Credit: LucasfilmStar Wars fans are in a tough spot right now, caught between the review-bombing of The Acolyte and the hope that Disney might finally figure out how to handle the galaxy far, far away. Fortunately, the fandom can take refuge in one thing: a remake of The Phantom Menace (1999).
It is something of a historical irony that, 25 years later, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace has been thoroughly reclaimed by the fans who once decried it for its tones of childish humor and wooden line ridings. In the two-plus decades since George Lucas kicked off his prequel trilogy, a lot has changed, and now it is pretty accepted that the film is, if not a masterpiece, a key part of the franchise and its constantly expanding mythos.
For an entire generation of Star Wars fans raised on the prequels, Obi-Wan Kenobi is Ewan McGregor, not Alec Guinness. Anakin Skywalker is Hayden Christensen and, to a lesser extent, Jake Lloyd, not Sebastian Shaw beneath the armor of Darth Vader. And midi-cholorians are, for better or worse, an accepted and integral part of the universe.
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Long story short, The Phantom Menace has become something of a comfort watch for many fans. It should be pretty exciting, then, that there is a de facto Episode I remake starring a cast of all-stars being hosted on YouTube right now.
The Phantom Menace remake, dubbed The Naboo Movie, is a live staged reading of the full film script from May. A huge cast of Hollywood notables performed the movie with an added comedic element, as a collaboration between comedy venue Dynasty Typewriter, The George Lucas Talk Show, and the Star Wars Minute podcast.
Reportedly, the one-time-only event began with a pre-filmed video purported to be “A Message From RETIRED FILMMAKER GEORGE LUCAS,” in which actor Connor Ratliff (as Lucas) said, “I was thrilled to hear that a bunch of people were gonna read the script for it…It makes me feel like, ‘Oh, I must have done a really good job on the movie if people want to read the script.'”
The official description of The Phantom Menace remake says:
25 years ago visionary filmmaker George Lucas showed us an astonishing world of podracing, Midichlorians and battle droids, and now weesa gonna celebrate!
On May 19, 2024, at Dynasty Typewriter, the guys behind Star Wars Minute and The George Lucas Talk Show proudly presented a LIVE reading of the original Phantom Menace screenplay, with a wizard cast including some of the galaxy’s hottest stars (…and maybe some surprises?!)
Can two Jedi Knights resolve a trade dispute, rescue the queen, test a child for MIDICHLORIANS, and succeed at sports betting before the deadly BATTLE DROIDS attack?
Yippee!!
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It also listed an impressive cast of guest stars who portrayed characters like Anakin and Shmi Skywalker, Darth Maul, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Padme Amidala, and many others. The cast included:
TAWNY NEWSOME
HALEY JOEL OSMENT
DIANA LEE INOSANTO
LARAINE NEWMAN
ERIC BAUZA
VIC MICHAELIS
TONY HALE
KRYSTINA ARIELLE
BOBBY MOYNIHAN
CORIN WELLS
MARK MCCONVILLE
JEREMY CARTER
HAL LUBLIN
JOJO GINN
MATT GOURLEY
JAMES BLADON
So, if The Acolyte is getting you too down to even watch the season (perhaps series) finale and you can’t wait for a mysterious new animated show, perhaps it’s time to get to YouTube and have a little fun for once.
Have you watched The Naboo Movie?