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Thalia Toha's avatar

I’m facepalming right now because I wish I had discovered all your posts before writing and ranting off today in my newsletter--searching for answers as to why Crait was made an all-white planet (aside from visual and cinematographic purposes). Thoughts, Matthew?

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Matthew Freeman's avatar

I read your piece and I think it was terrific. Thanks for sharing it. And, I got the impression that he wanted the visual of having the white torn open into red, the red crystals right under the surface. It makes it look like the battle is cutting scars into the planet itself, very striking.

I also think it's a visual callback to Hoth. One is snow, the other salt, both white.

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Thalia Toha's avatar

Ah yes! I forgot about Hoth. Now they just have to create planet based on cotton, dairy, and white sands—

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Matthew Freeman's avatar

Lots of planets left in the galaxy!

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Thalia Toha's avatar

That's true. Silk can also be potrayed as white/translucent. A silk planet would be cool, maybe with throwback and vibes referencing the ancient Silk Road? A glass planet? White-metal sheathing planet? White birch wood planet? OMG ... I really need to stop. LOL! :)

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Eric Pierce's avatar

This is really exceptional.

If only the Jedi had been the pacifists they were supposed to be, much pain could've been averted. But I get it. If I had a lightsaber, I'd want to use it all the time too.

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Jeff K's avatar

Something I was thinking about after reading this. In 2002, did we the Star Wars-watching public know that the Clones were going to be the army of the Republic?

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Matthew Freeman's avatar

You mean during the first viewing, or before the film came out?

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Jeff K's avatar

I was thinking about this more today. I went back and watched the trailer for AOTC and it's clear the Clones are fighting for the Republic. Unless you were completely spoiler-free, you knew who the Clone Army was fighting for.

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Matthew Freeman's avatar

That's true, but we didn't know the plot - that the Army was being voted on, or in what context the Clones showed up, etc. But yes!

And, of course, the characters didn't know any of this!

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Eric Pierce's avatar

There was a brief time between the announcement of Episode 2's title and the first trailer in which it wasn't clear who or what the clones were. I remember a great fan-made trailer at the time that suggested the clones were Mandalorians fighting the Jedi.

Just found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvOE-QZQQE

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Matthew Freeman's avatar

That says the video was posted 17 years ago, so, I am now dust. But also, what a reminder of how little any of us knew! Remember when Gabriel Byrne was rumored to be in the film?

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Eric Pierce's avatar

It was a huge trip rewatching this. The purity of early 00s fandom.

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Matthew Freeman's avatar

It is quite the very specific vibe.

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Christopher Wilbur's avatar

I remember thinking as well that the clones were going to be against the Jedi. Posters like this didn't help: https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/322/lot/92426. We all knew what was supposed to happen, but we weren't too sure exactly how it was going to happen.

On May 16, 2002, I was a senior in high school and we were taking our finals. After school, my friends and I went to see Attack of the Clones on opening day (the only time I have done that with a Star Wars film) and it was the greatest experience I have ever had in a movie theater.

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