There may be no less-loved entry in the Star Wars franchise than Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the kickoff to the George Lucas prequel trilogy. It may have taken 25 years, but Disney is now prepared to actually change the movie for the better.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released in 1999 to a pop culture frenzy, the likes of which had rarely been seen. Famously, fans camped outside theaters for days, George Lucas threw his weight around to decide how many tickets individual theaters could sell, and the movie was expected to quench the thirst of Star Wars fandom after years of content drought.
While the movie was a massive box-office success (grossing more than $924.3 million worldwide), it faced a swift backlash from critics and fans, who derided the overt toyetics of the film and its child-focused storytelling. Actors Jake Lloyd (who portrayed a 10-year-old Anakin Skywalker) and Ahmed Best (who played Jar Jar Binks) were harassed for years by fans, and it has taken decades for the entire prequel trilogy to begin to have a critical reappraisal.
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Now, Disney and Marvel Comics have commissioned a new comic book expansion of The Phantom Menace from writer Greg Pak and penciler Will Sliney, which will tell a new set of stories set around the film. Pak announced, “Big news! I’m writing a huge anniversary special for THE PHANTOM MENACE drawn by Will Sliny, in stores this May! If you’ve been enjoying my DARTH VADER series, you absolutely don’t want to miss this deep dive into the heart and soul of young Anakin.”

Greg Pak is also the writer behind the acclaimed Darth Vader comic book series, which is set after the events of Revenge of the Sith (2005) and is officially part of Disney’s new Star Wars canon.
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The official Marvel Comics description of the new Phantom Menace comic reads:
CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHANTOM MENACE WITH AN ALL-NEW STORY! Explore the earliest days and secret inner life of ANAKIN SKYWALKER with never-before-seen, revelatory stories set before, after and between the scenes of the classic movie! Featuring the dream of a JEDI, the gift of a TUSKEN RAIDER, the heart of a GUNGAN, the ache of a mother and the horror of a hero!
While Disney and Lucasfilm have struggled to produce films and streaming TV series that consistently please fans, they seem to have been more successful with comic book adaptations and novels. Hopefully, this new Phantom Menace will help some longtime fans appreciate the original film.
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