PT George Lucas Select Images: A Look Back

Select Image #25

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A planet being viewed on a computer monitor. We knew the names of the two new planets in Episode II, but at this time we weren't familiar with how they looked or their entire roles. So this could have been either of them. Of course it's Geonosis. I do believe one of the domain names registered was Geoneosis with that extra o in there too. So some minor details were being changed during production.



Select Image #26

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People were not happy with this select image. It was around this time (January 2001) that we finally understood that not all of the select images were going to mean something. This was a Twi'lek. One of Orn Free Taas aides. But it was obvious this wasn't a major character. Granted we had seen Toonbuck Toora before, but at least she had a domain name registered. Also just being a separatist elevated her from a background senate character. This then made you wonder, were other select images going to be this unimportant? Perhaps it was just a fluke.



Select Image #27

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Oh dear. Another week went by and this is what they gave us? It was obviously a shot at the table we had seen in the Toonbuck Toora select image. We had pretty much already surmised that there would be a conference of bad guys. This was fairly boring. The best speculation that came out of this image was that maybe the center piece was a hologram projector and that Darth Sidious would say hello to the villains during the scene. That of course didn't happen.



Select Image #28

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Another week has passed and it's George... on a boring set. Well it was Padme's bedroom and we didn't know that at the time, but it was boring nonetheless from the view they just gave us. We were officially in a select picture slump. The Star Wars Insider mags were now starting to amp up their Episode II photos which helped ease the pain. The on location videos were doing okay too. Not to mention the spy reports coming from Sith Interceptor and Perfect Dark. So we weren't entirely starved, but the wait between select images, star wars insider mag scans and on location videos seemed like forever.

 

This one is a great photo.

 

Select Image #29

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We had no idea what this was at the time it debuted. In fact, we really didn't know what it was until after AOTC came out. It's the analysis tray in the Jedi Temple Obi-Wan uses to help identify the toxic dart. The scene got cut early in post production and we didn't hear anything about it for quite some time.



Select Image #30

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Another cut scene though we had a good idea that it was the Jedi Temple and that the figure was a bald Mace Windu. We even had a good idea that he wasn't alone in the scene. Granted SI and PD helped, but the fact that he was walking alone but slightly off center suggested a cgi character, Yoda, was with him. Fun speculation though given the select pic drought we had just been in.

 

Select Image #31

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On location shot from Italy. Basically Naboo. Nothing really spectacular. Perhaps the least exciting select image yet. Keep in mind, people would get online 10 years ago to chat in the forum over the upcoming select picture being released later that night. Then we get something like this. lol



Select Image #32

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Hmm. Another distorted set. Of course as it turned out it was Padme's ship. Earlier this might have gotten more attention, by now we had seen more interesting photos with select pics and magazines.



Select Image #33

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Aaah, Jango and Boba Fett. Together at last. Flying in Slave 1 no less. Solid photo, but they weren't quite as though provoking as they once were.

 

Select Image #34

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Anakin on Naboo. The big deal about this picture was the way he stands. Very Vaderesque.



Select Image #35

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Um.... boring. That's pretty much what we thought 10 years ago. Looked like R2-D2 grabbing some bread and that's what it was.



Select Image #36

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Oh man... another week and we get Twi'lek arms?!?!? Select picture Drought.



Select Image #37

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Finally something to slightly speculate on. Obi-Wan spying on something. The colors somewhat matched the Toonbuck Toora photo. So spying on the baddies.

 

Hmm. Not much discussion anymore eh?


Select Image #38
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We knew there wouldd be a nightclub and this pretty much looked like the entertainment. A bit bulky for my tastes. Looked to be some sort of artwork for it.



Select Image #39

[image=http://www.scenebyscene.net/ii/eiiselect39.jpg]

George Lucas and Nick Gillard on a blue screen set. By this time (spring of 2001) we had known about the Arena and figured this might be it. Too bad it wasn't an image of N'Sync on set. This board exploded with news that they had visited production because it also came with the silly idea that they had filmed as Jedi Knights. It was a fun night of spam at the end of 2001.



Select Image #40

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Obi-Wan stunt double during the rain fight with Jango. Just tracking the movement.



Select Image #41

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We had no idea what this was. We didn't know if it was upside down or right side up. We didn't really find out until we saw the film and it was revealed to be the entrance to hideout of Tyranus and Sidious on Coruscant.

 

That's no Go-Go Cage, it's a Jetson's-Style People-Mover-Tube...

 

I thank you HookLineAndSinker for this nostalgia trip. Every one of these images are burned into my retina...it really was an exciting time. I also wish a pox on your house for reminding me that I am a decade older

 

Now I am complete.




Select Image #42

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A Naboo Fighter. But where is it? Turns out it was landing at the start of the film. For ages we tried to figure out what the other dark outlines were. The bottom one is the landing platform and the top one is part of the yacht that blows up.



Select Image #43

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We had no idea where they were, but it was Padme and Anakin. Anakin seemed to be in action mode jumping at something. It's of course, looking back, the droid factory. So much of the scene was rewritten over production that even shots like this were cut.



Select Image #44

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Early computer animation of the chase through Coruscant. We pretty much nailed this at the time though some thought it could be something else entirely.



Select Image #45

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What a mysterious image. We wondered who they were. Possibly Padme and Sio Bibble? People figured Bibble because it looked like the guy sitting had a beard. Other speculation included the person sitting being Passel Argente because of the thing on his head. As it turned out, they were just extras in Dex's Diner under strange lighting. Somewhat of a letdown for so much speculation.

 

Cool thread! I'm surprised at how many of these pictures I don't remember at all, considering I must've scrutinized them quite intensely back then. Anyway, it's nice to look at them again and feeling the tinge of recognizable anticipation. *Sigh* sad, knowing I will never anticipate a film like this again (unless parts 7-9 eventually gets made, god I hope they will). Excellent write-ups too, keep em' coming.

 

Select Image #46

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The mighty Bear Clan. No J.K. Burtola or Mari Amithest though. But it was the first time we had actually seen kindergarten Jedi.




Select Image #47

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This was a cool shot for it's time. By now the spoiler community knew this was Anakin on the speeder riding off to save his mother. The animation was coming along nicely. Some people thought it could be Geonosis because of the rocks and I can understand why. In the film the movie goes from a rocky/sandy planet to a rocky/sandy planet. Might confuse the casual audience member if they're not paying attention too well.




Select Image #48

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Anakin and Padme at the Palace on Naboo. This particular shot was cut though.




Select Image #49

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The Lars family homestead. It was great to see it again after almost 25 years. Fantastic that nothing had changed and they could shoot there in Tunisia.

 

Select Image #50

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Mace Windu! Here he is taming the Reek. But of course this part was cut. Still, it was great to see a full on image of the Jedi Master. I forget if by this time we knew he was getting a purple lightsaber.



Select Image #51

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Padme headdresses and Bounty Hunter helmets. Wasn't the most exciting image ever after a years worth of AOTC pictures coming out via selects and star wars inside magazines.



Select Image #52

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All three heroes in action riding the Reek. Fun image. Had that OT vibe to it like Luke, Leia, and Han running around getting into trouble.



Select Image #53

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Whoa. Everyone was glad to see this image. You could see Obi-Wan down grasping his leg with Anakin looking positively in shock. By now the insiders had told us that Anakin would lose his arm in the battle against Lord Tyranus so for Starwars.com to release this image was a nice treat.

 

Wow. I've never seen this one before. Hope the scene is on the blu-rays.

 

Select Image #54

[image=http://www.scenebyscene.net/ii/eiiselect54.jpg]

Two portly men who smelled none too pleasant. I think people were trying to make a big deal about the old bearded one being someone, but can't quite remember what that nonsense was about.



Select Image #55

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The chest of Zam Wesell. Not entirely what we expected for a fem fatale but she is alien. Actually we didn't learn she was a changeling until reports on the visual dictionary started to come out during late 2001 and early 2002. Still has to be one of the most useless attributes ever given to a Star Wars character given how she doesn't really use it to her advantage.



Select Image #56

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This might have been my favorite select image. This was the summer of 2001 now and we hadn't seen such a clear image of the duel before. It looked intense with the sparks flying. The colors made it seem magical. So much discussion over it. I believe that's Hayden and Kyle Rowling (Lee's stunt double).



Select Image #57

[image=http://www.scenebyscene.net/ii/eiiselect57.jpg]

"How do you know when you've gone too far?" Actually that quote was for a trailer of still shots Starwars.com gave us in the fall which really teased us. I think they played Leia's theme over it. Anyways, this image is obviously Mace in Palpatine's office pondering over dark matters.





So that's it for select images. Figured it was worth a look back. Between the summer of 2000 and 2001 we had some great times speculating and anticipating the next image. For Episode III, they promised us new select images but it was scrapped in place of another image series. Probably for the best. As you can see half of the images were of deleted scenes and or meaningless extras. We didn't know that at the time though. I do think the spoiler community got more out of the movies with just discussing images and the plot for 3 years between flicks than the non-spoiled. Kept our imaginations alive.

 

Amazing Hookline, I don't know that I'd ever seen that second to last one... the duel with Dooku, truly awesome!

And I'm so glad the fat stinky extras showed up.... I always thought how mean the spy reports were about them, but the descriptions were memorable enough that I still remember them a decade later. I'm sure it still hurts their feelings if they were to read this and still be refered to in that manner... But Dammit, I hope they make action figures out of these guys! And I hope the figures are titled "Unpleasent Smelling Portly Gentlemen".

 

Thats bread?! Can't help but think there may have been a cut scene with a bantha...

 

I remember the months leading up to each Prequel, and getting SW Insider just to see what select images we'd see for each movie.

 

Great to see all those select images again. I remember following them and being thrilled by some and disappointed by others. But the speculation before and after all them was great fun. I remember someone commenting on the animatic of Anakin on the speeder racing across the Tatooine landscape that the Emperor's face could be seen in the rock formation!
Thanks HLS for bringing back good memories of the summers of 2000-2001!

 

Okay, I REALLY hope that we get this part of the scene reinstated to the blu ray or 3D realease, because GOD is that a lovely image. We'd better get that in the deleted scenes, at least. I remember thinking that the penthouse nighttime lighting was a little unimpressive at first, but that shot alone makes it phenomenal. Wonderfully art deco.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, though. How many of these "photos by George Lucas" were actually stills from shot/cut sequences?

 

All of them that say "photo by George Lucas" are stills from whichever of the cameras Lucas was using that day to film the over 4 hours of footage they shot for AOTC. The 2nd select image is the only one that says "photo by George Lucas" that doesn't appear to be actual filming. Could be a test shot or Lucas was filming a candid moment with Natalie waiting for the setup to be in place.

2, 7, 10, 15, 19, 21, 27, 29, 30, 34, 35, 37, 48, 50, 52, 55, 56, and 57 are by Lucas himself.


2, 15, 21, 29, 30, 35, 37, 48, and 50 look to be shots that didn't make the cut. 29 is actually a direct image from the deleted scene of the temple analysis room we got on the AOTC dvd. I am guessing we didn't get the scene in number 30 because they would have had to finish Yoda walking with Mace.

 

What I remember most about this image is on some SW message board,That is long gone by now and whose name I can't remember,This one poster was so adamant in thinking that this image was a 'cloning facility orbiting Alderaan'. and no it wasn't me!

 

Well, the stuff that doesn't come from scenes/shots already available in the film or deleted sequences-- I hope we eventually get to see those portions of film either reinstated or included in odds-and-ends in the blu-ray. I must again say, that shot of Anakin in Padme's penthouse is gorgeous, pure art-deco bliss.

 

Awesome thread Hookster. Brought back some great memories.

 

I hate being late to this thread. I still have these pictures saved. They stopped at #57, which was George Lucas' age at the time. I don't know if that was on purpose or what. The anticipation between TPM and AOTC was mindnumbing. I managed to stay spoiler-free for TPM and then for ROTS, and thus the wait for them felt a lot shorter because I wasn't checking stuff out every single day despite trying to stay away. At the same time Starwars.com was teasing us with descriptions like "Global Leader" for casting choices before revealing the characters names. It all painted such a darker picture.

#38...I can't remember when I noticed it but it took me a while to notice the woman in the Outrigger Club dropping in.

#46. Jeez I remember a HUGE dumb debate on another messageboard where a moderator insisted that a topic about that picture did not belong in the Episode II forum because he for no reason thought it was a gag from starwars.com. He stubbornly refused to accept it being an official Episode II Select picture.

When I saw the first picture I immediately associated Anakin's look with Luke's look in ROTJ, and it seemed to explain why Luke wore black. Until the prequels, the black outfit was considered to be a standard Jedi Knight uniform. Obi-Wan in ANH just seemed to dress that way because he was on Tatooine.