‘Star Wars’ Prequel Release Date Set For May

Fri., Oct. 2, 1998

Robert Dominguez New York Daily News

“Star Wars” fanatics can finally put a name to their latest obsession: Producer George Lucas has announced the title of the long-awaited prequel to the “Star Wars” trilogy as “The Phantom Menace.”

Or, to be more specific: “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.”

The new movie is the first of three planned prequels to the outer-space saga that began in 1977 with “Star Wars” and was followed by “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980 and “Return of the Jedi” in 1983. Currently in postproduction, “Phantom” will be released on May 21, 1999.

The film stars Liam Neeson as a Jedi knight, Ewan McGregor (“Trainspotting”) as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and teen actress Natalie Portman (“The Professional”) as a young queen. Samuel L. Jackson is also in the cast.

Taking place a generation before “Star Wars,” the plot deals with an elder Jedi master who trains Obi-Wan to be a Jedi during a time of intergalactic political unrest. The two travel to a desert planet, where they meet Anakin Skywalker - and anyone who can tell R2D2 from C3PO knows the boy will grow up to be Darth Vader.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.