"Star Wars: Episode III" is supposedly the final Star Wars episode destined for the big screen and is intended to dovetail into the beginning of the original "Star Wars" released back in 1977. Details about the film are murky, but expected plot elements include Anakin morphing into Darth Vader, the rise of the Empire and the fall of the Republic, and the flight of the Jedi knights. Chewbacca the Wookie also makes a long awaited return. All in all, it is expected to be the darkest of all the Star Wars films, although there may be some glimmer of hope with the birth of Luke and Leia, who grow up to destroy the Empire in later episodes. Production began on June 30, 2003 at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, with reshoots and pickups occurring during 18 months of postproduction.
During Fall 2003 and Spring 2004, the Cartoon Network aired a 20-part micro-series of 3-minute shorts dubbed "The Clone Wars." Due to be released on DVD as a 60-minute serial-style epic, the 20 shorts are set in between Episode II and this film. Created by an animation team led by Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack), the series features the spreading conflict between the Clone Army led by the Jedi and the Separatist's droid forces. The cartoons include the formidable General Grievous, an important Episode III villain and a cunning military strategist who leads the Separatist forces and is particularly deadly in hand-to-hand combat. The series significantly expands upon the Star Wars franchise, introducing the viewer to many new worlds and characters.
The original "Star Wars" (aka "Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope") was directed by George Lucas and became one of the most successful science fiction/fantasy films of all time after its release in 1977. The mythological tale of good-versus-evil set a longstanding box office record and received massive critical acclaim. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won in six categories: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Sound, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, and Best Visual Effects. Its other four nominations were for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The film was also received a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects. Mostly shot on location in Tunisia, Death Valley, and Guatemala, it used computerized special-effects to a previously unmatched degree. It brought the phrase "May the Force be with you" into everyday usage and a few years later the Soviet Union became the "Evil Empire" and Reagan's space-defense program was dubbed "Star Wars." The original blockbuster film was followed by two equally popular films: "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)"and "Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi (1983)". Prequels were released in 1999 and 2002: "Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace" and "Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones."
"Star Wars: Episode III" director and writer George Lucas started his career as director of the science-fiction film "THX 1138," a 1971 film that was a take-off of a prize-winning feature film he made at USC. He then directed the hit "American Graffiti (1973)," a nostalgic tale of California teenagers in the early 1960s. Four years later he released "Star Wars" and the rest was history. Later, Lucas founded Industrial Light and Magic, a state-of-the-art special effects house located in Marin County north of San Francisco, and launched a massive line of Star Wars-related merchandise. Lucas' major influences include Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon; films such as "Forbidden Planet (1956)," "2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)" and "633 Squadron (1964);" the story of King Arthur and Camelot, and Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."
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