Anakin Skywalker’s protector ⚔️

Attack of the Clones is still the most interesting mess in the prequels, and the casting choices explain why. Lucas met with Leonardo DiCaprio about Anakin, then looked at ~1,500 other actors before picking Hayden Christensen. That locked the film into an earnest, slightly stiff tone instead of movie-star charisma. Christopher Lee was 78 during filming. A stunt double handled the heavy parts of the Yoda duel, with Lee’s face digitally added to almost every shot except the close-ups. The film’s most famous fight was never really a fight between two actors. Samuel L. Jackson asked for the purple lightsaber so he could find himself in the crowded Geonosis battle. One practical request became one of the prequels’ most lasting visual signatures. The working title was “Jar Jar’s Great Adventure,” a private joke about the Episode I backlash. Lucas mocked the criticism, then mostly removed the character. Joel Edgerton’s brief turn as Owen Lars is the quietest detail that aged best. 24 years later: • Samuel L. Jackson — 54 then, 77 now • Portman & Christensen — 21 then, 45 now • Ewan McGregor — 31 then, 55 now • Christopher Lee — ~80 then; died in 2015 at 93 The film never fully cohered, but the decisions that went into it are clearer now than they were in 2002. Which of these choices do you think mattered most?