The Official Site's Homing Beacon newsletter comes through yesterday with new information on the development of Yoda:

While Episode I featured a number of brand new digital characters -- such as Sebulba, Watto and Jar Jar Binks -- mastering the CG Yoda was still elusive. "Making a replica of an existing character we all knew was very hard, and quite frankly, we couldn't pull it off in that movie. I had to go back to the puppet. I got one shot of him walking along, but basically we couldn't do it," says Lucas.

With the advancements in technology and artistry since Episode I, ILM tried again for Episode II. "Obviously, if I couldn't pull it off, I was dead. I could have done it without Yoda, but the whole point was Yoda. He is in the whole climax of the movie. And fortunately, we got to the point where it looked really good," says Lucas.

Once cameras began rolling during Episode II's principal photography, CG Yoda was still in the R&D stage, but Lucas had faith in Coleman's team. "We were close enough when we shot the movie that I made that commitment. When we shot the movie, we didn't actually have Yoda accomplished at that point. It wasn't until after that we saw a Yoda that worked," he says.

"It was five years of artistry and development. The breakthrough was after we finished shooting. It was about a little over a year ago. Frank Oz was very excited about not having to hold his hand up a heavy puppet and be in a hole in the floor."