Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[kyle]

Of the two hour and thirteen minute running time, only ten to fifteen minutes contain no visual effects.

[kylie]

After the first lap of the podrace, Watto and Sebulba speak Finnish saying, "Thank You" and "You're Welcome".

[melinda]

Sofia Coppola later directed Natalie Portman in a commercial for Dior clothing. That commercial also featured Alden Ehrenreich, who later played Han Solo.

[lynn]

When Yoda agrees that Anakin will be Obi-Wan's apprentice, a dragon can be seen out the window, flying in the sky.

[cassandra]

In the summer of 1998, the movie Godzilla (1998) was released amongst a whirlwind of media hype as part an ambitious studio campaign called "Size Does Matter", featuring massive signs and banners meant to emphasize the size of the monster. After its release, the movie was the subject of an intense backlash by both critics and audiences. The programmers of www.StarWars.com put up a temporary webpage with mocking the "Godzilla" campaign with a poster lettered with the green glow reading "Plot Does Matter - May 1999", in reference to Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

[claude]

Two Wookies can be seen in the Galactic Senate meeting. For the first time in twenty-one years, Star Wars Wookiees were played by someone other than Peter Mayhew.

[carl]

During the near-fight between Sebulba and Jar Jar, a background character can be seen with light skin, dreadlocks, and yellow paint over his nose. Expanded Universe writers were inspired by this to create the character Quinlan Vos, who was later mentioned by name in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).

[janice]

George Lucas asked Lawrence Kasdan to write the script (and possibly for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) as well), but he turned it down, because he thought with Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Lucas' relationship to the movies had taken one step back, and that he alone should take responsibility, and make exactly the movie he wanted to make.

[richard]

This is the only film in the franchise in which the top-credited actor (Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn) plays a non-recurring character, and in which the top-credited character dies (until Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)). Also, the only film in the prequel trilogy that does not give Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) the top credit.

[wallace]

The interiors of the palace on Naboo were shot in an Italian palace, the Reggia Reale (Royal Palace) of Caserta (now used mostly as a museum). However, the palace had candelabras on the wall which had to be removed prior to shooting. One of the curators, there to watch that the crew doesn't make damages, played one of Amidala's counselors.