Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first installment in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy and stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz. The film is set 32 years before the original film, and follows Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they protect Queen Amidala in hopes of securing
Star Wars: Episode IX Trevorrow left the project due to creative differences; he was replaced by Abrams, who previously directed "The Force Awakens". Filming began in August 2018 at Pinewood Studios near London. "Episode IX" is set to be released on December 20, 2019 in the United States. Jimmy Vee and Greg Grunberg reprise their roles as R2-D2 and Snap Wexley, respectively, from previous films. Brian Herring returns to puppeteer . Dominic Monaghan and Matt Smith have been cast in unspecified roles. In October 2012, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas sold his production company Lucasfilm, and with it the "Star Wars" franchise, to The