The various booths covering the very large first floor of the Convention Center were more than ever buzzing with activity, and navigating through the crowded aisles made Thursday and Friday look like a walk through a quiet neighborhood in Mos Espa. Still, there was plenty to see, buy, eat, and read for everyone, from science fiction novel enthusiasts all the way to the die hard fans bidding against each other on original pieces at the art auction.
Steve Sansweet, head of fan relations at Lucasfilm, was at the controls of the main Star Wars event on Saturday, which consisted in a video behind-the-scenes look at the making of Episode I and a question & answer session. Technical problems forcing the video presentation to be rescheduled later that same day, Sansweet gladly extended his Q&A session, making the most of this opportunity to spend more time with the fans. Here's an excerpt from the session. Please note that in order not to ruin the movie experience for international fans who live in areas where Episode I might not have opened yet, the numerous questions that dealt specifically with plot twists in The Phantom Menace were left out.
When will Star Wars be released on DVD?
George Lucas has said that he would like to wait until the whole prequel trilogy is complete so that he could release the complete Star Wars saga in one package, with the special treatment that the fans deserve. So there will definitely be a DVD release of the Star Wars saga. We just have to be patient.
Where will Episode II be shot?
The studio work will all be done at the new Fox Studios in Australia, but as has been the case for all of the previous Star Wars movies, the cast and crew will also be shooting in different locations, which include Tunisia and some Mediterranean destinations.
Will there be another Star Wars Celebration?
A second Star Wars Celebration is one of the projects currently being discussed at Lucasfilm, but no final decision has been reached yet.
Will Boba Fett really be in Episode II?
According to George Lucas, Boba Fett does indeed play a fairly important role in Episode II.
Will the deleted scenes from the original Star Wars movie (including the Anchor Head scene with Biggs and Luke) ever be released to the general public?
The scene with Biggs and Luke, and other "lost scenes" from A New Hope, are already available, as they were included in the Behind the Magic CD-ROM by LucasArts. Nevertheless, these deleted scenes would be prime candidates for a supplemental section on the A New Hope DVD.
Will we see Episodes VII, VIII and IX?
At this point, George Lucas considers that the Star Wars story, cinematically speaking, will be complete after 6 episodes. So I suppose numbers VII, VIII and IX are movies that we, the fans, will be making in our minds.
The video presentation that followed later in the day was a full 62 minutes of in-depth clips on the making of The Phantom Menace. Along with Sansweet's helpful introduction and comments, the show offered a thorough look at the creative process involved in bringing a new chapter of the Star Wars saga to life.
On Sunday morning, Sansweet treated visitors to a repeat of the previous day's presentation, while showing the fans a video montage of a different kind. Star Wars: The First 22 Years offered a humorous look at the life of the saga, focusing especially on how Star Wars has become a part of popular culture. The 80-minute video included Star Wars character appearances on television shows such as the Muppets, the Donnie & Marie Show, and Sesame Street. Also part of the presentation was the rarely-seen animated short that introduced Boba Fett to the world in the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. Another segment, which turned out to be a favorite of the assembled crowd, was Warwick Davis' "mockumentary" entitled Return of the Ewok. Davis played Wicket, the lead Ewok part in Return of the Jedi, and Return of the Ewok showed an interesting behind-the-scenes look at Jedi, with rare footage of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and other cast members in full costume, interacting with Davis during the production of Episode VI.
"All together," says Sansweet, "we had about six thousand fans attending the various Star Wars events throughout the four days of the convention. It was great to be in contact with the fans and to be able to talk with them directly."
As the Star Wars fans walked out of the Convention Center on Sunday night, ready to drive or fly back home, an unspoken agreement could be felt hanging in the air; one that would bring everybody back to San Diego in August of 2000, to celebrate the 23rd year of the Star Wars saga, and to look forward to the bridge slowly being built between Episode I and Episode IV.
