You long time readers are surely familiar with NIGEL BRUCE, one of the earliest and most trustworthy spies I have. Well he's chimed in with some more news and views on the prequel, and what he says sounds good. However, it is very spoiler filled, that means well, hell, you know what that means. Now you are either one of two things, a spoiler reader or a non-spoiler reader, as you count down the numbers below, realize there are some MAJOR spoilers here... weigh that...
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Here it is....
It’s been a while, but Nigel Bruce back in the UK checking in. Apologies that I’ve been out of the loop for so long, but what with the pressures of work and things and yadda yadda yadda etc.
Anyhow, I believe the last time we were in contact I promised you a regular rush of prequel info, and I don’t want to disappoint! As you know, my credentials are trustworthy - I was the guy who broke Balance Of The Force title to the world, remember (admittedly, LucasFilm aren’t going with it any longer, but check out www.starwars.com for official use of the phrase)!?!
As has been established, few people in contact with the prequel have a complete script, but as the film comes together - with editing and SFX, and so forth - a clearer picture of the whole story is starting to come together. Lucas is showing more and more of the movie to more and more people, and there are those I’ve spoken to who have spoken in terms of a remake. There are many parallels to be drawn between BOTF and ANH, from Padme/Leia to Anakin/Luke. For a start, the most important event in the entire six movies will be the death of someone close to Anakin - much like the death of Obi Wan was to Luke. However, it’s this event - and the actions of a principle character who fails to prevenet it happening - which, apparently, provides the spark of anger which ignites into Darth Vader. This aspect, I’m told, will make you view Luke’s confrontation with Vader and the Emperor in Jedi in a whole new light.
VCS tapes and DVD are circulating containing rough footage. The look of Theed, Padme’s home city, will take EVERYONE by surprise. We’re talking REAL medieval castle battlements here, with waving flags and the like, as if something out of a fairytale. The major action setpiece of the movie - a battle between Obi Wan, Qui-Gon and the movie’s main nemesis - occurs here. A lightsabre battle between scores of eight foot-tall killer robots, Sith and the Jedi, takes place atop these battlements. Part CGI, part animatronic robots, that is.
Someone close to the production has seen some footage of Senator Palpatine which, he says, surprised him. Ian McDairmid looks surprisingly old, I’m told, raising questions about the character’s age in Jedi... The character is also played in an understated fashion, soft-spoken and, almost, gentle. And he saw NO lighting bolts flying out of his fingertips. What else... Oh, the bad guys DO wear black in this film.
More to come soon, Harry... gotta run. Hope it’s of some use.
Nigel Bruce
