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Yoda was originally going to be played by a real monkey (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Long before Yoda became the wise, green Jedi Master we know and love, Star Wars creator George Lucas had something wildly different in mind: Yoda as… a monkey. Lucas nearly hired a tiny primate with a cane and a mask to play Luke Skywalker’s legendary mentor. This quirky plan almost became a reality until one crew member said, “The monkey’s just going to pull the mask off repeatedly. It’s never going to work.” And just like that, the little monkey with big Jedi dreams was out.

The story of Yoda’s near-monkey-moment has become a piece of Star Wars lore that leaves fans equal parts relieved and amused. So how did we get from a masked monkey to the iconic puppet, and eventually CGI, that shaped a generation? Let’s journey back to...

In this series exploring the history of the Star Wars franchise, we couldn’t skip over the fascinating backstory of the Emperor, whose real name, Sheev Palpatine, was revealed later, though fans know him best as Darth Sidious.

First introduced as the shadowy mastermind behind Darth Vader and the Empire in the Original Trilogy, his character received further depth and background in the Prequels.

While Ian McDiarmid is now synonymous with the role, he wasn’t the original Emperor. Several performers brought the character to life before McDiarmid’s portrayal was retroactively added to earlier films for continuity.

This article dives into the unique story behind the original Emperor—played by an actress in his first on-screen appearance. It’s a story that uncovers a surprising link between Star Wars and monkeys, building on our recent piece about Yoda, who was nearly played by one!

The Emperor’s story remains...

Ah, "Star Wars." George Lucas' fantastical sci-fi adventure saga set long ago in a galaxy far, far away has entertained audiences and inspired a generation of nerds (myself included) since 1977. What started as a thrilling tale of good versus evil somehow morphed into a sprawling epic about a powerful family, the Skywalkers, and their dealings with the Force. When Darth Vader uttered the immortal line, "I am your father," to his son, Luke Skywalker, Lucas effectively reconfigured his space epic into an intimate tale about fathers and sons, an idea that expanded to include a whole heap of Skywalkers -- even though Lucas didn't consider Luke the main character of the saga.

To that end, we're taking a look at the entire Skywalker family tree to explain how certain characters paved the way for more notable descendants down the line. Considering the confusing nature of the "Star Wars" series that...

Samuel L. Jackson has once again insisted his 'Star Wars' character Mace Windu is still alive.The Jedi Master was seemingly thrown to his death in the 2005 film 'Revenge of the Sith' following a fierce duel with Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) but the 75-year-old actor has now argued Windu is still "out there" and joked the hero was living out the rest of his days with Jackson's 'Pulp Fiction' character Jules Winnfield.During a recent appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', the actor told the host: "There's a history alone, history of one-armed, one-handed people in the 'Star Wars' universe. "So, just cause they cut my arm off and I fell out a window, doesn't mean I'm dead. I'm a Jedi! The second-most powerful Jedi in the universe next to Yoda. So, I can float!"Yeah, he's out there. Yeah, he's out there walking the Earth with Jules.

Star Wars Insider is the go-to magazine for everything going on in a galaxy far, far away. For the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the publisher is releasing a special edition issue out on October 29!

According to the official press release, "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The 25th Anniversary Special Edition recounts the behind-the-scenes story of the first chapter in the prequel trilogy from the unique vantage point of Star Wars Insider, as it followed the movie’s progress firsthand from pre-production to premiere.

With prequel updates from producer Rick McCallum, insights from writer and director George Lucas, and in-depth looks at the movie’s spectacular concept designs and visual effects, this official special edition takes you back in time to explore the making of the movie –as it happened.

Also included in this anniversary edition are on-set interviews with cast members Liam Neeson,...

George Lucas created Star Wars back in 1977, hoping to make a sci-fi film with breathtaking visual effects that would resonate with children. However, Lucas ended up launching one of the most beloved and commercially successful franchises in the process, which is thriving even today. As a result, even Lucas could not have predicted the widespread impact of his film.

George Lucas admitted to making political allusions in Star Wars (Credit: Late Night with Conan O’Brien).

Despite primarily wanting to cater to children, Lucas had subtle but clever allusions to real-world politics in the first movie and the original trilogy. As the 2024 United States presidential election is around the corner, it might be worth reflecting upon Lucas’ poignant liberal messaging in the Star Wars franchise, which continues to dabble in politics even today.

George Lucas Admitted Star Wars Was Meant to Have Strokes of Liberal Politics

George Lucas directed 1977’s Star Wars,...

In 1977's "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope," the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) was introduced wearing lightweight, light-colored robes, outfitted with a loose, cloak-like hood. One might rightly assume that the robes were necessary for living on the desert planet of Tatooine, and that light, full-bodied robes were key for keeping the sun off his head and body. One doesn't want skintight black leather in the desert, no matter what the L.A. Goth kids might be unwisely wearing to Disneyland during the summer.

Later in the series, in 1983's "Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi," fans would see the character of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in person for the first time, and he, too, would be wearing dark robes. Palpatine's cloak, however, was more mysterious, serving to obscure the frail body and place face of the twisted warlock lord. The cloak-and-robe aesthetic...

Ian McDiarmid's acting career stretches back to 1972 when he appeared in a production of "Hamlet" at the Open Space Theater in London. He continued a prolific stage career while simultaneously moving to film in 1976 with his cinematic debut "The Likely Lads," a bawdy comedy film. McDiarmid might first have been recognized by mainstream American audiences thanks to his appearance in Matthew Robbins' 1981 fantasy film "Dragonslayer," although he assured a permanent spot in the pop culture canon in 1983 when he appeared as the evil Emperor in Richard Marquand's "Return of the Jedi."

Because that film was part of the "Star Wars" series, McDiarmid might have been at peace with the fact that he'd likely appear in future sequels. It would take another 16 years, but McDiarmid returned as a young version of the Emperor in George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." That film was a prequel...

This article contains spoilers for "The Acolyte" season 1.

In George Lucas' 2005 film "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) tells a story to Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen) about a mythic Sith lord known as Darth Plagueis the Wise. Darth Plagueis was said to be so powerful and wise that he mastered the dark side of the Force, using negative emotions to create life from nothing. Plagueis was eventually killed by his apprentice, the evil Darth Sidious. "Star Wars" fans will hasten to add that Darth Sidious was Palpatine's Sith alias.

For years, fans theorized that Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis once combined their dark side powers, shot energy out into the universe, and conceived a Force baby within the womb of a random woman. The Force baby they created was none other than Anakin himself, the boy who would grow up to be Darth Vader.

Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for “The Acolyte,” including the finale.

One thing about Star Wars: someone‘s always on the Dark Side.

From Count Dooku and General Grievous to Darths Sidious, Maul, and Vader and Kylo Ren, Force-sensitive individuals in that distant galaxy always have the option to switch sides (and colors), and quite a few have seized that opportunity.

In Leslye Headland’s “The Acolyte,” the eponymous Sith follower initially appears to be Mae (Amandla Stenberg), who turned to the Dark Side after the Jedi killed her family and “saved” her sister Osha (Stenberg again). But after years of living without the full truth, failing to become a Jedi, and finally meeting The Stranger (Manny Jacinto), the season finale sees Osha find a new direction for her powers and a new master from whom to learn.

Despite all the big bads listed above, one thing the...

Always two, there are. “Star Wars” fans were treated to many things throughout Episode 8 of “The Acolyte,” but among them were two character cameos of legendary figures in “Star Wars” lore showing up in the Disney+ series’ season finale. The final shot of the season settles just above the very recognizable ears and wispy white hairs of Yoda, long-lived enough to have seen the Republic at its height before its fall. But “The Acolyte” achieves balance in the (cameo) force by tucking in a true Iykyk glimpse of a legendary dark lord, too.

“Plagueis was always in the finale, in every version,” creator Leslye Headland told IndieWire on an upcoming episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. Darth Plagueis the Wise is a Sith Lord referenced most notably in “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” as part of Palpatine’s (Ian Mcdiarmid) pitch to Anakin (Hayden Christensen) to join the dark side — he was,...

George Lucas and his crazy world-building and backstory extended far beyond just writing the Star Wars saga. Concepts that appeared even in The Force Awakens were originally rooted in his earliest notes. The prequels, for instance, emerged from Lucas’ richly imagined history of the Jedi and Sith, crafted long before the first film.

Ian McDiarmid in Return of the Jedi | Lucasfilm

However, despite the presence of such deep lore, Ian McDiarmid didn’t need to hit the books on fake history. McDiarmid, who played Sheev Palpatine, to put it simply, didn’t bother with Palpatine’s backstory much at all.

Why Ian McDiarmid Didn’t Bother Learning All of Palpatine’s Backstory

In George Lucas‘ Star Wars, Palpatine, slowly evolved into the saga’s mastermind, more sinister than the devil himself, driven purely by unchecked power.

Suggested“They weren’t wrong or evil”: ‘The Acolyte’ Drags the Jedi’s...

George Lucas has an obsession with world-building and backstories. Because he spent so long toying with the concept and setting of "Star Wars," long before he actually wrote what would become the first movie in the saga, a lot of concepts for what would come later (even as recent as "The Force Awakens") can be found in his earliest notes. Indeed, the whole story of the prequels originated from Lucas' own backstory and world-building for the Jedi and the Sith that he created before writing the original "Star Wars."

But just because the maker had these ideas in his head doesn't mean his actors had to study a fake history book for their roles. As Ian McDiarmid himself told Star Wars Insider before the release of "The Phantom Menace" in 1999, he didn't really dive into the backstory of Sheev Palpatine.

"Like everybody else, I've read the books and worked things out,...

Warning: spoilers for Doctor Who finale “Empire of Death”.

The mystery of Ruby Sunday has been solved, and after teasing the parentage of Millie Gibson’s motherless Mancunian since she arrived in Doctor Who’s 2023 Christmas special, series 14 finale “Empire of Death” brought everything full circle. Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteen had been helping Ruby try to trace her family tree all series, and now, we know who her mother is… a regular human woman with no supernatural or alien connections.

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies has now confirmed that the big twist of Ruby’s mother being a young woman called Louise Alison Miller (played by The Responder‘s Faye McKeever) was directly inspired by one of Star Wars’ most divisive reveals.

As soon as we first saw baby Ruby being dropped off at the church on Ruby Road, there were swirling fan theories, with the wildest suggesting she...

The Star Wars franchise has currently seen a downturn in its fortunes, with some of its recent projects produced under Kathleen Kennedy proving to be more misses than hits. A part of the reason for the franchise’s failure to connect with the audiences has been the shift towards female protagonists and female-driven stories.

The Emperor was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back (Credit: Lucasfilm).

However, back in the day, when George Lucas was still shaping the galaxy far, far away, he included a female version of the Emperor, which might surprise some fans. In one scene from The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor later revealed to be Palpatine, was played by a female actress. Here is why this detail might interest Kathleen Kennedy.

The Emperor Was a Woman in One Scene of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment to be...

Maleah Joi Moon has become the 101st performer to win a Tony Award for their first outing on a Broadway stage for her performance in the musical “Hell’s Kitchen.”

She won Best Actress in a Musical at the 77th Tony Awards for portraying Ali, a 17-year-old girl searching for her place in the world while living in the titular New York City neighborhood and also being restrained by her overbearing mother. She is the 10th person to win the category for her Broadway debut. She joins:

Elizabeth Seal, “Irma La Douce” (1961)

Anna Maria Alberghetti, “Carnival” (1962)

Liza Minnelli, “Flora the Red Menace” (1965)

Leslie Uggams, “Hallelujah, Baby” (1968)

Alexis Smith, “Follies” (1972)

Natalia Makarova, “On Your Toes” (1983)

Lea Salonga, “Miss Saigon” (1991)

Catherine Zeta-Jones, “A Little Night Music” (2010)

Cynthia Erivo, “The Color Purple” (2016)

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Other performers who pulled off this accomplishment in recent years include...

This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Acolyte through episode 3.

We’re heading somewhere new in the galaxy far, far away as Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte takes fans to the High Republic era. Taking place 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, this is arguably the most accessible Disney+ series for those who are new to the world of Star Wars. Still, it looks like The Acolyte could be hiding a major connection to the sequel trilogy, and in particular, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.

The focus of The Acolyte are twins Mae and Osha Aniseya, played in a dual role by Amandla Stenberg. Lost twins are a recurring theme in Star Wars, with the original trilogy’s Luke and Leia being the most notable example. However, unlike Luke and Leia, The Acolyte suggests Mae and Osha share an even stronger bond in...

After playing the beloved MCU character Loki for over a decade, actor Tom Hiddleston is eyeing an antagonistic character in the extensive Star Wars saga. The actor has long been fan-cast as the young Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, in the epic space opera. Portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the prequel trilogy, the character has been a key figure in all the trilogies.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki | Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Given the persistent fan interest in seeing Hiddleston tackle this role, the actor has expressed his enthusiasm for the idea, stating that he would appreciate the opportunity to become part of the legendary galactic saga.

Tom Hiddleston on Playing Young Palpatine in Star Wars

In a recent conversation with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, actor Tom Hiddleston shared his preference for Star Wars over Star Trek. It prompted the host to ask him about being...

Created by George Lucas, the Star Wars franchise is one of the most epic sagas ever told. From the fall of Anakin Skywalker to Luke Skywalker’s eventual defeat of the Emperor, it is a classic tale of good vs evil. As a result, it is obvious that the saga required a compelling antagonist and the Sith Lord Palpatine might just be one of the best villains in the franchise.

Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine is arguably the greatest villain in Star Wars (Image Credits: Lucasfilm).

Despite his cunning personality, Vader’s master failed to hold on to power and eventually faced defeat. As a result, fans of the franchise got together to discuss the various mistakes the Emperor made in his quest for total domination over the galaxy far, far away. In the process, the fan debate proved how Palpatine’s blunders were responsible for his downfall, and here is...

Since its inception in 1977 by creator George Lucas, the Star Wars universe has invited some of Hollywood’s biggest names to participate in telling stories from a galaxy far, far away. On that note, imagine having the chance to star in one of the most iconic film sagas of all time, only to walk away with an unpleasant memory that seemed like it’d never fade.

Can an experience alongside a cinematic legend like Lucas ever be, dare we say, “boring”? Well, for Terence Stamp, acclaimed for his chilling portrayal of the villainous General Zod in Richard Donner’s Superman, a discouraging stint on the set of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace left an indelible mark.

A still from George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Lucasfilm Ltd.

The London-born actor, 85, earlier detailed his less-than-satisfactory experience collaborating with Lucas during the 1999 epic space opera flick.

The Phantom Menace was a glorious success in terms of box office earnings but the movie that was included in the Star Wars prequel trilogy met with heavy criticism for one primary reason. The trilogy, unlike the sequel movie series, seemed juvenile as considered by fans and critics.

George Lucas. Credit: Joey Gannon/Creative Commons

Now, a few decades later, the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas came to defend the prequel trilogy. However, fans are not ready to accept the reasoning the legendary director provided. Star Wars is one of the biggest and most successful franchises in the history of entertainment and Lucas was the mastermind behind the visionary sci-fi world which still adds shows and movies in it.

George Lucas Defends Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

A still from the Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace. Credit: 20th Century Studios.

George Lucas has finally responded...

Daisy Ridley still hasn't seen the finished script for her new 'Star Wars' movie.The 32-year-old actress is reprising her role as Rey in a new film set to follow her rebuilding the Jedi Order after defeating Emperor Palpatine in 2019's 'The Rise of Skywalker', but she is yet to read final draft.Asked if she'd seen a copy, she told Collider: "That has not changed yet - but it is imminently about to change."When it comes to stepping back into the character of Rey, Ridley admitted there were some challenges despite the familiarity of the role.She explained: "So this one feels the same because I'm playing a character I’ve played before, but it's different because it's been many years."I would hope I'm coming back as a richer artist, but also I'm in different hands, so that's interesting and new."A different story. So that...

Who has not felt the sting of a missed opportunity, especially when you have come so close to your big break? For O’Shea Jackson Jr., the brush with a galaxy far, far away was definitely a bitter pill to swallow—one that the fandom of both Star Wars and the actor can empathize with.

Rising to fame as an actor in F. Gary Gray’s 2015 biopic film, Straight Outta Compton, Jackson Jr.’s talent has been evident. Earlier this year, moreover, his candidness about the disappointment of losing a coveted role in Ron Howard’s 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story to Donald Glover was as relatable as it was commendable.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. in Straight Outta Compton (Credit: Universal Pictures)

Opening up about the intense audition process, Jackson Jr. reflected on his confidence after multiple auditions for the role of Lando Calrissian, only to experience a letdown when Glover was cast.

Okay, we all loved the original Star Wars trilogy. George Lucas’ unique vision defined the space opera genre and gave us some epic movies that we will love for years to come. But remember when the Prequel Trilogy came out? Sure, by the time the Revenge of the Sith came out, fans were more satisfied with the story, but do you remember how much hate was directed towards Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace when it first came out? And it wasn’t just Jar-Jar Binks that people hated – it was the whole concept and many parts of the story.

Yours truly personally liked the Prequel Trilogy and we on Fiction Horizon are quite happy with how well the three movies aged, as fans have been starting to appreciate these movies more and more in recent years, especially after Disney’s Sequel Trilogy. In light of that, Variety...

When “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” debuted on May 19, 1999, few movies before (or since) were greeted with more fevered anticipation. Not only was the movie the first new “Star Wars” movie in a generation, but it was touted as the first of a prequel trilogy charting the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Knight fated to turn to the dark side as Darth Vader.

Despite the breathless build up, by the end of that summer, the near-universal consensus was that “The Phantom Menace” was, at best, a colossal disappointment and, at worst, a calamitous embarrassment. Some blamed the decision by George Lucas — directing for the first time since 1977’s “A New Hope” — to start the story with a precocious 9-year-old Anakin (Jake Lloyd). Others railed against the slapstick antics and pidgin English of Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), hyped as the first-ever CG main character in a live-action movie.

Star Wars The Phantom Menace: Where Are They Now in 2024 on Film's 25th Anniversary? - Main Image

What happened to the cast of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace since 1999? Where are they now? In celebration of Star Wars: Phantom Menace's 25th anniversary, fans will get to rewatch the entire Skywalker Saga in theaters this May.

Where Are the Original Cast of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 2024?

As fans reminisce about the first chapter of the Skywalker saga, here's where the cast is, as of 2024!

Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn

Initially starring as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in 1999's Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Liam Neeson later became involved in several projects in the franchise.

Moving past being best known for his action flicks like Taken, Neeson lent his voice in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker and Tales of the Jedi to reprise his role.

"Fear is the path to the dark side..." Time to return to that galaxy far, far away. 20th Century has revealed a brand new trailer for the 25th anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in theaters this May. This highly anticipated prequel in the Star Wars series opened in the summer of 1999, some 25 years ago, and the hype was through the roof. I remember waiting in line just to get tickets, and all the mania waiting for it to open. Then everyone went to see it and did not like it. Now all these years later, is it time for a re-appraisal? In The Phantom Menace, two Jedi escape a hostile blockade and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their original glory. We're introduced to Anakin, Jar Jar, Qui Gon, Amidala,...

Despite all the changes and shifts that happened in Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy has managed to “survive” as the president of the company and she is still running the Star Wars franchise in collaboration with Disney, despite many negative comments on her work, as well as some of the recent Star Wars projects. And while Kennedy is certainly responsible for a lot of the franchise’s successes, she has also been blamed for a lot of the failures.

Kennedy is known for voicing her opinion, and her opinions have often been subject to criticism as well, but this has not stopped her from speaking out. Not so long ago, the president of Lucasfilm talked about the issue of recasting popular roles, and from what we can understand, she is not a big fan of the practice.

This was said as a reaction to the relatively lukewarm reception of Solo: A Star Wars Story,...

The "Star Wars" universe is stuffed with memorable baddies, and since the theatrical films have mostly been shot in London, these villains are typically from the United Kingdom. Everyone's got a favorite: Ian McDiarmid's sinister Emperor Palpatine, Peter Cushing's ruthless Grand Moff Tarkin (who was digitally resurrected for "Rogue One"), Kenneth Colley's stressed out Admiral Piett ... there's really no wrong answer here. But if I absolutely have to place one member of the Galactic Empire over all the others, I might just go with Julian Glover's delectably evil General Maximillian Veers.

Why? Even though he doesn't get much screen time in "Star Wars: Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back", Glover is just such a strikingly nasty piece of work during the assault on the Rebels' Hoth base of operations that I find myself wishing Lucas had found more for him to do.

No one should...

Say what you will of "Star Wars," but you can't deny the franchise is great with thematically-consistent visual choices. When a Force user is meant to be bad, they've got a red lightsaber and they're dressed up in scary dark clothing. When the character's meant to be good, they've got a blue/green lightsaber and they're wearing friendly light clothing (with exceptions like Luke Skywalker at the start of "Return of the Jedi"). It's perhaps a little too simple, but it was a great idea on creator George Lucas's part to come up with a type of futuristic sword that straight-up tells you what sort of person its owner is. Talk about taking visual shorthand to the next level.

Outside of clothing and choice of weapon, "Star Wars" is also quick to use appearances to indicate morality. The morally righteous Leia is conventionally attractive, whereas the evil Palpatine has yellow eyes and wrinkly skin.

Has it been that long? George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is getting a 25th anniversary re-release by Disney on May 3. That’s in time to celebrate Star Wars day, May the 4th.

As part of the “The Phantom Menace” screenings, fans will be treated to an exclusive look at Disney+/Lucasfilm new series Star Wars: The Acolyte which takes place 100 years prior to Phantom Menace, that latter movie being the origin story of Anakin Skywalker who ultimately becomes Darth Vader. The Acolyte hits Disney+ on June 4.

Also the next Star Wars Celebration is headed to Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on April 18-20, 2025. Tickets for the event will go on sale Thursday, May 2, at 7:00 P.M. Edt (US Time)/Friday, May 3, at 8:00 A.M. Jst (Japan Time).

Phantom Menace starred Ewan McGregor as young Obi Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn,...

Disney is giving us a blast from the past with its next entry in the Star Wars series, as showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) takes us back to the golden age of the High Republic. Going back further on the timeline than live-action Star Wars has before, The Acolyte takes place at the height of the Jedi Order’s power, 100 years before Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn blundered their trade negotiations in The Phantom Menace.

With a largely new cast, the first trailer for The Acolyte gave us a look at Amandla Stenberg‘s rogue warrior Mae, The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss and Squid Game‘s Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Masters, and Solo’s Joonas Suotamo playing the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca. But despite the many Jedi in the story, Headland has said that the show also tackles the story of the Sith and how they managed to infiltrate and corrupt the Republic and the Jedi Order.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is a film full of epic moments. One of the best scenes is the opening battle scene where Chancellor Palpatine manipulates Anakin Skywalker into killing Count Dooku during the Battle of Coruscant.

A still from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

In the scene where Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) instructs Anakin (Hayden Christensen) to cut off Count Dooku’s (Christopher Lee) head, he delivers some famous lines in a dramatic manner. This intensifies the scene even further. However, the scene could have almost appeared entirely different from what it is today.

Ian McDiarmid’s Clash Could Have Almost Threatened Iconic Star Wars Scene

Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine / Darth Sidious in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

The opening battle scene in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith could have become completely...

As in Star Wars, Dune has an interplanetary emperor, and as with most similarities between the two universes, it’s probably not a coincidence, given the all-too-obvious influence of Frank Herbert’s novels on George Lucas. But in Denis Vileneuve’s Dune 2, instead of Ian McDiarmid’s lightning-tossing, “unlimited power”-bellowing Palpatine, we get a fantastically understated Christopher Walken as the faded ruler of the known universe, looking bummed out from years of governance, with a vibe not unlike Mitch McConnell’s at his recent farewell press conference. Walken...

In George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi flick "Star Wars," there is a scene wherein a cadre of Nazi-like bad guys, in the employ of the evil Empire, gather around a boardroom table and mention that the mysterious off-screen Emperor has dissolved the senate and taken absolute control. The military generals are outraged, wondering how the Empire might survive without a bureaucracy in place. In Irvin Kirshner's 1980 sequel "The Empire Strikes Back," it's established that Darth Vader (David Prowse), a mysterious masked warlock, was actually the Emperor's right-hand man, indicating that the Emperor retains control of the Empire through the sheer force of his villainy.

In "The Empire Strikes Back," the Emperor appeared in holographic form to have a powwow with Darth Vader and plan his next move. In the original cut of the movie, the Emperor was played on screen by actress Marjorie Eaton, outfitted with eerie, alien eyeballs. Eaton was a long-working character performer in Hollywood,...

There's a lot about the "Star Wars" franchise that doesn't make a ton of sense. This was okay during the original trilogy, which left us with plenty of room to fill in the gaps on our own, but the subsequent prequels have made things a bit more complicated. They've even taken moments from the original trilogy that initially seemed logical and retroactively made them a little confusing. For instance, why does R2-D2 not interfere when Leia makes out with her brother in "The Empire Strikes Back"? The rascally droid could've saved the two from so much embarrassment later on.

On a more serious note, another now-questionable moment from the original trilogy concerns Emperor Palpatine's lightning powers. The climax of "Return of the Jedi" involves Palpatine torturing Luke with lightning for a significant period of time, and yet Luke recovers from it all unscathed. Luke comes out of it just...

In honour of Empire's new Star Wars prequels issue, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the trilogy's launch, we're asking – which of the prequel movies is the best? Read the case for Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith below, and find the issue on newsstands now.

That Revenge Of The Sith is the darkest chapter in George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy has never been in any doubt. The first PG-13 film in the Skywalker Saga, Episode III starts with the promise of “War!” and spends the next 140 minutes delivering precisely that. Decapitation! Child murder! Genocide! The death of democracy and the rise of a fascist regime! Pretty intense for a family blockbuster released in the same month as Madagascar, right? But having been there on opening night in May 2005 as a wide-eyed seven-year-old – and writing this now almost 20 years later – Revenge Of The Sith represents the apotheosis of Lucas’ grand vision for the prequels.

In honour of Empire's new Star Wars prequels issue, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the trilogy's launch, we're asking – which of the prequel movies is the best? Read the case for Episode II – Attack Of The Clones below, and find the issue on newsstands now.

When the camera pans up from the opening crawl in Attack Of The Clones — the only film in the Skywalker saga to buck the tradition of the pan down — George Lucas promises us a different kind of Star Wars movie, and he delivers from the very first frame. Every time Lucas set out to make a Star Wars film, he worked to make it different from the others in the most unexpected ways — and Attack Of The Clones is somehow more unique and brilliant amongst the entire Skywalker saga.

As the first film shot entirely digitally, George Lucas didn’t just set out to change...

There’s no denying that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker certainly made some… interesting storytelling choices, especially with its main villain, who somehow returned to strike back at Rey and the Resistance. Not only does the movie reveal that Supreme Leader Snoke was just one of Emperor Palpatine’s clones all along, and that he’s been secretly preparing for the return of the true Empire and the Sith on Exegol, but we also get the biggest twist of all: Rey (Daisy Ridley) is his granddaughter.

The Emperor’s family tree is more complicated than that, though. Technically, Rey’s father, Dathan, is a failed clone of Palpatine rather than a biological child, but that hasn’t stopped fans from asking the big question: did the Emperor, in fact, have sex at some point during the saga? It’s a question that has haunted many, even if the answer...

Do it. Execute order 69. He could stop others from boning, but not himself. Young fool, only now in your end do you understand. Your coming together is your undoing. Insert your own ribald "Emperor Palpatine has sex" pun here.

In J.J. Abrams' maligned 2019 sci-fi adventure "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," it was revealed that the young heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) was the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), the deceased villain from several previous "Star Wars" movies. At the end of 1983's "Return of the Jedi," Darth Vader (David Prowse) hurled the elderly Emperor from a tall tower, most definitely killing him. Somehow, however, Palpatine returned. Not only did he return, but he was revealed to be the secret mastermind behind all of the galaxy's recent malfeasance. He was kept alive by eerie, Gigerian machines on the distant planet Exegol, secretly growing clones and constructing a powerful fleet of ultra-destructive warships.

Back in 1999, no cinema event was as hotly anticipated as the return of Star Wars. Thus the prequel trilogy began, unfolding George Lucas’ epic tragedy – vastly expanding the galaxy that fans loved, while pioneering the future of digital production. Now, to celebrate 25 years of the prequels, Empire presents an epic new look back at the trilogy that changed everything – packed with brand new interviews, rarely-seen concept art, and explorations of the greatest set pieces.

The issue hits newsstands on Thursday 15 February, with collectible light side and dark side covers – but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek inside the mag.

Star Wars: 25 Years Of The Prequels

This is where the fun begins. Empire celebrates the Star Wars prequels on a landmark anniversary in a massive special – packed with brand new interviews. Including…

Hayden Christensen

Anakin speaks! The man who would become Darth Vader revisits his wild ride with Star Wars,...

Here’s the thing about Emperor Palpatine: somehow, he always returns. First, Ian McDiarmid donned old-age makeup to play the role of Star Wars’ arch-villain in 1983’s Return Of The Jedi. Then, he returned 16 years later to play Palpatine again in the prequel trilogy – this time as the politician who would become the Emperor. And in 2019’s The Rise Of Skywalker, he came back one last time as the rotting, reincarnated ruler, ready to emerge from the shadows and execute his plan once and for all. Palpatine’s resurrection in Episode IX was a controversial point for some fans – not just since Luke and Vader vanquished the Emperor together at the end of the original trilogy, but because the galaxy’s age-old enemy hadn’t featured in the other sequel trilogy films.

But to McDiarmid himself, it makes sense. Speaking to Empire in a major new interview – celebrating 25 years of...

Carrie Fisher took the virginity of Indiana Jones. At least, that's how she told it while she was alive. Specifically, that's what she told me. In her own words: "I wrote it with George [Lucas.] We wrote Indiana Jones losing his virginity to Mata Hari. It went very well."

I had been asking about her work on the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, so this answer came a bit out of left field. However, it's a little-known fact that Fisher worked as a writer on many George Lucas projects, doing an uncredited polish on the scripts for the prequels and even coming up with adventures for Indiana Jones to go on in his TV series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." 

So, how did Indiana Jones actually lose his virginity, and what part did Fisher play?

Read more: The 18 Best Action Movie Actors Ranked

Bigger Than Life

"She was a bigger-than-life character and...

Say what you will about George Lucas' writing -- especially his dialogue -- but there's no denying the man had a vision, and that vision changed cinema forever. He helped bring about the digital revolution, created one of the biggest fictional universes out there, and can also be a pretty good filmmaker with the right material. That said, Lucas is not known for eloquent and specific instructions for his actors. Instead, he is famous for his "faster, more intense" stage direction during the making of the original "Star Wars" trilogy — a direction that was sorely needed in the recent "Ahsoka" series.

Speaking with Empire for the 25th anniversary of the "Star Wars" prequels, Ian McDiarmid spoke of Emperor Palpatine's fateful fight against Mace Windu in "Revenge of the Sith," and Lucas' direction in the making of that scene.

"George [Lucas] kept hyping me up on that," McDiarmid explained. "I was screaming,...

Ever since he first popped up in Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Mace Windu has been one of the baddest motherfu- sorry, baddest Jedi Masters in the business. Quite literally, in fact – Samuel L. Jackson has the letters ‘Bmf’ etched into the hilt of the lightsaber he kept. And so, since we never actually saw him perish, there have long been rumours – and wishes from fans – that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t die in Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith. Sure, his hand was sliced off by Anakin, and he was seriously sizzled by Palpatine’s Force lightning before being flung from a window into the Coruscant sky. But in the Star Wars galaxy, is that really enough to kill the coolest Jedi?

Not according to Jackson. For the new issue of Empire – celebrating 25 years of the Star Wars prequels – we fired off a few questions about the galaxy far,...

With the arrival of Revenge Of The Sith, Hayden Christensen thought his time as Anakin Skywalker was over, having picked up the baton from Jake Lloyd and plunged the Jedi Knight into darkness. But as it turned out, he wasn’t done quite yet. In recent years, Christensen has returned to Star Wars on screen in Obi-Wan Kenobi and most recently in Ahsoka, once again portraying Anakin (and Vader) in fights, flashbacks, Force-fuelled visions and more. Most notably, in Ahsoka, he got to play a version of Anakin that he’d never played before: his Clone Wars incarnation, previously only seen in animated form (and voiced by Matt Lanter) in The Clone Wars series.

As Christensen tells Empire in a major new interview – for our Star Wars prequels 25th anniversary issue – getting to star in live-action opposite Anakin’s one-time Padawan Ahsoka Tano was a big deal. “The scenes that...

During the climax of Richard Marquand's 1983 film "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," the evil Empire's second Death Star was destroyed by the Rebel Army, the ghoulish Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) was killed, and his right-hand warlock Darth Vader (David Prowse) died in the conflagration. It seemed that evil had been vanquished and that everything was well in the galaxy. For many, many years, fans didn't see what happened after that film, presumably because a new era of peace had begun and the Star Wars were over. 

It wasn't until the release of J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015 that we learned the dark truth. It seems the universe of "Star Wars" can't help but creep back slowly toward fascism with every generation. Decades after the fall of the Empire, the New Order rose in its place, now even more Nazi-like than ever. Stormtroopers were back,...

The epic Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn duel. The thunderous Boonta Eve Podrace. The battle of Naboo. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is packed with moments best witnessed on the big screen, spooling back to the very beginning of the Skywalker Saga to depict Anakin Skywalker’s first encounter with the Jedi, the beginnings of the galactic civil war, and the menacing meddling of Palpatine. Well, good news: to mark 25 years since the film first hit cinemas in 1999, it’s coming back to cinemas later this year. Cue the fanfare!

This May the 4th weekend, The Phantom Menace will be re-released in cinemas for a limited time, meaning you can revisit all your favourite moments as large and loud as George Lucas intended. Not only that, but the release is accompanied by epic new poster art from Matt Ferguson – with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon ready to head into battle,...

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Empire’s latest issue is an epic celebration of all three movies, including interviews with Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson and Ian McDiarmid.

Hayden Christensen reflected on his time in the Star Wars franchise. “It’s been a remarkable experience,” Christensen said. “And just a very heartwarming one. 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.” Of course, the backlash against the prequels was rather intense at the time, with plenty aimed at Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin Skywalker. Those opinions have simmered over the years, with a new generation of fans holding the Star Wars prequel trilogy in high regard.

“I think that those movies have held up well over time.

Talk about pressure. There are few villains in cinema as iconic as Darth Vader – recognisable from the briefest glimpse of his distinctive helmet, or the merest mechanical hiss of his respirator. So when Hayden Christensen signed on to play Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, he took on a formidable task: presenting the man behind the mask. Across Episode II – Attack Of The Clones and Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith, Christensen showed us how exactly how the galaxy’s brightest hope turned from the light and plunged into total darkness – and through that time, his own Star Wars experience was a mix of light and dark too. After weathering years of criticism, he’s now been wholeheartedly embraced by the fandom.

Speaking to Empire in a major new interview – and original photo shoot – for our 25th anniversary celebration of the prequel trilogy, Christensen opened up on his time in the galaxy far,...