Star Wars Mythmaking: Behind the Scenes of Attack of the Clones

In producing all the thrilling characters, action, and romance that infuse the Star Wars epic with life, George Lucas and a host of talented actors, special-effects wizards, set designers, and visionaries of every sort have created a myth of stunning imagination. The saga has entered a new and startling phase with Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones—and this book is the ultimate backstage pass to the making of this highly anticipated film.

Filled with revealing observations from the myth-makers themselves, and featuring hundreds of exclusive, never-before-seen color photographs from the Lucasfilm archives, this extraordinary volume takes you through the complete filmmaking process, following the story—scene by scene—and reveals the secrets and the marvelous anecdotes that lie behind the movie magic. Inside you will find:

‧ Candid insights from stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, and Jimmy Smits—as well as from the man behind the phenomenon—George Lucas
‧ The secrets of the set designs, including the new planets of Kamino and Geonosis, explaining how the concept paintings and sketches led to three dimensional models and elaborate constructs on the vast sound stages in Australia
‧ The introduction of terrific new characters, including Senator Bail Organa, bounty hunters Jango Fett and Zam Wesell, Queen Jamillia, and Taun We
‧ Accounts of new digital wizardry and dazzling special-effects by Industrial Light & Magic, from the airspeeder chase to the climactic clone battle
‧ Insights from producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, and a full team of creative talent, from costumemakers to sound technicians to lighting designers
‧ The story behind scenes that were cut from the final film—and the challenges of shooting an entire movie, for the first time in history, on high-definition digital videotape

The only total-access look at the making of Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones—Myth Makers is a rare chance to watch creativity spring to life in George Lucas’s monumental saga of good versus evil.

Jody Duncan has worked as a journalist covering the film industry for the past twenty years, and has authored books on the making of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Jurassic Park, Dragonheart, The Lost World and the X-Files movie, among others. With co-author Laurent Bouzereau, she wrote The Making of Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace. Jody also has written dozens of articles on motion picture technology for Cinefex magazine, and has served as that publication’s editor since 1992. Her play, A Warring Absence, won the national award for best original play from the American College Theater Festival in 1992. She lives in Los Angeles.


From the Hardcover edition.