New Homing Beacon: Worlds of ROTS Part II

Here ya go:


Revenge of the Sith showcases more planets than any Star Wars film that has come previously, more planets than all the previous Star Wars films combined. The scale of the Star Wars finale is so enormous that it stretches from the heart of the Republic to the wispiest stretches of the Outer Rim. To better orient yourself in galaxy far, far away, here's a brief introduction to some of the planets to be found in Episode III.

Kashyyyk. The homeworld of the Wookiee species, Kashyyyk serves as a major navigation point for the entire southwestern quadrant of the galaxy. For this reason, it becomes the site of ongoing battles between the Republic and the Separatists. During the events of Episode III, a major droid incursion brings Yoda to Kashyyyk, where he serves as a Jedi General for the clone forces, fighting alongside such Wookiee heroes as Tarfful and Chewbacca.

Star Wars lore has described Kashyyyk as a world of enormous jungles and a forest floor that rarely sees daylight. While this is true of vast portions of Kashyyyk, the action in Episode III takes place in an enormous tree village near a freshwater lagoon. Confederacy and clone forces tangle in a chaotic beachfront battle orchestrated from the massive tree city above. To capture Kashyyyk on the screen, a huge practical tree model was constructed by ILM and populated with digital characters and placed into background plates of exotic Asian jungles and riversides.

Mustafar. A tiny, fiery world of unstable geology, Mustafar is filled with mineral-rich volcanic eruptions and rivers of molten lava. It is the cinematic equivalent of Hell for Anakin Skywalker's journey to the dark side. Though elements of actual volcanic eruptions in Italy were gathered to serve as background plates, much of the imagery of Mustafar consists of miniature photography and digital matte paintings.

For years, Star Wars fans have known that lava is an important ingredient in the final transformation of Anakin Skywalker into the scarred and crippled Darth Vader. How it all happens will finally be revealed in Episode III. Beyond its role in the story of Anakin, Mustafar is an out-of-the-way locale perfect for the leaders of the Separatists to relocate and rally following recent setbacks in the Clone Wars.

Mygeeto. Mygeeto is one of several Separatist-held planets showcased in Episode III as an example of the galaxy-wide engagements of the Clone Wars. Early creative explorations of the world had it be a Banking Clan headquarters, with space-age architecture in a cold, crystalline landscape. While some of the crystalline elements remain, the planet's environment is dominated by a cityscape, which will be seen in crumbling ruins in the film. As a result of the prolonged fighting, ash is everywhere, intermixing with the ice crystals to create a grayish, sleet-filled environ. Ki-Adi-Mundi will be seen leading clone troops on Mygeeto.

Naboo. Naboo has appeared in all three Episodes of the prequel trilogy. It is an important world, not only serving as the home of Padmé Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine, but also as a symbol of the times left behind with the ascendancy of the Empire. The classical architecture and hand-crafted beauty of Naboo is a throwback to a simpler era. It's little wonder that in Episode III, Padmé wistfully longs to be with Anakin at her placid lake retreat to raise a family far away from the deceit and destruction of the war.

The world of Naboo in Episode III is realized through digital matte paintings that incorporate the same designs and structures seen in the previous two prequels. The brief visit to Naboo will include an appearance by Keisha Castle-Hughes as the new teenage monarch of the planet, Queen Apailana.

The planets of ROTS are going to rule.

I'm particularly pumped for Utapau and Mygeeto for some reason.

 

Utapau?!

Where is it in the list? It finally made the films?

 

I didn't know before now that Naboo would be in the movie.

 

I also had no idea Naboo was going to be in the movie.

 

I guessed it was going to be in there when I saw that BTH a long time ago about the new Queen (Keisha Castle-Hughes), then Pablo mentioned something about having to "Sio Bibble" in Sio Bibble again.

It can't be in there for long - we haven't heard ANYTHING about it!

 

The classical architecture and hand-crafted beauty of Naboo is a throwback to a simpler era. It's little wonder that in Episode III, Padmé wistfully longs to be with Anakin at her placid lake retreat to raise a family far away from the deceit and destruction of the war.

That part made me really sad for some reason.

 

Imagine the life Luke and Leia could have had there!
Looking at Leia in her Bespin gown, she was born to be on Naboo (no joke intended >_<)

 

That part made me really sad for some reason.

Oddly, it did me, too.

 

I didn't know before now that Chewbacca was going to be in the movie. Sigh. I guessed as much, but had no confirmation. Guess I need to stop reading these boards, including 3NS. Or maybe just stick to the HCNS threads.