A quarter of a century ago, the era of the prequel trilogy and the Clone Wars began with the arrival of The Phantom Menace on 19th May 1999, and as we look back fondly to those halcyon days Empire Magazine celebrate with two light side and dark side covers and fresh interviews with the cast, including Hayden Christensen who is proud of the work he did on his two prequel entries.
“The journey that I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20 plus years… it’s been a wild ride, and where we’re at now is really meaningful to me I think that those movies have held up well over time, it feels like vindication for the work that we did. Everyone that worked on those movies thought that we were part of something special. We all wanted to do our very best work, and we cared a lot about it. And so to see the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.”
Hayden also mentions his memorable scene with Ross Beadman, and back in 2019 we reunited Hayden and Ross for their first meeting since they shot that oft-quoted scene back in 2003.
“There was a lot of talk about us doing that scene, and I love that George did it. It was a bold move. And it’s shocking, Kids seem to forget about that scene when they meet me! There’s not any fear or intimidation. They’re just excited to meet Anakin.”
The new issue of Empire is an epic celebration of Episodes I, II, and III, revisiting the movies with the people who made them. Inside, we have brand new cast interviews, including major conversations – and exclusive photo shoots – with Anakin Skywalker himself, Hayden Christensen, and the one and only Emperor Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid; also speaking to Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Blessed and more on their memories of the trilogy. Plus, we revisit iconic sequences with producer Rick McCallum, stunt co-ordinator Nick Gillard, and concept designer Iain McCaig, breaking down the Podrace in Episode I, the arena battle in Episode II, and the Mustafar duel in Episode III; we get a closer look at rarely-seen concept art from across the trilogy; we speak to designer Ellen Lee Moon on the story behind her legendary Phantom Menace poster. We even catch up with Elan Sleazebaggano himself, Matt Doran. (No death sticks for us, thank you.) It’s the ultimate look back at the trilogy that changed everything.
- Hardcover Book
- English (Publication Language)
- 144 Pages - 03/05/2024 (Publication Date) - Titan Comics (Publisher)
