reports McCallum. "We meet with George once a week for review. These preliminary visuals serve as inspiration for writing, more than anything else. We won't be in full mode until the script is closer to completion next year."

• Even the post-production crew at Industrial Light & Magic is keeping one eye on the upcoming project. "We're really going to pump up the 3-D matte department at ILM," McCallum said. "We're looking to cast for that in early September, in the next few weeks. We expect to have twice as many as we did for Episode II, where they did a fantastic job."

• Shortly, McCallum plans to travel to Australia to finalize agreements with Fox Studios in Sydney where principal photography for Episode III is to take place next summer. From there, he will head to London to meet with the U.K. crew and stop by Elstree Studios.

• Another task for this winter is the start of location scouting. "For Episode II we visited Spain, Italy and Tunisia. In the next few months we'll nail down what we need for Episode III, and then try to find it," said the producer. "I just got back from Croatia and Bosnia on a holiday. I found some really great spots, but I doubt they are right for this film. Incredible stuff that I'll file in my brain for some future project maybe. We'll start scouting for Ep III in the early part of November."

• Look for most of the actors from Episode II to return with the story focusing on the characters played by Hayden Christensen (Anakin), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan), Natalie Portman (Padmé) and Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine). "Effectively, we're 95% cast except for incidental characters," said McCallum. "That probably won't begin until February or March of 2003."

• "We're planning for a summer 2005 release," McCallum nodded, "and that's about all there is to tell at this point."
 

September 08, 2002 / TFN SPY REPORT / Ian McCaig Returns for Episode III:
Ian McCaig will not be attending the Sydney sessions of Star Wars: Magic of Myth Industry Seminar or Conversations which begins September, 18th. Word has it that Rick McCallum has asked him to begin work on Star Wars Episode III. Ben Snow, Visual Effects Supervisor, will replace him instead.
 

September 08, 2002 / Sydney Morning Herald; Episode III to Film in March 2003:
...an article in the Sydney Morning Herald with some clues to Episode III's start date for principle photography and set construction:

- A spokeswoman for Fox Studios said two top-flight crews were freed up when The Matrix sequels finished shooting last month.

- And with The Fountain apparently in limbo waiting for another green light from Hollywood, the next definite booking at the studio was George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode III next March.
 

September 08, 2002 / SWMovies.net Interview / Doug Chiang will not be returning for Episode III:

...For fans who followed the production of Attack of the Clones, or who spent many hours watching the extra's on the DVD of The Phantom Menace, the face of Doug Chiang was a familiar sight. He easy manner and excellent communications skills really allowed the viewer to feel like he was talking directly to them. Could it possibly be true that he wasn't returning to head up the team for Episode III?

"Glenn,

Yes, it's true that I resigned earlier this year to work on another film. It was a very hard decision especially after 13 years with the company. However, if my schedule allows I will try to contribute some designs for ep 3."

Best, Doug

So it looks like Doug Chiang will definitely not be heading up the Concept Design Team for the final film of the trilogy. In this interview with 3DArtist FV from July '01 Doug referred to his time with ILM in the past tense.
"While at ILM I was always striving to improve my skills, both as an artist and as a designer. I was happy with the work at ILM but a part of me felt the desire to keep growing."
 

October 03, 2002 / James Earl Jones to Voice Darth Vader Again at ORT Toronto:
...As for Star Wars, he really is coming full circle as Vader. Plans are to return him as the voice of Vader in part three of the new Star Wars trilogy, which currently has a release date of 2005. "George Lucas says 'When Anakin goes bionic -- that will be in the last five minutes of episode three -- they will hear you." He gives his seal of approval to Hayden Christensen, the current Anakin Skywalker and the man who will be Vader. "Aren't you impressed with him?" he says. "I like his whole bearing, the spine, the neck ... he's like a snake." Not that he feels at all proprietary about who plays Darth. "No," he laughs, "the little kid (The Phantom Menace's Jake Lloyd) got me over that."
 

October 07, 2002 / SciFi.com Interviews SLJ on Mace Windu's Fate:
Samuel L. Jackson told SCI FI Wire that he is preparing for his character Mace Windu's big death scene in Star Wars: Episode III. "I know what's going to happen," Jackson said in an interview. "I gotta go there. I gotta die." Jackson went on to explain that he had a lunch meeting with George Lucas last month, during which time he tried to find out details of his character's impending demise. "We were just talking about stuff," Jackson said. "And then [Lucas] finally said, 'Okay, so you know you've got to die. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to kill you yet, because I guess you're the most important guy that's going to die. In the other ones, Obi Wan is still there and Yoda's still alive and Darth is still there.' So I become the most important character that can die. I guess it's got to be pretty dynamic. So he's working that out." Star Wars: Episode III goes into production in June 2003 for a May 2005 release.
 

October 10, 2002 / Ep2 DVD Commentary info from TFN's early DVD review:
His (George's) discussion during the arena battle sequence centers around Mace Windu, where George mentions the character's demise at the end of the Clone Wars. George also articulates that Bail Organa will be featured much more in Episode III, and that actor Jimmy Smits had to deal with just being introduced in AOTC. George at several other points reminds listeners of the importance of Episode II in that it is Anakin's move from innocence in The Phantom Menace to his complete downfall in Episode III.
 

October 14, 2002 / Countingdown.com Interview with John Williams:
• (Can you give us a rundown of the film scores you have upcoming?)

"Well, I'm certainly busy as ever, which I enjoy. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely in my future. Star Wars Episode 3 will follow that, which I'm very much looking forward to doing. It's like the completion of an epic journey."
 

October 15, 2002 / E! Interview with Samuel L. Jackson about Ep3:
"Actually, I don't know much. I had lunch with George Lucas a couple of weeks ago, and we kind of touched on it. The most he would say is, "Well, sometime next summer, I guess I'll be killing you." I was like, "Yeah, I guess so." He'll tell me how I die later on. But I know I won't make it to the end. In the first Star Wars, there were only three Jedis left - Luke, Obi-Wan and Yoda. That's it. Everybody else is dead."

Hera are some great Facts not rumours for all you great star wars fans :

March 02, 1997 / Lucas on BBC Radio:
"...the third film will be the darkest of the prequels."
 

March 04, 1997 / Lucas interview for BBC Radio One:
"...and the third one is the dark one - it will probably fit in really well with 21st century!"
 

April 21, 1998 / Lucas Interview:
"Luke failed his challenge in Empire Strikes Back in that the only thing he lost was his hand. Anakin will fail his challenge but it will cost him his soul."
 

October 11, 1998 / TFN Spy Report:
"Just got back from a lecture given by James Earl Jones at Penn State. He spoke about the arts and gave a thoroughly enjoyable speech. During the q & a session, he did happen to mention that his voice will only be heard during the last 5 minutes of episode #3. I guess we can all look forward to that."
 

March, 1999 / Lucas Interview:
"The man Leia called Father was obviously not her father. He is part of the group that ends up having to fight Darth Vader in the film that will be out in 2003 [laughs]."
 

April 23, 1999 / Premiere Magazine Interview with Lucas:
• (And the next episodes in the prequel series will be darker than Episode I?)

"By their very nature. The next one isn't so bad. The third one's pretty bad."

• (That's when Anakin goes over to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader?)

"Yes. Episode III will probably make half of whatever the others make..."
 

May 2, 1999 / Rick McCallum at the Denver Star Wars Celebration:
"George Lucas will "unquestionably" be directing Episode Three." McCallum also revealed the third prequel begins filming in June 2003 and will be released in May 2005.
 

May 18, 1999 / Rosie O'Donnell Show: Natalie Portman made it official: she's signed to star in Episode III.
 

February, 2000 / Lucas MP3 from "Magic of the Myth":
"The Empire is portrayed in very hard blacks and whites, most of the sets are dark grey and the emperor's in a black cloak, the stormtroopers are all in white and the royal guards are in a deep maroon - the significance of which will become more apparent when you're able to see all six films together. I tried to keep things very much in black and whites and greytones and not introduce very much color. The only colors introduced are basically red or maroon/dark maroon which is kind of reminiscent of blood and also very royal kind of color."
 

February 24, 2000 / McCallum Interview with InsideReel.com:
"Dangerous. Dark in a gentle darkening way. But all to say it's the story of the fold. How do you get this perfect kid that, if you're a parent, is the kind of kid that any parent would love to be able to have and what happens to him. Is it ego? Is it pride? Is it environment? Is it genetics that actually turns him into who he becomes? What is it that makes somebody feel better than somebody else? What is the Dark Side in us? Why do we do horrible things to people, especially people that we love? And then, what are the consequences when we do them? Why can't we stop ourselves? All those are the central basic themes of what Episodes II and III are about. It's the downward spiral."
 

May 31, 2000 / TFN Spy Report:
Jimmy Smits will appear in Episode Three. What's very interesting is the fact that Smits has been promised his character's part will be significantly expanded in Episode Three; again, very similar in nature to Jackson's role as Jedi Master Mace Windu in Star Wars, Episode Two which Lucas has said is an "emerging character".
 

February 10, 2001 / Empire Magazine Lucas Interview:
"...if you start with Star Wars, then Vader’s just the villain, and that’s it. But you don’t realize that he’s a human being, that he’s got problems you don’t realize that he could have been saved, that he was tricked and can be resurrected."
 

March 19, 2001 / James Earl Jones spoke at a lecture:
When asked whether he would do Darth Vader for Episode III "Are you kidding?" he says, which is a good point, "Who else are they going to get? I saw George Lucas in Idaho and asked, ‘Do I work again?’ and he said, ‘Well, at some point in the third episode [of the new trilogy, which is about the transformation of young Anakin Skywalker into the evil Darth Vader], Darth will become bionic and he should sound like you then.’" He said there might be no more than five minutes at the end. "And I said, ‘Fine, I’ll take whatever you can give me.’"
 

April 21, 2001 / Lucas Interview:
"...the third film is very, very, very dark. It's not a happy movie by any stretch of the imagination. It's a tragedy. Ultimately the final story is between Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin and the Padmé. It's really their story. Those four characters."
 

March 27, 2001 / Rick McCallum interview in Australian Sci-Fi Magazine:
"If fans of Obi wan were disappointed that he had a pretty low profile in Ep1, then they are going to be very happy with EpII, and ecstatic about EpIII."
 

May 18, 2001 / Brisbane radio station B105:
Jay Laga'aia (Capt Typho) said he was approached by Rick McCallum about being cast in Episode III even though George Lucas has not written the script yet.
 

June 06, 2001 / OS Making of Ep2 Video about location shooting with an emphasis on using Tunisia for Tatooine:
Lucas is asked out of nowhere while on the Tunisia set, "So why did you shoot a scene from Episode III today?" He responds with "you'll have to wait six years to find out", but then he goes into a bit more detail. He says that it's the only shot he'd need for Episode III at the Tunisia location, and shooting it now makes more sense than packing up a crew of 60 people down the line. When asked what he'll do if he ends up needing more shots in Tunisia, he replies "Then I don't get it."
 

June 10, 2001 / TFN Spy Report (not corroborated) on Tatooine Scene Already filmed for Ep3:
"The 'one shot' for episode 3 that Lucas got while filming in Tunisia was quite simple but needed for a more emotional scene probably towards the end of Episode 3. Additional interior shots will be added when shooting on the set of Episode 3. Lucas wanted a shot of Obi-wan arriving at Owen and Beru's hovel bringing a little delivery. There was no baby on the set of Episode 2. Just a simple prop that looked like the Jedi was carrying a baby wrapped with cloth. I'm assuming we will see the close ups of young Luke in Episode 3 but that is just speculation on my part. George didn't need to bring Ewan all the way to Tunisia for one shot! He just needed a shot of Obi-wan arriving at the hovel. So it was shot with a stand-in from a distance toward the end of the day. He wanted to get the shot while the sun was near setting. It will most likely produce a feeling of deja-vu with most of those that saw Star Wars years ago. Although Ewan was not on the set....if Lucas wanted to he would just add him in digitally....but I doubt it. Again....the majority of this scene will most likely take place on a set in Australia."
 

August 15, 2001 / TFN Spy Report (based of OS report) on Lava Planet pre-production art work:
"When we were doing [Jedi] I remember I had done a series of sketches of Vader's home, and there was a sea of lava that his house looked out on," remember Johnson. "I remember having trouble drawing it because everything was either orange or a shadow; it was very intense. But before we got too far, George said he would save this for somewhere down the line, and I stopped working on it."
 

November 13, 2002 / Interview with John Williams:
John Williams talks about the themes of Episode II and also mentions that George Lucas has told him the ending of Episode III. "Not to worry", Williams says. "George Lucas has narrated the last piece to me. After I heard it, I told him, 'Just hurry up and do it, because that is a fabulous ending.'"
 

November 16, 2001 / TV GUIDE Interview with Lucas on Episodes 7-9:
• (ANY STAR WARS MOVIES AFTER EPISODE III?)

"There's nothing written and it's not like I'm contemplating something. I'd have to start from scratch."

• (WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO DO A THIRD TRILOGY, WITH EPISODES VII,