7/12/98: AUSTRALIA, PICK-UP SHOOTING

7/9/98: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S STUDIO SCORECARD

6/30/98: TONS OF MISCELLANEOUS INFO

6/24/98: NEW PHOTOS FROM UK STAR WARS MAGAZINE

6/24/98: MORE EPISODE I VIDEO OBSERVATIONS

6/24/98: MAKING OF EPISODE I VIDEO OBSERVATIONS

6/23/98: MAKING OF EPISODE I: CHAPTER ONE

6/11/98: POSITIVE PREQUEL NEWS

6/10/98: TAKING A CLOSER LOOK...

6/8/98: POD RACE STORYBOARD?

6/8/98: OFFICIAL WORD FROM LUCASFILM ON FILM "PROBLEMS"

6/6/98: MORE RESHOOT STUFF

6/5/98: LEAVESDEN SETS, EPISODE 1 TRAILER RUMOR

6/02/98: CONCERNING AICN'S REPORT OF FAULTY PREQUEL FOOTAGE

I find it hard to believe that any of this could have happened. I've had some experience where the developed footage came out too dark, and we had to reshoot, but nothing like this. If there is a problem, it has to be in the processing. An error by the camera crew would be caught quickly. As far as focus is concerned, its the life-blood of the first assistant's job. The shots are printed ASAP and delivered to the studio. There is no quicker way to get fired than to have a series of shots turn out to be incorrectly focused.

There are too many fail-safes for the production to advance to this point and then to discover this. Today, the cameras (Arriflex, Panavision, Movicam, whatever., Episode 1 used Arriflex cameras) are fitted with video adapters (wireless and otherwise) that are affixed to the camera's viewfinder. They don't bypass the lens. Any of numerous video monitors on the stage and in the production offices would be able to detect a focus problem.

Also, I would have to believe that dailies were shown and that the takes were printed. I've never worked on a film where they held the film (the purpose of everyone's labor) in a can for more than a day. The second camera assistant always makes notations as to which takes are to be printed. The director and script supervisor clearly specify this. The takes have to be printed before it can be transferred to video. The video playback supervisor may record every take for immediate playback, but the actual film is the main product for video editing. There is no way that Lucasfilm would keep undeveloped film in a can for six months. No way. The film is subject to degradation in color if it is not developed within a reasonable amount of time.

If the problem does exist on the film master, then I don't think there is a quick and easy solution, at least one that I'm aware of. That would be frightening. I can't think of a film that has had to reshoot 40% (well…. Back to the Future, but that was a casting problem)

I've had nightmares about making errors as a camera assistant. Every assistant experiences them. Even yesterday I had some problems developing some film. One of the main rules as an camera assistant is, if you make a mistake, fess up to it immediately. The camera department couldn't be at fault here. It's been months.

Bad prints do happen. That had to be what this is.

5/30/98: EPISODE I MINI-STATUS UPDATE

A friend of TheForce.net recently had the opportunity to speak with an associate of Frank Oz.  This individual communicated that Mr. Oz has completed all of his work on Episode I.  This would include his duties as puppeteer, and his voice over work for Yoda.  Another sign that the production process is moving right along, as has been reported officially.  In the latest issue of the Star Wars Insider, Rick McCallum, everyone's favorite producer, stated that they're currently hard at work on the 3rd rough cut of the film.  It's also been stated recently that roughly a weeks worth of shooting remains to be done on Episode I.  TheForce.net has learned that final pick-ups will be shot at Leavesden in late July/early August, and while our UK sources confirm the dismantling of some sets it appears that certain ones remain.  The Naboo Hangar, the Palace Corridor, the Queen's Throne, and Anakin's Home are all still standing.   The two ship cockpits, the Naboo Queen's Spacecraft, and the Freighter Ship, also remain intact, as they are reportedly mounted on wheels and will not be dismantled.   Interestingly enough our sources also indicate that the building of new sets has begun.  TheForce.net is aware that the live-action Thunderbirds film was slated to being filming at Leavesden around the time of these final Episode I pick-ups, but Thunderbirds has reportedly been delayed due to budgetary constraints.  It isn't likely that these new sets are being built simply for several days of pick-up shooting.  On a related note, Star Wars collecting expert, Gus Lopez recently traveled to Tunisia where he had the opportunity to visit the Episode I shooting locations.  While visiting, Gus spoke with a citizen of a nearby town that indicated new set construction was to begin in June of this year, and shooting would occur shortly thereafter.  I wonder if TheForce.net has any Tunisian readers?  What could be happening here? We're not exactly sure, but it's possible that these preparations are being made for Episode II, or maybe Mr. Lucas has refined his vision of the Episode I story, and that this new vision requires the building of new sets.  Closing on a lighter note, in a recent issue of the UK Star Wars Magazine, Producer Rick McCallum said, when complimenting his personal assistant, "....she has all the skills of a formidable producer: she is sneaky, duplicitous, lies well and is a master of manipulation.".  Where have I seen this description before? : )  Stay tuned to TheForce.net folks!

5/1/98:  FILMING DETAILS AND UNDERWATER SHOTS

We got the following report from Bill Thomas:

"I was looking through the new IN SYNC magazine today (its an industry Buy- Sell-Trade kinda thing for motion picture equipment) and I ran a cross an ad for Powerscope anamorphic lenses. The cinematographer spokesperson is a guy named Mike Valentine B.S.C. and he does underwater photography. He talked at first about working on the last Bond flick, but then, he talks about EPISODE 1: "On Star Wars we were also shooting wide open with the 32mm capturing scenes of Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor shot against my backlit underwater green screen. Again the Powerscope lenses passed the optical hurdle with flying colors. Both the producer Rick McCallum and the director George Lucas were delighted with my results" So, to me it at least answers one question I had (and I'm sure others had) which was "Is Lucas shooting in Anamorphic, like the first trilogy, or is he shooting Super35mm?" With anamorphic the special effects are traditionally done in a completely different format (with ILM probably Vistavision which has a large negative area) and then anamorphic negatives are made from that. In Super35mm you can do your special effects in Super35mm also, since it sports a large negative area anyways. For example, "The Fifth Element" had all its effects work done with the same type camera the principle photography was shot with. That way your fx work can look more like the rest of your film. Of course this may be an old ad I saw and I'm giving you old news,but since I haven't see any info on technical stuff like that I thought I would pass it along. It also confirms that both Liam and Ewan did underwater stuff together."

4/18/98: CG MODELING FOR EPISODE I

Reader Tom deGray does video work for the Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and other productions. Being quite knowledgeable on the subject, he made some observations regarding the Naboo fighters I thought were interesting.

"There is something to think about the Naboo fighters. Remember in Toy Story, where we saw the toy soldiers image reflected back at him in the Christmas ball? Well, the chrome parts of the Naboo fighters will have the same effect. You will see the background reflected in the chrome. The amazing parts about this is that the impression that I got is that the Naboo fighters will be doing a lot of in atmosphere fighting....I don't believe I have seen anything to indicate a space battle really (which would be unique for a Star Wars movie....Am I wrong about lack of space battles in what we have seen so far?) Anyway, because of being on the planet, there are going to be a lot more things reflected in the chrome, such as trees and clouds and building, plus enemy fighters will be reflected in the chrome, and the explosions the enemy ships make when they go 'boom'. This is going to be an amazing amount of image mapping. Now, consider that these ships will probably be going really, really fast. The work that must go into getting the image mapping realistic-looking must be incredible. One of the limits on the special effects for the first trilogy was that the spaceships could not have anything that was reflective or it would show the blue-screen. In this movie, it seems that George is either showing off or sort of thumbing his nose at the old special effects [limitations] by putting mirrors on the spaceships...overcompensating for the first movies.

"You are right, the ships are going to look incredible, but the amount of work going into that effect is mind-boggling."

4/06/98: PREQUEL ANIMATOR INTERVIEW

Softimage.com has an interview up with one of the ILM'ers heading up animation work on the prequels. Nothing huge, but interesting nonetheless. Click here to go read it.

3/30/98: THE EPISODE I SCORE

This comes from a new source, the Hutt Spy, but we've checked it out and it seems sound. Many of you have been asking what's happening with the Episode 1 score. Well, it seems that in about a month, John Williams will begin the long process of scoring the first prequel. No news yet on any specifics, but we'll pass more news along to you as we hear it.

3/20/98: INSIDER INSIGHTS

El Guerdo sent us a few pics from the latest Star Wars Insider, along with some of his personal speculation. He noted that in the drawings on the wall we can see the body of an alien with a platypus tail. In the other, Artoo's umbrella has "SIBY PROPS" written on it. (We later found out this stood for Stand By and it was actually S/BY.)

We'll have a much more detailed report on the new Insider in the next few days.

3/17/98: NEW PREQUEL STUFF FROM BRITISH MAG!!!

Adam Leach just sent us some scans from the newest British Star Wars magazine. Adam also summarized some of the more interesting parts of the magazine.

"Lucas was interviewed for the magazine too. He said a few things of interest, not least the time when the first trailers will be seen. He specifies December 1998, which sounds about right for a film of this size! He also says that about a third of the film takes place on Tatooine and talks about how this is the first time we'll see fully trained jedi doing the stuff that fully trained jedi should be doing. The last thing he says is that the whole story only has SIX episodes, so he has no idea at all of what will happen after ROTJ officially.

3/13/98: RELEASE DATE

There's been all sorts of wishy washy news regarding the exact release date of Episode 1. The exact date has been all over the board, but Lucasfilm has publicly stated that May 25, 1999 was their target date. Now word is coming out from Lucasfilm that the exact date is again being debated. However, this time around, the debate is on whether or not it will be pushed back a couple of weeks or a month or stay on the 25th. They are still saying the summer of 1999, but some within Lucasfilm are doubting whether it will be exactly on the 25th. Personally, I'm not going to put stock in anything I hear about the release date. Nothing is going to be concrete until several months down the road anyway. It sounds like it's going to be too early to tell at this point. However, Kenner and all the other licensees are going to need to know the date so they can plan their merchandising on it. That date better be nailed down soon!

3/12/98: EPISODE I RESHOOTS

First off, there were Episode 1 reshoots last week, which ended Saturday. The Bothan Spy snuck in and got us some new info about characters and names. Whether this stuff was recently added to the movie, or just previously unreported, is unclear at this time.

3/03/98- EPISODE 1 CALL-SHEETS!!!

3/01/98: ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT PREQUEL SEGMENT

There wasn't much new on Entertainment Tonight's prequel report that regular theForce.net readers don't already know. Other than an incomplete set from a previous report, no prequel images were revealed. Basically, it was a list of the main cast members along with who they play, what they're working on now and some very short comments from Ewan, Samuel and Terrance. Some notable quotes include "The prequel takes place 32 years before Star Wars" (a very precise number), from Ewan: "I remember when I saw the first one myself, I was six years old. My uncle's in them all, he played one of the X-Wing fighters." (that is, Denis Lawson as Wedge), from Samuel: "There's one guy we thought looked like Calamari, there was another guy who looked like a picanese" (sp?), from Terrance Stamp: "It's the first time that I've never been sent a script. You know, I was just faxed my pages." and "You'll have to wait until May 1999 for the prequel Star Wars: Episode I." We've posted a 3.4Mb Quicktime movie of the report for you to download. In order to get it to you as quickly as possible while keeping the file size as small as possible, it's not as clean as the Troops segments... but it's good enough for those who missed the report. If you have a copy on videotape, there's no need to download this one. (The site remains slow from high traffic.)

---

2/25/98: TITLE AND RESHOOTS

2/18/98: PREQUEL ADVERTISING

Yesterday, TheForce.net reported on rumors, from Toy Fair '98 in NYC, regarding the possible delay of Episode I from May 1999, to Winter of '99.  These rumors surfaced on the Tomart's Action Figure Digest Web Site.  We've not heard from anyone at Lucasfilm, but word is that folks there are 100% certain that the film will be released in May of 1999, as originally planned.  We don't know how these rumors got started, but as you might recall we reported several days ago that parts of Episode I were changing on a daily basis.  As designs change for the film, Kenner would have to alter their designs for toys as well. This would cause delays for them in the toy production process.  This very fluid style of flimmaking could possibly be sparking rumors of a release date delay.  

Tomart's Action Figure Digest Web Site is reporting that rumors around Toy Fair indicate the film may be moved back from May until November or December due to extremely complicated post-production work.  Some of us have heard these rumors before, but this certainly shows that they aren't limited to the Internet!   Stay tuned!  Thanks to Bill Daly, James McFadden, and Michael Sullivan for pointing this out!

It's been a while since we heard from Mode, but he checked in with some interesting news snuck out of ILM:

"Two cool things did happen right at the end of January, however... Most of the major stars of the movie (Liam, Ewan, Natalie, Jake, and I'm assuming Ahmed Best) were given a guided tour of the work-in-progress at ILM by Rick McCallum and Dennis Muren. Also, there have been several ILM video crews running around in the Studio for the last several weeks. Apparently, ILM is making a documentary to air on the SHOWTIME cable network sometime around the release of the film."

Hmmm! Interesting! We've had no word on this from our other informants, but we'll keep checking on it.

Our informants have told us that filming of reshoots in Tunisia have been held up because Ewan McGregor got a case of tonsilitis. No other word, but we hope he gets better soon!

Prequel Watch and some other sites have been reporting that parts of the prequel have been changing. Our sources back that up and go farther to say that parts of the prequel are literally changing on a daily basis. Lucas apparently will have them change colors, backgrounds, scenes, and other CG elements to suit what he has in mind. And, yes, that could even include the names of some of the characters, though we're told the ones we've seen for the core characters are going to stick. This freedom is due to the flexible nature of CG filmmaking. In fact, a large number of scenes in this film are totally CG. The film is going to be so visually complex that fans will have to go back several times just to catch everything.

True Fan had the following to say:

"First.........a new "draft" for Ep. 3 was resubmitted for copyright on December 1st. I was told that Lucas made a decision on many of the ideas he was throwing around. The new "draft" included an extra scene added with 3PO and R2 and a brand new scene with Mrs. Skywalker and Ben Kenobi. I have no idea what the scenes are about or why the changes were made. Second............Yes, Ewan is going to shoot some scenes in Tunisia, but I was told that they are "about 80% reshoots". According to my source at Lucasfilm, Ewan, Portman?, and Neeson will all be returning in Mid-January for some reshoots and that Neeson will be shooting new scenes as well.........Since McGregor was sick with tonsillitis at the beginning of shooting he will be reshooting some scenes since Lucas thought he looked "...too ill" after seeing the dailies."

We've heard different reason's why they went back, but it's not really relevant.

- A Prequel Action figure will be available before the end of 1998.
- Reshoots are also scheduled at Leavesden.

DARTH VADER: THE EMPIRE STRIKES GOLD (AGAIN)

"The force is still with George Lucas. Hollywood studios will vie early in 1998 for rights to distribute the long-anticipated ''prequels'' to his Star Wars films. In the works: a trio of features, starting with the story of Anakin Skywalker, which begins when the future Darth Vader is 8 and ends after he marries and fathers twins Luke and Leia.

Lucas already has cashed in with a multimillion-dollar promotional deal with PepsiCo for the first installment. And he is selling the merchandise rights to Hasbro and Galoob Toys for $235 million in stock--giving him an estimated 5% of Hasbro and 20% of Galoob.

Twentieth Century Fox Film has collected an estimated $636 million from the movies since the 1977 release of Star Wars. It's expected to get first crack at the new series, due to hit theaters in May, 1999. ''This will not be a difficult decision to make,'' says Fox studio chief Bill Mechanic. Disney, which has rides based on Star Wars at its theme parks, is a long shot to get the flicks. Lucas pal Steven Spielberg also may bid on behalf of his DreamWorks SKG studio."

Lucas and McCallum
Lucas with Cameraman
Lucas

This picture is a Calico 960A, scanned from "The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons, 3rd. Edition", edited by Jack Lewis. For all you fellow "gun nuts" :), here are some stats:

CALIBER: 9x19mm
MAGAZINE: 50- or 100-round (!), top-feed; it's the cylindrical item atop the gun in the picture. It uses a unique helical feed system, and ejects the casings out the bottom instead of the side.
OPERATION: Recoil-operated (closed bolt)
CYCLIC RATE = approx. 700 rounds per minute
LENGTH: Telescoping stock out, 26 inches; in, 21 inches.
WEIGHT (w/ 50-round magazine): 6.25 pounds

There are several different variants, the 960A being a general-purpose type. You can see the similar Calico 950 machine-pistol type being used by some of the bad guys in "Tomorrow Never Dies". According to the article, the Calico is a very durable, reliable, and accurate weapon used by numerous law enforcement, military, and protective services around the world. Price is estimated at about 700 U.S. Dollars.

12/09/97 - Jean-Pierre Aubagnac found some pics and news from a French Lucasfilm Magazine. Here's his report:

"Harry's pics and yours come from issue 11 of the french "Lucasfilm Magazine", the equivalent of your starwars insider. They are taken from a 4 page paper by Jon Bresman entitled "Tunisia: far off galaxy...". Other than pictures also published on the star wars official site, only 3 pics I have not seen on the web: one showing the actors tents protected by a wooden structure (for temperatures above 50 deg. Celsius according to the caption), one showing 2 jawas hanging out and one showing a moisture vaporator. More interesting is the description of the storm devastating the tunisian set:

"The Tatooine set looked like a trailer park hit by a tornado... Hundreds of costumes scattered across the desert, half buried in the wet sand. Dressing room tents were torn to shreds. Metal scaffoldings were unbelievably bent. Prop trucks were damaged by flying debris. Robots were lying everywhere, broken and rusted as if on a battlefield. Fallen plaster sets were broken to pieces. Landspeeders had been lift up and trhown against each other... Simply put, the set was devastated."

That concludes his report. OK, folks! We want those extra pics! Can anyone deliver! Let us Know!

12/05/97 - Steve Head sent us the following news items. The one from the Arizona Republic is a bit old, but it is still interesting.

from THE LOS ANGELES TIMES 12-2-97
(re:new Star Wars film)

Fox, controlled by News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch, has first bid on the new trilogy. Additional reshoots for "Episode One" are expected to take place next year.

Hmmm. Does this confirm Fox has it?

PREQUEL WEAPON NEWS CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS
Brian Linder 12/05/97 10:30AM

The ever-resourceful Steve Head reported in this AM with some corrections and additions to yesterday's news article concerning prequel weapons (see below). Steve pointed out that his hands were covered in black ink from all that newsprint, and that he had made a slight error in his previous report. He also makes some observations on the article that clarify the models of firearm purchased. Here is his correction...

I made a mistake. The Newspaper is The Blackpool Citizen. Not Blackburn. Sorry! I guess I was thinking "4,000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire".

After reading the weapons article, I originally thought that the production purchased 162 models, meaning 162 individual guns. But Framar Hammerli makes a gun: "Model 162". Interpreted this way, the article then "verifies" that this was one of the models purchased. It's the gun with the dark-wood stock and silver barrel.

As I said earlier, the article doesn't give a date. But here's the article's URL:
http://www.newsquest.co.uk/archive/03/blackburn.13.03.97/BLACK7.html.

It appears from this that it was written March 13, 1997. This would give the props department plenty of time to modify the weapons.

TheForce.net would like to point out that if you read the article carefully, you'll see that the good guys are armed with the Hammerli Model 30, of which we have no photograph, and the baddies carry the Hammerli Model 162 pictured below. We'd love some more information on the Model 30 if any one has it.

Latest News for 12/04/97

PREQUEL WEAPON NEWS FROM THE UK
Brian Linder 12/04/97 12:05PM

Newshound Steve Head reported in with the following news bit from The Blackburn Citizen, Lancashire, England.

THE FORCE IS WITH HIM

BLACKBURN businessman Frank Kay is feeling the force of Hollywood's spending power after securing a lucrative deal to supply guns for a new Star Wars movie. The 43-year-old, who runs a gun shop on King Street, Blackburn, has made a fast buck from a film props company believed to be working on behalf of legendary Star Wars producer, George Lucas. London-based Baptie Stage Productions contacted Frank last month enquiring about his space-age Framar Hammerli Guns and have just snapped up 30 models in a deal worth thousands of pounds. As the sole UK supplier of the Swiss-made weapons, the self-confessed R2D2 fan was over the moon about his part in the sci-fi blockbuster. "Supplying the guns is the next best thing to having a part in the movie," said Frank. "I even prompted the company to buy more 162 models because the bad guys always have more guns than the good guys. "It would cost the company a lot more to make the guns than buy them from me. There is simply nothing which comes near to Framar for its space-age look." The .22 calibre guns are made from carbon graphite and would be ideal for firing laser rays similar to that of the famous light sabre. The movie is still under wraps but Frank believes it will be released before the end of the millenium. He added: "I've been told the new movie will be completely new and could feature new characters. "I'm lead to believe it's not a sequel (Editor's note: Frank is obviously in need of a visit to TheForce.net to be brought up to date on the prequels.) to the trilogy and will be as revolutionary as the original Star Wars."

We're not exactly sure what the Framer Hammerli looks like but Steve came through for us by pointing out the pictures of Hammerli's product offerings at the Hammerli site. Here are a few of their more space-age firearms...

12/03/97 - MCCALLUM SPEAKS TO GALAXY MAG - Kivlehan - The new Star Wars Galaxy Magazine (#13) has hit the stands and on page 12 you'll find an exclusive interview with Rick McCallum. Rick also discussed Episodes II and III briefly, mentioning that Robin Gurland has begun her pre-liminary casting for the two films and they expect to shoot the second and third chapters "back-to-back and simultaniously" starting in January of 2000 until September 2000.

10/27/97- A FEW BITS FROM THE LATEST INSIDER

posted by Scott at 6:45 pm CST

I just got my copy of the Star Wars Insider in the mail today. I definitely think it's their best issue so far. It's got a lot of great pictures, beautiful original artwork, and more. If you're not a subscriber, you really should kick yourself in the bohiney. Call 1-800-TRUE FAN for a subscription. (And no, they did not put us up to placing an ad for them. It really is cool!) Anyway, here's a few little bits of prequel news from it:

- Liam Neeson's character name will not be revealed for a while.
- Ian McDiarmid WILL be playing Palpatine.
- A title for Episode 1 won't be chosen till production is completed.
- Terence Stamp plays 'Chancellor of the Galactic Senate'.
- The Insider confirmed that a lot of the styles are 'art nouveau' and 'Victorian versions of Italian Renaissance'.
- Ahmed Best DOES play a CG character.
- John Williams WILL be doing the score.
- A third of the movie takes place on Tatooine.
- Pre-Production on Episodes 2 & 3 have not started.
- Probably expect a trailer in December 1998.

That about covers it. Oh, and be sure to look for the two cover variations: one newsstand and one subscription version.

10/25/97 - 20th CENTURY FOX MYSTERY

posted by Tinman at 12:00 a.m. PST

Yesterday we reported that 20th Century Fox got the rights to distribute the prequels. In an e-mail from Garindan at Prequel Watch, he told us that TrueFan had given him similar information. Today, Harry Knowles made a similar report with information from his 'spies'.

But in a bizarre twist, our original informant took back their story, saying that they had made up the info and that they had not intended for us to post it. So it seems that our original informant might have changed his mind about wanting us to know. Either that, or there was an amazing coincidence.

At any rate, it doesn't really matter. It looks like Fox's contract signing IS a go. This, interestingly enough, coincides with the week that the major book and toy deals were signed.

Now it's time to start watching for a trailer!

10/21/97 - Who's David Lean?

I was thumbing through the February 10, 1997 issue of Time magazine. In it is an old article about the prequels. Here's a quote that caught my eye: "Lucas says he's aiming for a more epic, David Lean-like look in the new movies."

So I wondered who David Lean was. Well, check out what the Internet Movie Database has on him. You may not know his name, but you definitely know his work. Visit the link above to get the big picture (pun intended).

JAK Productions

Well, we asked you guys to find George's son's name and you came through. His name is Jett! So, the kids names are Jhett, Amanda, and Katie. So a logical guess is that's where JAK Productions gets it's name from...though we could be wrong. :) Anyway, thanks to Erik Freuden who found it in the German Magazine "Stern", Bjorn Wahlberg who found it in the Feb. 2, 1997 L.A. Times, and Mark Jeffries who found it in the Playboy with Farrah Fawcett. He said he was only looking at the articles. Yeah.

10/20/97

It's been a pretty slow prequel news day, but here's something for you to ponder. It is common knowledge that Lucasfilm has filmed the prequels under the name 'JAK Productions'. So what does JAK stand for? There has been a lot of speculation. The most outrageous I (Scott) have seen is in Cinescape Magazine. They speculated that it stood for 'Jedi Are Killed'. I thought that was pretty stupid.

But then Nova off of the AICN Star Wars Forum nailed it, I believe. Lucas has three kids. Two girls and a young boy. The girl's names are Amanda and Katie. Hence the 'AK'. So it seems reasonable that JAK stands for his kids names. But we've been unable to find the boy's name! We've searched all of our books and magazines and there is no mention of the boy's name. If it starts with a 'J', then Nova's theory is proved!

So that's your homework assignment, class. Find out the boy's name, send us a note telling us where to confirm it, then you'll get a smiley face sticker to put in your report card. Snap to it!

10/2/97 - This comes from the Drudge Report. It seems to confirm the news we heard that 20th Century Fox has got the Prequels and that they are preparing for a X-Mas 1998 release.

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT FLASH XXXXX THU OCT 02 1997 01:17:07 PDT XXXXX

STAR WARS STAYS AT FOX?

HOLLYWOOD -- There are new indications that George Lucas is keeping his STAR WARS franchise at 20TH CENTURY FOX. Studios sources, while not able to confirm that a deal is in place, over the past few weeks have become convinced that Lucas is staying put. There is new talk on the lot that the STAR WARS-EPISODE I trailer has already been penciled in to be shown in front of X-FILES THE MOVIE next year in theaters. And according to one studio source, the new STAR WARS distribution deal could eventually give Lucas the first $1 billion payday for a movie in history. "If the new STAR WARS prequel sells as many tickets as the original film did, and with a Lucas-friendly deal in place here, he could set money records that may never be seen again," one FOX executive tells the DRUDGE REPORT. LUCASFILM is completely financing the new STAR WARS; George Lucas is writing, producing and directing. The first phase of Episode I's production wrapped over the weekend at England's Leavesden Studios. Over the past few months the movie's cast and crew have traveled from the Leavesden stages to film on locations in Italy and North Africa. To keep plot mystery, misleading scenes have reportedly been filmed. Lucas also reportedly spread around multiple versions of the shooting script -- with alternative names and scenes, etc. According to production notes, the crew will re-assemble early next year for phase II of shooting. Release is set for Summer '99. LUCASFILM has set up a website tease with news from the set, production notes and pictures, casting updates and a discussion of the new STAR WARS city of Coruscant. http://www.starwars.com/episode-i

10/1/97 - 'Sith' sent us a copy of a Lucasfilm memo on the wrap of Episode 1:

Subject: "It's a Wrap"

At 10:15 PM UK time - 1:00 PM PDT George Lucas said, "That's a wrap."

Principal photography on EPISODE I of the Star Wars saga wrapped today at Leavesden Studios.

The sound of popping champagne corks filled the air and this historic event was commemorated with a very sincere and heartfelt toast. George Lucas held his glass high and thanked, "the best cast and crew ever assembled".

We look forward to the return of all our friends and congratulate everybody on a successful shoot and wish them all the best in the months ahead as they face a very challenging post-production schedule.

9/30/97 - We just got this from the Official Star Wars Homepage. It verifies our info from our 'reliable source'. For the record, the same reliable source told us about the Christmas 1998 release of the prequel. Take that as you will.:

First Phase of Episode I Production Wraps at Leavesden Studios

LONDON, Sept. 26, 1997--The first phase of filming on Star Wars: Episode I has been completed. Following the story of young Anakin Skywalker and the origins of the Star Wars Trilogy, the movie's cast and crew have traveled from Leavesden Studios outside London to locations in Italy and North Africa, returning to the UK again for the important final scenes. The first phase of principal photography drew to a close on Friday, Sept. 26, and the cast and crew prepared to disperse after their filmmaking adventure together. Director George Lucas will see some of them again next year, however. Parts of the team will re-assemble at that time to carry out a planned phase II of shooting for Episode I. "

9/29/97 - We have heard from several reliable sources that the filming of live action footage of Episode 1 wrapped up on Friday, the 26th of September. This also jives with a report we got from Skiptraced:

"Today on the UK's Radio 1, DJ Jo Whiley announced that shooting on the Star Wars prequel wraps tomorrow. Irish pop group Ash are playing the exclusive wrap party at Leavesden. This info matches comments made by Ewan McGregor in Neon magazine, that he would be filming until the end of September. The score: Ash are an Irish band, whose music I don't really like. The fact that shooting ends tomorrow means they are on schedule."

All right ILM, get snappin'! We're ready to see the magic!

9/24/97 - Angus Hughes sent us these prequel pictures from the UK Star Wars Magazine. It shows wookiee masks and Tusken Raider masks in a crate, Lucas looking at some of the set plans, and someone trying on a helmet. I'm making a guess that since it is bright yellow, it might be the helmet that goes on the pilots that fly the yellow craft, but that's just my speculation.

9/22/97 - Chris Kivlehan (one of our new prequel correspondents) has heard a report that Lucas intends to leave the Tatooine set intact for Tunisia to use as a tourist attraction. Brian Linder is currently selling his car for airfare money. More details to come.

This report seems to be supported by the following article.

9/22/97 - Brent Lynch sent us this article. It confirms that Lucas will return to Tunisia for another one of his films (but that was pretty clear anyway):

By Abdelaziz Barrouhi

ONK EJMEL, Tunisia, Sept 21 (Reuter) - The tourist jeep was moving along an old camel caravan route through the Sahara Desert when it suddenly bumped across a dune and stopped. ``Here is Onk Ejmel (The Camel's Neck) -- 'The English Patient,''' shouted driver Hassan Jeridi. The site is named after a rock resembling the neck of a camel. Shaped by the winds, it overlooks the Chott al-Gharsa, a dried salt lake, on one side. On the other and to the horizon are dunes. Don't consult a map for Onk Ejmel. It doesn't appear on any of them. But millions of fans of ``The English Patient'' have seen it as the backdrop for some of the Oscar-winning film's scenes, including the dramatic plane crash that opens the picture. Thanks to the movie, the area -- where temperatures average 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in August -- is becoming an exotic destination for an increasing number of tourists. But ``The English Patient'' -- based on the novel by Canadian Michael Ondaatje -- was not the Tunisian desert's first star turn.

STAR WARS CREATOR LIKES LOCATION

George Lucas, who 20 years ago filmed part of his ``Star Wars'' series in the region, finished work on his most recent movie there in last month. ``This is my third film in the Tunisian desert, which is an ideal location for filming, and I hope to come back for a fourth one,'' he told reporters. Working with him was Taieb Jallouli, a Tunisian assistant designer who worked on ``The English Patient'' and says he ``discovered'' the Onk Ejmel site. ``It was in 1995. 'The English Patient' producer and designer were looking for a desert site where they could land a plane. When I came (to) Onk Ejmel with designer Stuart Graig, he said it was fantastic,'' Jallouli said. It was fantastic for Tunisian tourism too. ``The success of 'The English Patient' was a godsend,'' Tunisian Tourism Minister Slahedine Maaoui told Reuters. ``The beauty of the desert sites where it was partly filmed has had a good effect on Saharan tourism in Tunisia and I expect this will continue.'' Onk Ejmel is about 30 km (19 miles) from the luxury hotels boarding the oasis of Tozeur. Bookings in the area from January to late August were 15 percent higher than in the same period last year. That is good news for a country that derives 16 percent, or 1.413 billion dinars ($1.3 billion) in 1996, of its foreign currency revenue from tourism. Trying to increase that total, the government has focused efforts over the last decade on developing Saharan tourism in addition to that in the traditional seaside resorts. ``The Sahara is full of surprises,'' said Maaoui. ``That's why it has a fascinating power. It is a must to our country's tourism.''

9/17/97 - Sources have said that production on Episode 1 has been rather slowly paced so they have the luxury of a lot of time. However, the next two films will be shot very quickly, so all of Lucasfilm will become VERY busy after Episode 1.

Also, Lucas, though he has the luxury of time on this one, is doing a LOT of 1 shot takes. He gets what he needs on the first try (like in the French Premiere) then moves on to the next scene. Aparently, he will be fixing a lot of the mistakes in post production. Word is the folks at ILM are going to be doing a lot of overtime in post production.

Lucasfilm also signed a contract with Leavesden that allows them to go back and re-shoot twice if they want to.

9/16/97 - Sam Davatchi's Prequel Page is displaying a blurry photo of what they say are prequel storyboards. You can make out a few details of stuff like a ships engines firing up. Anyway, Sam says it is from an official photo. He does not say where, though. I have heard rumors that the UK Official SW Magazine is out with prequel pictures. Maybe that's it?

9/3/97 - From the Prequel Watch Chat with True Fan:

Q: What's the budget for Ep1?

Garindan: Reportedly $60-80 million....but it could balloon. Then again, we are talking about Lucas here. The man is a genius and has a penchant for doing things as effectively as possible, including budgeting. Well, with the possible exception of ROTJ :)

9/3/97 - The Millenium Wars site has new pictures of Leavesden. They are shots taken from the security fence and show the large outdoor sets. Very interesting!

8/18/97 - Our friends at Prequel Watch pointed out Star Wars Millenium. It is run by a guy from England who went up to the gates at Leavesden and snapped some pics. It ain't much, but it is our first good glimpses of the outdoor sets!

8/12/97 - Yesterday the Official Star wars Homepage reported about the destruction of the sets in Tunisia by a sandstorm. They also reported that the crew was staying in a hotel in Tozeur. You can check out a web page on the city Here! I hope George remembered to pack his sunscreen.

7/27/97 - This Associated Press article was sent to us by Brent Lynch:

CASERTA, Italy (AP) - George Lucas has a flair for the futuristic in his ``Star Wars'' films. For his dream house, he'd look to the past.

An 18th-century palace here caught his eye.

The director came to this city 20 miles north of Naples to shoot the opening scene of a new ``Star Wars'' film against the backdrop of the Royal Palace. Lucas' fourth film in the series tells the story of the childhood of Anakin Skywalker, father of Luke Skywalker, before he turns to his dark side and becomes Darth Vader.

The palace, known as the Versailles of Naples for its splendor, was built by Charles III. It boasts a sumptuous staircase, four courtyards, marble decorations and fountain-studded gardens.

Asked what kind of place he would pick for his dream house, the director gave a heads-up to the palace.

``It's like being in paradise,'' Lucas said.

7/23/97 - Yet another report from Mazinga:

Today 7/23 a new article about the filming in Caserta can be read in the newspaper "La Repubblica". So let the news spread:

-Lucas is really delighted about the Caserta Palace, his word were yesterday when he first visited the location: "Fantastic location, the beauty of the Palace goes beyond any expectations".
-The JOLLY HOTEL, where Lucas is staying, is off-limits and there is Italian Police outside the Hotel if someone tries to penetrate inside the building.
-Lucas will film each day starting from 2 PM till night.
-There is a kind of high tech desk which is part of the set but no one knows its purpose.
-The security around the Palace has been reinforced: now the guys of the security goes around riding bikes and they are all connected via satellite.

7/22/97 - More news from Mazinga!

""La Repubblica", the same Italian newspaper that first reported about the filming in Caserta, today 7/22 has news about the filming. Lucas personal plane landed yesterday 7/21 at the military airport of "Capodichino". A lot of press and fans were present. Lucas is staying at the JOLLY HOTEL in Caserta.

7/8/97 - Mazinga wrote back again today with a report from Caserta:

-There is a first "shield" formed by Italian Police who discourages anyone who wants to enter the Palace. The Police is also in charge to redirect car traffic away of the Reggia.
-There is a second "shield" formed by Lucasfilm Security guys and they are really mean.
-200 people from Lucasfilm have arrived in Caserta. It sounds a little too much for only five day of filming.. so, as I already wrote you, it is very likely they will film in other locations around Naples.
-All these 200 persons are staying in Hotels in Naples and Caserta under false identity.

Looks like they really mean business! Well, I think that's good. As much as I like to hear what's going on, I want to be surprised in 1999 even more.

7/7/97 - We just got back in town and found this in the mailbox from our source known as 'Mazinga'. (He sent a copy of the exact same letter to Harry Knowles at Ain't it Cool News, so you may have seen this there, too.):

-In Caserta they will film a lot of little scenes that won't have a great importance.
-In the Caserta'Palace they have already build a set which is described as a "Throne Room".
-The filming in Naples will be used for a planet which is called "BODU".
-Even if Italian newpapers have announced that the filming will take palce from 22 to 27 July, people will start working the 7th of July till the beginning of August. What does this mean? Probably they won't film only in the Caserta'Palace but also in other locations in Italy.

Mazinga is a reliable source, so we've posted this info as fact.

6/25/97 - This comes from The Official Star Wars Homepage:

"June 25, 1997: Preliminary filming on Episode I of the Star Wars prequel trilogy will begin tomorrow, June 26, with principal photography getting under way later this summer."

6/13/97 - This comes from the Prequel Watch homepage on 6/10/97. It is a report from their source TrueFan:

"The Art Department was in overdrive while I was there....and this was a Saturday! They have been told by Lucas that the shooting schedule has been moved up 3 weeks and that didnt give them much time to complete drafts for the final sets being used in the films. I was told that out of the 50 or so sets that are being built in England, only about 75% of them have been finished and the Art Department is working overtime to get the rest of the plans for the sets finalized by the new shooting date......."

6/10/97 - This comes from the 6/13/97 issue of Entertainment Weekly:

""It's probably the most secretive film ever," says prequel cinematographer David Tattersall, who shot Radioland Murders and the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series for Lucas and this summer's Con Air for producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "I've seen the script, but I can't say anything. I had to sign this [confidentiality] document. No telling what they'd do to me if I talked."

"So as Lucas and company set up shop, well aware the whole world is watching, it's sometimes hard to tell whether they're about to make a movie or launch a military strike. "There are guys patrolling the perimeter with dogs and big sticks, and they look mean," says Tattersall. "You need picture IDs and swipe cards to get in everywhere. It's like the Pentagon."

"Both at Leavesden and at Lucasfilm, based north of San Francisco, the top brass have gone to great lengths to classify as many details as possible. For months, Lucasfilm reps indicated that production wasn't likely to get under way until September; last week, they revealed that an initial 13-week live-action shoot on part 1 could in fact conclude by late September, with several rounds of follow-up filming to continue through the fall. "

6/8/97 - These pictures from the 6/6/97 Entertainment Tonight prequel segment showed work being done on the sets. Rick McCallum gave the tour at Leavesden. He stated that there would be 57 sets. 10 - 20 are already completed. This particular one is called the desert sea set. It appears to be the exterior of a Tatooine dwelling set. Not much, but what did you expect, eh?

5/20/97 - The Hollywood Reporter Article (sent by Brent Lynch) stated that rehearsals are set to begin next month in Leavesden, England. Principal Photography starts in the Summer (HR still lists August, but one would imagine if Rehearsals start in a month, July would be the start date). The stuff stated in the Reporter conflicts with what our sources have told us, so we'll have to see what's up.

5/19/97 - Our reliable source has told us that as of this date, the prequel actors have begun rehearsing for their parts in the film. He also stated that shooting is set to begin in 6-8 weeks, which is a lot sooner than we've heard so far. I asked why they are starting so early for a summer 1999 release. I was told that there are so many effects shots that need to be done, they need that much time to get it right.

5/7/97 - As of this date, at least four of the prequel sets have been completed. What they are is still unknown.

- As of the beginning of 1997, the building of sets began at Leavesden Studios in England. For more info on that Click Here!

- They are set to begin filming at the end of September 1997 (SW Insider, Houston Chronicle)

-Locations have been scouted in Morocco, Portugal, Australia, and Tunisia. Tunisia was the location that Tatooine was filmed, so it is safe to say we'll see Tatooine again.

The following articles were brought to our attention by Jay Majer and Harry Knowles on the RASSM Newsgroup. Thanks Guys!

This article was from the Hollywood Reporter:

Pre-'Star Wars' casting its lot with Leavesden

LONDON -- George Lucas' new "Star Wars" prequels, one of the highest-profile movie projects of the decade, will be filmed at Great Britain's Leavesden Studios. An agreement was signed Friday between Leavesden, Britain's newest film studios, and JAK Productions Ltd., the British production unit of the "Star Wars" prequels. Preproduction started Friday as well. Principal photography is expected to begin in fall 1997. The deal is a coup for Leavesden, which has not yet been fully converted but offers one of the world's largest studio facilities. "Star Wars," which will be 20 years old next year, set a film industry record when it grossed roughly $500 million worldwide. It has since been surpassed by "E.T. The Extraterrestrial," "Jurassic Park" and "Forrest Gump." Lucas also is spending millions to revamp the original series, which will be rereleased with new footage and digital effects. (Louise Bateman)

Harry Knowles also found the following article in the Sept. 10th Daily Variety.

"Lucas Starts Production On New 'Star Wars'

By Rex Weiner

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Production has started on the next ''Star Wars'' movie, with filming set to begin in late 1997 for a summer 1999 release of the film.

The movie is the first of a three-part prequel set before the events of "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."

Leavesden Studios, a former Rolls-Royce factory 25 miles northwest of London, will be the production site.

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas shot the original ``Star Wars'' not far from Leavesden at Elstree Studios. Since then, Elstree has fallen on hard times, but was recently purchased and slated for renovation by the local Hertsmere Council.

"Leavesden has all the things we need," Lucasfilm producer Rick McCallum told Daily Variety, including the largest outdoor backlot in the world.

The studio complex encompasses 100 acres of outdoor backlot in addition to half a million square feet of covered studio space. Its first production was the James Bond movie, "Goldeneye."

Leavesden will be linked to Lucas' headquarters at Skywalker Ranch and his visual effects department at Industrial Light & Magic in northern California via high-tech systems. "It's our concept of the virtual studio," McCallum said.

Harry Knowles is reporting that filming of the prequels will begin on Spetember 8, 1997.  Harry also reported that George Lucas has scrapped 70% of his script for Episode 3.