Sadly, the tragic high school shootings in nearby Littleton had occurred just 10 days before the event. Madsen asked the audience for a moment of silence for the students and community. In addition to the moment of silence, thousands of memorial ribbons colored silver and blue (the school's colors) were distributed and fans were able to donate money to three memorial funds. Over the weekend, nearly $30,000 was raised from fan donations and matching funds from Lucasfilm Ltd., Hasbro Inc., LEGO Systems Ltd. and PepsiCo.
After the emotional beginning the lights dimmed on Stage A, and the giant movie screens flickered with a familiar face: director George Lucas, standing with Ewan McGregor on the steps of Abbey Road Studios. Lucas who was still needed to oversee the film, apologized for not being in Denver. McGregor said a film shoot in Dublin would keep him occupied. Lucas nodded to his Obi-Wan Kenobi standing next to him: "In the next film, he is huge -- if he's not huge now."
McGregor looked at Lucas and laughed, "Really?"
Daniels, keeping things moving on Stage A, played the part of showman, interview, cheerleader, and spirit guide for the fans. The weather on eopening day was fairly miserable, but Daniels kept the mood light, gliding onstage twirling an umbrella. As lightsabers waved over the crowd, audience members were enthralled by the parade of stars, sneak peeks, and surprises.
There were world premieres all weekend, including the music video for John Williams' "Duel of Fates" and the six Episode I television commercials. In addition to Lucas and McGregor, video greetings also came from Ian McDiarmid and John Williams. The Lucasfilm documentary crew unspooled footage from the many behind-thescenes interviews from the sets in England and Tunisia to the workshops at Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Ranch.
For fans, soggy or not, the excitement of the weekend coupled with the feverish anticipation for Episode I made for a potent combination.
"I think it's awesome," said Brian Hackett, a theater student who drove from Carthage, Tennessee, and dressed in costume as an older Anakin Skywalker. "We had a bit of a weather problem but everyone came out and showed their spirit. It's a great day for the fans. I think The Phantom Menace is going to be the starting point for a new Star Wars generation."
But it was the actors on hand for the Celebration who caused the biggest buzz of the weekend. Some are new to the experience and have never been exposed to the Star Wars legion. For Pernilla August, 41, who has built a career in art house Ingmar Bergman films with limited exposure, the Denver trip was her fandom baptism -- and the actress seemed as receptive to her new fans as her character, Shmi, is supportive of her young son. All of the stars joined question-and-answer sessions with the audience in two huge tents, which added to the spirit of a religious revival experience. Daniels was the M.C. for Stage the discussion on Stage B.
The sessions that drew the most gasps were for Darth Maul himself, Ray Park. The British martial arts expert-turned-actor leaped and jumped through a routine he developed for international competitions. The fans went wild. Many of the questions for Park were about his makeup (he revealed he fell asleep in the chair each morning) or about his stunt work and lightsaber duels with Liam Neeson and McGregor.
"You had to be careful because if you were a bit slack and weren't concentrating on what you were doing, you'd get a lightsaber in your head, finger, or your eye," Park said. "So the safety aspect was a big concern -- you had to be on the ball 101 percent all day."
Lloyd, dressed in standard fourth-grader jeans and white T-shirt, introduced the crowd to his parents and his younger sister, Madison, who appears briefly at the end of Episode I. With a sly smile, Lloyd said he had the time of his life playing young Anakin, a kid a lot like himself.
"Pernilla could tell you all kinds of stories about the hovel and all the little gizmos in there," Lloyd said. "Between takes I'd play with this thing that looked like a dentist's tool that had a headset and magnifying glasses. So I'd sneak up behind my sister and say, 'Open up!'"
The biggest laughs came for Ahmed Best, a supremely gifted actor-musician-comedian who had the crowd rolling in the rain puddles. "It's fantastic, it's really big and cool," Best said of the Celebration. "I'm enjoying it and having fun. Its all about the fans -- the fans are fantastic and that's why I like being here."
Best, whose work as Jar Jar was still largely unfamiliar to the fans at the time of the event, said the questions fans asked cracked him up, but one in particular was his favorite: "Someone asked me whether I was real person or not. I said 'No it's all animation. I'm completely digital. I'm not even here."'
The fans opened their hearts for August: who is the new #1 mom in the galaxy. Many wanted to know all about the Skywalker matriarch and her role in the saga, yet she admitted she knows little of the back-story and isn't sure yet if she return in Episodes II or III. But August said that having three young kids herself may have helped her play the part of Shmi.
"She is a very good mom," August said. "She is really taking care of her son, but she is also concerned that he should listen and listen to his own intuition. I like that very much because I think it's very important for a mother to do that. She is very strong in a way, but she will never give him guilt for anything.
"I think of Panaka as somebody who has to be as tough as he can be, just so the Jedi can be tougher," Quarshie said with a hearty laugh. "So in that respect I guess he is somewhere between Lando Calrissian and Han Solo, but he doesn't have the criminal tendencies. He's a law-abiding version."
Besides Daniels, the only other actors from previous Star Wars films at the Celebration were Warwick Davis (Wicket from Return of the Jedi, and also Wald in Episode I) and John Morton, who played Rebel pilot Dack in The Empire Strikes Back.
Davis, who continues his string of playing Lucas characters with "W" names, actually has three parts in Episode I, the biggest being Wald. the Rodian friend of Anakin. "I would love to play a Jedi character," Davis told the audience. `Because of my stature, I would be quite powerful. I'd have a lightsaber, a short version. Put that idea on the Internet!"
For the actors new to the Star Wars galaxy, there was one common bond: toys. "It's not everyday that someone tells you you're an action figure. I think that takes care of this year's Christmas presents," Quarshie chuckled.
Park said he couldn't believe his luck when the Royal Mail knocked on his door. "When I was sent the action figures, I got this big box," Park said. "I was opening it and saying, 'Whoa! Whoa!' I was like a kid again."
And nobody got more toys from Lucas Licensing than Lloyd: "You know what's scary?" he asked. "People can pop my head off with the little LEGO figures."
It wasn't only the actors who got all the attention that weekend -- the behind-the-scenes crew also thrilled the crowd. Leading the way was producer Rick McCallum, familiar to fans from three years (and counting) of Prequel Updates in the Insider.
The producer said Lucas would "absolutely" direct the next chapter of the saga and the art department meetings were to begin immediately. The script will be ready around September 1999, casting will be announced in January 2000, and filming will begin in June 2000 with a release two years later. "It will be bold to cast Anakin.' he hinted.
