STAR WARS: Dueling With Fate - The Making of The Phantom Menace - Part 3 - Casting and Characters

The third part of a 13-part documentary series chronicling the making of Star Wars - Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
Part 3 stars casting director Robin Gurland and George Lucas as they discuss the cast and the actors behind them. Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) feature as they also talk about their characters.

[@marshmallowvampire8503]

I love Qui Gon's view that all life is significant, and in extension everyone has value. Neeson's warmth really helps sell Qui Gon's wisdom and sympathy.

[@bluebaybabe89]

It’s so bittersweet to watch Jake. I get happy that he got chosen but immediately get so sad knowing how bullied he got after and how it affected his life.

[@myaccount__7269]

Blame his parents for doing a bad job.

[@mattstyles2498]

Things only effect your life if u let them.

[@AlexGarcia-ze4yg]

I'm sure his height had something to do with his self esteem as an adult as well.

[@simulationbasementkid]

@@AlexGarcia-ze4yg it had more to do with his schizophrenia diagnosis.

[@rinaticson390]

The school and his parents should have done better with the bullying he got. He should be proud to have been part of SW

[@marshmallowvampire8503]

Why are the Phantom Menace behind the scenes videos so rare? They're great Thanks for sharing this

[@alperisler89]

Lucas: "I've tried to cast actors that aren't instantly recognizable". Well your movies made them very recognizable:)

[@George_Washington_1776]

5:31 This pic of Obi-Wan with sunglasses and a cigarette in his mouth has gotta be one of the hardest stills ever made

[@rainbowGZUS7]

Obi with a stogie

[@fullcomicalchemist2195]

Natalie Portman was and is just so beautiful it's incredible.

[@armandogonz9333]

She was 16 in that movie💀

[@rheabelltower9503]

Lol. Harrison Ford never fails to make me laugh

[@SyndicateBrink]

8:50 I just love the criticsism and sudden Harrison just tearing a whole were no writer wants one

[@ei3170]

They casted perfect.

[@squashgaming9279]

i love george's smile at 16:33

[@whyitmatterstome]

15:18 - that second blond kid had range. But, my heart breaks for Jake - he had was so excited.

[@rederickfroders1978]

Liam and Ewan made this film great, oh wait also Natalie

[@t7489]

You don’t know much about film outside of Star Wars, do you.

[@papawedge7396]

lol the random Harrison Ford.

[@Blade9e7]

Jake was really good in his audition

[@marshmallowvampire8503]

I agree

[@r3mdh]

He had the second-best audition. The older kid was far more natural.

[@stevebragg4256]

@@r3mdh I felt otherwise.

[@vgrepairs]

@@r3mdh jake was better

[@windu2472]

@@vgrepairs not at all lmfao

[@papawedge7396]

7:54 WHY DO THEY ALWAYS ZOOM IN ON LUCAS' FACE SO MUCH LMAO

[@adriande1]

They wanna show off his turkey goblet

[@alexanderharris8310]

Great casting and direction

[@lukamilas8648]

18:47 and that feeling was absolutely spot on!

[@alexanderharris8310]

Very interesting

[@mctapoutos7426]

That kid with pixie cut looked like a perfect Darth Vader dear lord that look could kill

[@pauledangerously1077]

What a great cameo by harrison ford

[@sxrick]

Interesting at 16:40 you can see Lucas is hesitant about choosing his Anakin - He's wanting validation in his thinking - wanting others opinions - but he's surrounded by "yes" people who wouldn't dare speak their own opinions on such matter - This is when the likes of people like Kurtz are greatly missed in the Star Wars saga. George is brilliant, but needs others to keep him on the rails.

[@mattstyles2498]

18:00 holy crap. I still have that Jurassic Park watch from Burger King from when I was a kid too.

[@neoduke007]

"most 12 year old boys, they will have never seen him before" I think a lot of people don't realise that Lucas made the prequels for a different audience than the Original Trilogy fanbase. He didn't want to do a fan service film he wanted to make something a new generation of fans could enjoy I was a part of that new generation of fans I was 10 years old when Phantom Menace came out and I just was blown away by the film I loved it way more than the original trilogy. My dad hated it though he hated all the prequels, I loved each one more than the last though Phantom Menace is still my favourite (unpopular opinion I am sure) But I was the audience that the prequels were made for and not just me but all my friends and guess what we all fking loved the prequels. Our lives to this day still revolve around Star Wars and in particular a lot of our interest sits with the prequel era, the Clone Wars animated series etc.... It is a shame though what Kathleen Kennedy has done to Star Wars after Lucas sold it to Disney, in a way it makes sense after all Lucas was the man behind it all. He was the filmmaking visionary and the creative genius that invented Star Wars. But I guess I was hoping that the stuff post-Lucas would be better than it is. I knew they'd start to milk Star Wars but what I wasn't prepared for is just how low quality everything is Well except for Rogue One and Andor series those are the only stuff done without Lucas that actually felt like real Star Wars

[@mattstyles2498]

Now THIS is pod racing!

[@SA786.comChannel]

i just wanna see more of Liam and Ewan for phantom menace behind the scenes XD they also should've had Hayden Christensen since episode 1 XD like the goosbumps Hayden ya know XD

[@vito_beat]

19:00 SILENCE and LEARN every other 21st century starwars movie!

[@Jwingmann]

11:43 i like how jonathan Brandis was the concept art and "ideal" Anakin. As much as I LOVE hayden, i think Jonathan would have been a terrific, if not, the perfect choice. I wonder what happened and why he wasnt chosen if he was the concept art.

[@alexanderharris8310]

Underrated picture

[@paulbeen459]

15:19 that kid is actually better. Something I thought was missing in Phantom Menace is a darker side to Anakin, the kid is a slave you should be able to feel at least some anger and sadness. That kid has it.

[@PathFind13]

I disagree

[@JhanCarnero1984]

I was just thinking the same, I think he had more similarities with Dart Vader character

[@mica20244]

Un niño muy lindo y buen actor mereció una grana aplauso no lo que le hicieron

[@CalebePriester]

5:59 he did that in the movies.

[@whyitmatterstome]

In the prequels, the living characters were so wooden (except Liam) and the CGI characters were way over the top. Seems like that's the direction George gave to the actors. Natalie Portman had no range in this film, and she is a great actress. Jake was hired because he was new face, and they didn't care if he could act I suppose. And George seemed to want Ewan to tone it down in scenes (at 8:01 Ewan and the producer both suggested this job didn't necessitate 'finding' the character or to have an 'extraordinary performance' - which seems odd direction for any actor?). This was not the case in the original trilogy with Luke, Han, and Leia - the actors brought those characters to life with full performances.

[@Cappuccino11]

Bruh you interviewed over 3000 Anakins but the one you end up with ends up growing up with a... Unfortunate moments in life... 🙏

[@sbm5379]

the behind the scenes of the prequels were better than the prequels.

[@laurencaulton103]

Alec Guinness as a comedic actor? Hmm.

[@LexiSwiftieLobbyhoee]

Harrison ford was so random

[@PathFind13]

16:27 acting is so robotic for her

[@D00R]

They should have kept Ewans Hair long…

[@mlimm]

They should've had Hayden Christensen as Anakin for all 3 movies, he would've connected better with Natalie and I think that would have brought a more interesting dynamic. I guess I don't really see the benefit of showing Anakin as a child. But hey gotta do what the boss says!

[@mattstyles2498]

But y pick that anakin? I never really liked him. Acting wise. I can't stand 90% of children acting. So its prob on me. But they always kill the immersion cuz they cant act. Not their fault they are children. But for them seeing 3k kids what made him special. Wasn't his acting.

[@MrInsaneA]

Clearly it was. What made him special to George was his ability to emotionally deliver a powerful performance with the mother character. It always worked very well for me, I found it very dramatic and tragic.

[@alexanderharris8310]

Lol ypu can tyow thisnshit but you cant say it

[@gerry_atric]

Dumpster fire of a movie

[@vgrepairs]

wrong

[@mctapoutos7426]

She has to be one of the worst casting director's in the business, we'll maybe she's not with us anymore but for sure she didn't left a good impression ...

[@stevebragg4256]

She gave us then unknowns Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse.

[@AlexGarcia-ze4yg]

She passed?

[@bnsyphotography2104]

How? At the end how she explained "who's right for the role", and not basing it on what the public will think, or money, or political. Disney seem to choose their cast based on if they're being "inclusive", rather than choosing who fits the role more, and the acting quality.

[@t7489]

One of the worst casting directors in film history.

[@bnsyphotography2104]

How is she the worst? She did what disney seem to not be able to do, and cast people based on who's right for the role. Disney seem to focus on being "inclusive" or "LGB", "race" etc. If she's still alive, she should work for lucasfilm again. She did million times better than the woke disney production team.