Highlight to read: This is probably the coolest idea to come out of Lucas in awhile, if it isn't a stupid mistake. I was also talking with some friends over it and this is most likely a flaw on Lucas's part, but it still interesting. If you look at the scene in which Darth Maul is done fighting Qui-Gon and he looks up deactivating his lightsaber it shows you the bottom of the lightsaber...which has no hole for a second blade to come out of in order to make the double-saber. But on Naboo in the final battle it does. Two different sabers for two different clones? Or just a mistake.
Highlight to read: There is the possibly of several Darth Mauls in Ep1. First, teeth seemed changed throughout the film. When he said "At last we will have our revenge," all his teeth looked white. later, during the final duel, they were distinctly black and red. But couldn't this be just a blooper? I must point to the braid on Obi-Wan which changed sides twice throughout the film, and the numerous other inconsistencies which have been present in this film as well as in the trilogy.
Highlight to read:Darth Sidious is angered over the death of his apprentice (Darth Maul). Then the author states that he will have to search for another.
Highlight to read: Yoda is shown facing a hooded Sith Lord. The rumor about yoda possibly having a part in the land battle at concord dawn is very much a large possibility but yoda is not going to like go out and rack heads with jump kicks and stuff but instead use the force to carry his lightsaber in the air and fight with it that way or something to that affect. Heath has logically put together a possible scene for Epiosde-2 using clues from the other four movies.
Highlight to read: Despite the fact that a new Galactic crisis brewing. Obi-Wan Kenobi has traveled with Anakin Skywalker to the planet Tatooine. They venture to Mos Espa only to find that his mother Shmi is no longer there. A quick interrogation of his former master Watto reveals to whom she has been sold. By the time they find her she is dying from ten long years of abuse. She dies in her sons arms, never blaming him for what happens. Obi-Wan wisely guides him from the scene. In the meantime news that the marauding forces, which have been working their way from planet to planet, are being orchestrated by A Dark Lord of the Sith known only as Sidious has reached the council. They summon Obi-Wan back to Coruscant, the Jedi are to become involved in a war. Yoda urges Obi-Wan to leave Skywalker behind not wishing for the still unstable young Padawan to be entered into combat. In light of the events that have just transpired Obi-Wan agrees. He looks up his brother Owen who in the past ten years has married and set up residence on the planet as a moisture farmer. He agrees to take in the distraut young man and give him food and shelter until Obi-Wan can return to take charge of him once more. During Obi-Wan's absence Anakin tracks down and confronts his mother's former owner, who shrugs off her death as insignificant. Anakin releases his anger by killing the man. An action which takes him by surprise, but fills him with a sense of satisfaction. He also feels power. He will keep this event secret from everyone. Believing he can use his new found power for good Anakin leaves using credits he found on the dead mans person to buy passage off the planet so that he might find Obi-Wan and help in the struggle.
Highlight to read: the July/Aug Cinescape cover, and the Darth Maul on the Cover of the Episode I novel. They are VERY noticeably different. Either this IS a prelude to something bigger, or Lucas did make a MAJOR marketing goof.
Highlight to read: Darth Maul clones today, I have to say I think you are right. If you notice the Tatooine Maul always keeps his mouth closed even when he fought Qui-Gon. But the Maul on Naboo showed his teeth alot. Not only that but if you look at him on the three planets his facial features are a little bit different.
Highlight to read: There is a scene of Concord Dawn concept art, and he says that while there are many pieces of mass Jedi Duel concept art, [nobody has heard of a Jedi Duel on a planet named Concord Dawn.] He went on to tell me that Lucas did not like using Coruscant in Episode 1, and the only reason he kept the name "Coruscant" was because he had to, every Star Wars fan knew the name. He went on to say that not many fans know about Concord Dawn, so Lucas does not have to use it, and as Lucas doesn't like using names he did not create, he will not use Concord Dawn. As for Jedi Duels being more medi-evil that "martial artsy," he said that was a lie. All the Jedi duels that they draw are done so in the presence of stunt choreographers, and every Jedi duel concept art he has seen or completed has been done so true to Kendo-Style. The mass-Jedi duels (and he says the art of those that he have seen and completed look "absolutely unbelievable." He went on to say that many pieces of art in which Jedi Knights are battling hundreds upon hundreds of armored troops have been completed (all entitled: "Jedi battle" followed by a number Interesting piece of info on "Yoda and Dark Figure," he says that that art has been redrawn at several different angles, saying that the Dark Figure's face is not visible in any of them, and Yoda is supposedly standing with no facial expression, just looking directly at the figure. He said that piece of art is one of the widely redrawn ones in the studio, the focus the same in each one. Source-8 chimed in with some details on the ground battle at Concord Dawn.
Highlight to read: The fighting in this scene will be more medieval than martial artsy. There will be many more lightsabers than blasters, including the double-bladed sabers (Maul Clone confirmation?). A new weapon used will be a battle axe in lightsaber form.
Highlight to read: In episode II the Victory Class will play a major role in the subjugation of the planets of the galaxy. The first will be commanded by. Who else, but the emperor's most loyal non-force user.Tarkin! Although he will play a background role to the Dark Jedi on board he will still be a major player by the time the 3rd movie roles around. In Episode II Tarkin is supposedly the planetary governor of Tatooine or Concord Dawn...this is just a unconfirmed rumor though. Rumor mills: It has come to the attention of many that Qui-Gon will come back as a ghost in the next two...I would like to believe that...however Lucas as you all know has hinted at something different. A Clone Qui-Gon?
Highlight to read: Darth Maul clones and the new Sith apprentice. Their Darth Maul clones will play a major part in the Jedi Massacre on Concord Dawn. Darth Sidious's new Sith Apprentice has control over these clones, as a military officer of sorts. When the Jedi come to Concord Dawn to stop the invasion, most of them are cut down in a fantastic lightsaber duel with the clones.
Highlight to read: This one scene of many will display the growing evil and the empowerment of the dark side which will soon tempt and takeover Anakin Skywalker. The scene takes place around a large fire perhaps in a camp area after or before a large epic jedi land battle, Mace Windu and Obi Wan along with other jedi sit around it and begin using their powers to lift flames off the fire and into the air and form and warp them into familiar shapes such as star wars creatures and spaceships. They laugh, as they impress each other with their shapes and animations they can create. All is fine and peaceful when suddenly a gigantic fire-formed BEAST breaks into the camera angle and interrupts the session swallowing all the other jedi's flame shapes. A large explosion than happens and just when it looks like the other jedi will be caught in the explosion an implosion (reverse explosion, what you see in underwater when like a submarine explodes, Hunt For Red October) occurs and all the flames suck into a ball in the middle of the circle of the jedi, it then breaks apart erupting in a shower of sparks and smoke which cover the camp where all the jedi are located. Suddenly the smoke rises from an area and you see Anakin Skywalker looking at the other jedi with a somewhat menacing smile. I'm not sure whether this scene will be included in the final film but it certainly sounds really cool, and I think it hints of the dark side which lurks inside Anakin.
Highlight to read: I'm not sure how they came about this info but this is what they said (something to this effect); "George Lucas was so pleased with the energetic lightsaber duel at the end of Episode 1 also with the fan's appreciation of it. He plans to multiply those fight scenes by 10 fold. George also loved the design that went into the creation of Darth Maul and has been working along with his art directors to create even more menacing characters for Episode 2 (if you can believe that). I saw some design work for the new baddies in the new film, they're 2 sith apprentices, they are brothers or maybe even twins, they are aliens and there were markings on the sketch paper indicating that they should have a purple or blue skin color, they had strange warpaint on they're faces but not as many tattoos as Darth Maul. They have no race yet because it's still in the planning stages but they are tall, slender and look like great physical specimens. These two sith warriors will be done entirely in CG and Lucas wants them to be very, very agile and have a lot of dexterity, I mean like jumping around and doing flips while they're fighting the jedi. Each jedi fight scene in Episode 2 will be like watching the final jedi dual in TPM after drinking a couple buckets of caffeine, its really fast and really exciting. These two brothers will work in unison and they will give a new definition to what teamwork is. ILM is currently working and inventing new software to handle the complex animations that these characters will have. Oh yeah expect new weapons to be used by these sith warriors ALA Darth Maul's double-edged lightsaber.
Highlight to read: Another drawing of what looked very much like an X-Wing prototype. The person who saw it reports that it was very similar to the X-Wings we saw in Episode IV, but seemed a bit more rounded and sleek, much like the Naboo fighters in Episode I. The quote from my source: "It looked like a cross between the Naboo fighters and an X-wing."
Highlight to read: This fighter is the Z-95 Headhunter and was built by Incom, the same guys that built the T-65 (X-Wing). So, yes, it is a pretty fair assumption that it was the prototype to the X-Wing, just like LucasArts states. I first saw the Z-95 in the LucasArts games and have also seen it mentioned in one of Timothy Zahn's novels. I am glad that it will probably be seen in Episode 2, since it would really add to the continuity of the saga. I have included some pics of the Z-95, which looks essentially like an X-wing without splitting wings, only 2 cannons, and no R2 unit. What is very interesting is that the Z-95 Headhunter would be in Episode-2.
Highlight to read: Boba Fett plays an important role in Episode-2, but not in the way you'd think. He plays the role of a military officer on a planet called Concord Dawn. Palpatine wants to invade the planet, but can't break through the defense systems. So Fett is their gateway as he becomes a traitor.
Palpatine breaks through the systems and overruns Concord Dawn, where a huge battle takes place. A lot of Jedi that are sent to protect the planet are killed.
Highlight to read: Keeping in mind what George Lucas said on the "From Star Wars to Star Wars" TV Special (with regard to the possible return of Jar Jar) a contact who knows someone in one of the remote (Florida-based) ILM art departments reports that work has not started on Jar Jar for Episode II yet. This department was a key player in the team that put Jar Jar together for Episode I. They do not expect to hear if they will work on Jar Jar again before sometime in July. Of course, George Lucas knows if everyone's favorite Gungan will be back--he wrote the script. But as of right now, he's the only one -- so any "definitive" word that he will or won't be back is probably just rumor for right now -- unless of course George goes on record as saying definitely one way or the other. A couple of other tidbits about things that were overseen A drawing (probably a conceptual sketch) of what seemed to be a roughly man-sized droid. The sketch looked like it was titled "IMS-125" -- some new droid for Episode II?? No idea what its role could be -- good or evil?? Another drawing of what looked very much like an X-Wing prototype. The person who saw it reports that it was very similar to the X-Wings we saw in Episode IV, but seemed a bit more rounded and sleek, much like the Naboo fighters in Episode I. The quote from my source: "It looked like a cross between the Naboo fighters and an X-wing."
Highlight to read: Remember Anakin's dream in Episode-1? Well Anakin and some other Jedi go back to Tatooine to free the slaves so they will not be drafted into Palpatine's growing Empire. On Tatooins, Anakin witnesses a Jedi murder his mother. That Jedi had a secret agenda. He, along with others were uncomfortable with Anakin Skywalker because he is so strong in the Force and he is so young. So they plot to kill his mother to guarantee that no one else like Anakin will ever be born. Anakin learns of their plan and feels betrayed. Palpatine exploits this emotion to bring Anakin to the Dark Side.
Highlight to read: The Jedi are now awaiting an attack on Alderaan (which will not come because Alderaan is a decoy). Anakin disobeys Obi-Wan's orders to go there, because he feels, through the Force, that the real invasion will be at Concord Dawn. Anakin convinces a few Jedi Knights to come with him to the planet where they find out Anakin was right. They battle clones but, in general, lose the battle. A lot of the Jedi that went with him perish in the fight. Obi-Wan comes to his senses and realizes that Anakin was right. So he, along with Amidala and the gang come to their rescue. I mentioned earlier that Alderaan would be playing a major role in Episode-2.
Highlight to read: Alderaan is used as a decoy, by Senator Palpatine, to lure the Jedi away from another planet, under the guise of an invasion. The other planet's name? Concord Dawn. Now that Palpatine has the Jedi tied up, he is free to invade Concord Dawn, but the planet his heavily protected by a variety of defense systems. There is absolutely no way to get through without the proper access codes to get into the system. This is where a famous character steps in. A disgruntled military official from the planet sells them the top secret codes. This officials name is Jaster Mareel...better known as Boba Fett.
Highlight to read: There will be battle grounds, mission objectives, the whole bit. And if you thought the lightsaber battles in Episode-1 were fantastic, you ain't see nothing yet. 1-on-1 fights. 2-on-2 fights. 10-on-10 fights. The clone wars are not, contrary to popular belief, the climax of the movie. Rather the battles take place in the middle of the film. Now for some character information. Obi-Wan Kenobi will have a beard in Episode-2. He has his new lightsaber, the one we see in Episode-4.
Highlight to read: "Naboo Cloning Chamber - version 1." This supports the theory that the Naboo have cloning technology and will have a major role in the Clone Wars. It is a large arched chamber with many cylindrical sub-chambers in two rows, one row down each side. The foreground of the sketch showed the back of a hooded figure looking at the rows of chambers. A second, less developed sketch was untitled, but seemed to show the
Highlight to read: massive interior of some chamber, with what seemed to be large formations of troops. These troops were not sketched in great detail, but seemed to be wearing an armor very much like Boba Fett's. Design sketches have been done for Anakin Skywalker. In most of his designs, he is wearing a braid, ālā Obi-Wan Kenobi. Other designs include
Highlight to read: Wookies. We might see Kashyyyk, which designs have also been sketched for. As promised, here is the Episode-2 news you've been waiting for. The following do contain major spoilers. First of all, a little update on George Lucas' writing. He is down to the last 30 minutes of the movie. So we can expect the script to be complete in the next few weeks. Rumors have been flying around regarding a love triangle between Anakin, Amidala, and Obi-Wan. My source wanted me to clarify that this is not a major theme in the movie. The "triangle" is, in fact, more of Obi-Wan's concern that Anakin is getting too close to Amidala. Earlier, I posted about a location known as the
Highlight to read: Kuat Drive Yards. Now, at that location is a character named Kuat of Kuat. He runs the whole operation there. Kuat of Kuat has a species known as a Felinx as a pet, and there is a scene in the film where he is stroking his pet while watching Star Destroyers being made outside his window.
In that same scene,
Highlight to read: Kuat of Kuat has a meeting with Darth Sidious, where Sidious pulls back his hood to reveal that he is Senator Palpatine. This whole scene has been storyboarded.
Highlight to read: Grand Moff Tarkin will be a prominent character in Episode-2. We see him emerging as a governor in his rise to power. More news tomorrow, so stay tuned. The Clone Wars will not, contrary to popular belief, be held in space. It is a ground war, and a ground war only. Look for the Jedi Council to unite and fight in this fierce battle.
