Revenge of the Sith (2005) followed Attack of the Clones, concluding the Star Wars prequel trilogy. It performed well in the box office, making over $645 million worldwide however, it became the first Star Wars film to be outgrossed in its year of release, placing third domestically and fourth-highest-grossing worldwide. The film was praised for an increased emphasis on action, visual effects, musical score, and costume design, but criticized for the screenplay, Christensen's performance, romantic scenes, and underdeveloped characters. It received mixed reviews, with some critics hailing it as an improvement over its predecessor The Phantom Menace and others considering it the worst installment of the franchise. The film was released in the United States on May 16, 2002. It was one of the first motion pictures shot completely on a high-definition digital 24-frame system. The film crew primarily shot at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, Australia, with additional footage filmed in Tunisia, Spain, and Italy. By June 2000, Lucas and Hales completed a draft of the script, and principal photography took place from June to September 2000. Soon, the trio witness the onset of a new threat to the galaxy: the Clone Wars.ĭevelopment of Attack of the Clones began in March 2000, some months after the release of The Phantom Menace.
Meanwhile, his apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect Amidala and develops a secret relationship with her. With the galaxy on the brink of civil war, Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates a mysterious assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, which leads him to uncover a clone army in service of the Republic and the truth behind the Separatist movement. The story is set ten years after The Phantom Menace, as thousands of planetary systems slowly secede from the Galactic Republic and join the newly-formed Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by former Jedi Master Count Dooku. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. The sequel to The Phantom Menace (1999), it is the fifth film in the Star Wars film series and second chronological chapter of the " Skywalker Saga". Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales.