(re)Treatment of Episode I, Version 1

Posted onAuthorTodd

Hello all, I spent a few days at the end of last year doing what I called a re-imagination of the prequels. I started with Episode 1, obviously, and below is what I came up with. I have since re-written the bulk of this so it fits more in line with my Ep 2 and 3 treatments, but go ahead and pick apart my Ep 1 first draft below. You can also download it here if your heart desires. Enjoy.

Todd’s Ep I Treatment – Version One 12/7/2015:

Chosen By The Force

 

  • After fleeing Naboo with the threat of the trade blockade and invasion by the newly formed Separatist Movement, SENATOR Padme Amidala (20 years old), with her elite Gungan guards, handmaidens, and loyal droids (C-3PO & R2-D2), are headed to Coruscant, being escorted by two Jedi – the newly knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
  • Ship’s hyperdrive was damaged as they blasted their way out of Naboo, with R2D2 saving the day.
  • The crew lands on nearby outer-rim planet of Tatooine for repairs. The senator wants to take this opportunity to also lobby to the Hutt’s to the side of the Republic, who are the ruling party on the planet and system
  • Landing in Mos Espa spaceport, the largest port on not only Tatooine , Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Padme, R2-D2, and two Gungan guards head into the village.
  • Qui-Gon being ever patient, decides to stop in a cantina for a drink and to observe the local scene. There, they watch the Boonta Eve qualifying race on a viewscreen (since the race is hosted on Tatooine, there are six locals that get an opportunity to compete for one spot in the championship race, happening a day later). Qui-Gon educates his entourage (including Obi-Wan) on the outlawed sport of podracing, and is shocked to find out that a human wins the qualifying race, and subsequently decides they have to prolong the meeting w the Hutt’s to meet this boy, much to Padme and Obi-Wan’s chagrin
  • They are introduced to a 17 year old boy named Anakin Skywalker by Watto, a Toydarian who runs this quadrant of slave quarters and general enterprises for the Jabba The Hutt. There he learns that Anakin is a slave, and has been his whole life
  • Qui-Gon goes to Anakin’s slave quarters, while the rest of the entourage goes to negotiate with the Hutt’s, in hopes of not only getting their ship repaired but also swaying the Hutt’s loyalty in the coming Civil War brought on by the newly-formed and still mysterious Separatist forces
  • Qui-Gon meets the step-family of Anakin, the Lars’, consisting of the widower Cliegg Lars, his son Owen, and Owen’s new wife Beru. Qui-Gon quizzes Cliegg about Anakin and his abilities. Cliegg explains about how he met Anakin’s mom, Shmi, ten years ago and they became married. Shmi was killed a few months back and Anakin has been on shaky ground. Also alludes to the fact Anakin had no father to speak of, at least none Shmi was ever willing to talk about
  • Qui-Gon is blown away, as he knows of the prophecy of an immaculately conceived Jedi from a small world – a Jedi conceived of the Force itself – a Jedi who would bring balance to the force in a time of great desperation. At this point Qui-Gon believes that their ship’s damage and subsequent forced landing was no accident, it was the will of the Force
  • Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Padme’s entourage meets with the the Hutt’s and needless to say things don’t go well. The Hutt’s are notorious gangsters, and things progress as such… Jabba The Hutt, ruler of Tatooine, informs them that the Hutt’s have been approached by the new, mysterious leader of the Separatists with an offer to join as well, but they stay independent for now. It’s better for business, he states. Jabba also makes it clear he won’t give them the parts they need for their ship and their Republic credits are no good on Tatooine. So they’re stuck without another solution. Padme is visibly frustrated, but Obi-Wan reels her in and tells her another solution will present itself, warning her if she’s not careful she could end up chained to the Hutt’s dais, or worse
  • After reconvening w Qui-Gon and explaining their situation, Qui-Gon hatches a plan. At this point he tells Obi-Wan that he believes the reason they were marooned on Tatooine was to find Anakin Skywalker, that it’s the will of the Force. Obi-Wan warns Qui-Gon to be cautious with Anakin, he senses much fear, frustration, and anger in him. Qui-Gon goes deeper into explanation and tells Obi-Wan he believes Anakin may be the Chosen One from the great prophecy. At this point, Obi-Wan knows Qui-Gon (who has a strong reputation for treading his own path) will do as he wishes, but he cautions Qui-Gon that they have a mission to complete….
  • Qui-Gon goes to see Jabba with Anakin, and says he is sponsoring Anakin’s pod and entry in the Boonta Eve race. He offers not only the senator’s state-of-the-art Nubian ship, but the entire Naboo Starfleet in exchange for all the parts and labor they need, AND the freedom of Anakin Skywalker and the Lars family. Jabba laughs, but being a gambler he accepts of course
  • Obi-Wan and Padme can’t believe what Qui-Gon has done (well, Obi-Wan can….) and are furious. Qui-Gon tells them to trust in the Force.
  • After dinner w the Lars family and observing Anakin, Obi-Wan begins to believes to wonder if Qui-Gon is right about Anakin and sees the potential in the boy. However, he voices his concern to Qui-Gon about the risks he is taking, but goes along because they need to get off the lawless world, especially after multiple assassination attempts on both Coruscant and Naboo on the Senator’s life. She is not concerned and is fully committed to her duty and mission of peace and democracy, but the Jedi are obviously feeling exposed on Tatooine, thinking this world would present a great opportunity for another attack on her
  • Anakin is very taken with Padme, and the two exchange stories outside of the slave quarters. Padme is focused on business and is obviously stressed about the gamble Qui-Gon has entered into, but is entertaining Anakin nonetheless
  • Boonta Eve Podrace – aliens from all outer-rim worlds are represented, Anakin being the only human, which seems to amuse the other racers, especially Sebulba from Malastare, the reigning champion who is deemed more or less unbeatable, and will resort to any means necessary to win a race
  • Qui-Gon can sense Anakin’s anger with being made fun of, but stresses to him to trust in himself and let go of the pettiness, which proves difficult for Anakin, who is constantly trying to over-prove himself to everyone
  • Race is three laps (there is NO announcer, Tusken Raider interference, of Jawa sightings…..)
  • During the last lap of the race Anakin is in first place, but tries an overly flashy move and Sebulba passes him. He’s furious and embarrassed. In the last stretch, Anakin uses the Force (which he doesn’t know precisely how to control, very raw) to separate Sebulba’s power couplings, crashing and killing him.
  • Anakin wins the race, but in the winner’s circle some of the other racers and members of Sebulba’s pit crew are furious and try to take matters into their own hands. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, the Gungan guards and Owen intervene and cooler heads prevail
  • Jabba begrudgingly grants Anakin and the Lars family their freedom, and repairs the Nubian starship as agreed. But he also says he will NOT join the Republic after this outrage, and furthermore does not ever want to see a Jedi knight or anyone named Skywalker on his planet ever again.
  • The goodbye is more emotional than anyone would’ve thought, especially between Owen and Anakin, who have been brothers in difficult circumstances for a decade, and friends before that
  • On the way back to the ship the entourage is confronted by an assassin (a tattooed and horned Zabrak) named Maul, who has tracked the entourage to Tatooine and has been lying in wait for them to return to the ship. Maul seems intent on killing Padme. Obi-Wan was ahead of the group with R2D2, and is watching from the cockpit. Both Gungan guards are killed, and Qui-Gon seems overmatched. Maul makes a run at Padme and Anakin screams out wildly pushing out with his hands, knocking him back 30 feet, giving Qui-Gon a chance to gain an edge. Anakin gets Padme on the ship, and Qui-Gon leaps onto the landing platform as the ship passes over. Maul is furious
  • Qui-Gon is perplexed at the fact he dueled a dark warrior, with great force powers and a red bladed lightsaber. He reiterates to Obi-Wan no Jedi is allowed to use a red crystal in their saber, and they will need to talk with the council on this matter as soon as they land
  • The entourage with Anakin in tow is now headed to Coruscant to reconvene w the Senate (Padme) and the Jedi Order (Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin)
  • More interaction on the journey between Anakin and Padme (he gives her the japoor snippet necklace), she warms to him a bit but is still distracted with the diplomatic matter at hand. However, an obvious attraction is forming, especially as Padme can identify with the loss of him mother, as she also lost her parents at a young age
  • Obi-Wan warns Qui-Gon what a disaster this is going to be when they get to the Jedi temple in front of the council, Qui-Gon says whatever transpires will be the will of the Force.
  • Once on Coruscant, everyone says their goodbye’s. Anakin is overwhelmed by the city-planet, so much so that he doesn’t even realize Padme has already left the landing platform. He seems more concerned with this than the task at hand, which frustrates Qui-Gon enough to discipline him and explain what’s coming. Obi-Wan has a look of “yeah, saw this coming…”
  • Qui-Gon goes before the council to discuss Anakin, to a man they are visibly frustrated, with the exception of Yoda. At any rate and in light of current events, impending war, the dark side growing, etc, they agree to give Anakin and Qui-Gon an audience. After leaving the Council chambers, Qui-Gon is pulled aside by former council members, Jedi Masters Dooku and Sifo Dyas, who express deep concern about the future of the republic and the direction of the Jedi. Qui-Gon, being Dooku’s former apprentice listens but ultimately says he has to forge his own path…… Dooku seems frustrated, but Sifo Dyas says that he and Dooku need to leave to attend to a pressing matter immediately
  • Meanwhile, the council pulls Obi-Wan aside and gives him a solo mission. He is instructed to go to the planet of Kamino and inspect a disturbance/spike in the Living Force and keep it quiet. He has to leave immediately, without letting Qui-Gon know of his mission….
  • Meanwhile, Padme along with Senator Bail Organa and a few other senators attend a meeting with the overseer of the entire Naboo sector and Padme’s superior, Grand Senator Sheev Palpatine, who expresses grave concern for the coming storm and the effectiveness of the Supreme Chancellor, Finis Valorum, stating the bureaucrats have full control of him. In this meeting the final seeds of doubt are planted.
  • Padme is also informed that the Separatists have now fully invaded Naboo and are in the process of enslaving the population, forcing Sio Bibble (the leader of Naboo) to hand full control to them and sign Naboo over as a nation in support of the Separatists. Padme is furious, but forbidden by Palpatine to take any action, given the attempts on her life.
  • Padme calls for an immediate / emergency session of the senate to call for a vote of no confidence in Valorum, recommending Palpatine succeed him due to the fact that he did nothing to prevent the invasion of her peaceful planet, a planet that has no weapons and minimal indigenous warriors to protect it. This garners much sympathy for the sector, and the feeling is Palpatine will be voted as the new Chancellor if it comes to that….
  • Meanwhile, the Jedi Council is interviewing Anakin in an intense Force-based interview. If he is indeed the Chosen One, he must be fully tested, especially since he’s well beyond the age that any Jedi has ever been trained. The potential is there, but there is also a huge amount of risk perceived. The Council senses great fear and anger in Skywalker, in particular a deep fear of loss. They also harbor doubts about the prophecy in general
  • In the end the council says they must deny Anakin the opportunity of being trained. Qui-Gon is animated and disappointed, saying that he is going to train Anakin on his own, leaving the Order if necessary
  • Mace Windu interrupts Qui-Gon’s argument to say that in response to Padme’s emergency vote and her insistence to return to Naboo to lead her constituency, Qui-Gon Jinn, Dooku (who is nowhere to be found), and a handful of other Jedi masters/knights are to accompany her back to Naboo.
  • Qui-Gon agrees under the condition that Anakin be allowed to accompany him and participate in a limited basis. Yoda and Windu very reluctantly agree..
  • Meanwhile, Obi-Wan arrives on the remote planet of Kamino, so far in the outer rim it doesn’t show up in most Hyperspace chart. He is greeted by Taun We and Lama Su, the administrators of the Kamino cloning facility. Obi-Wan is shocked to learn they are cloning, but more shocked to learn they are cloning an army for the Republic – which hasn’t had a grand army in over 1000 years.
  • He is further informed the army was commissioned by two Jedi Masters, and that the donor for the clones is on facility. However, she is skeptical of Obi-Wan, and is under the impression Obi-Wan might be a spy/fraud, since he has no knowledge of the commission of the clone army
  • Obi-Wan is surprised to learn the DNA donor is a Mandalorian warrior, part of the Fett Clan (which the Jedi have clashed with in the past) named Jango Fett
  • After inspecting the clone facility and the clones, Obi-Wan leaves and is attacked by Jango Fett. A battle ensues, but Jango escapes.
  • Meanwhile, the Jedi/Padme entourage is en route back to Naboo, admittedly with little plan to deal with the Separatists large droid army. Anakin is drawn to Padme’s impulsiveness and confidence in this situation, for obvious reasons…
  • During the journey Qui-Gon begins to train Anakin, and there is an immediate bond. Anakin, having lost his mother and having misgivings about being told he’s never had a father, looks up to Qui-Gon in a way he would not have anticipated
  • Anakin is also warned about how his involvement in the situation on Naboo must be limited, because he doesn’t understand the powers he’s unlocked and Qui-Gon won’t be able to protect him. Anakin states he will observe, no problem
  • Obi-Wan is chasing Jango, so he thinks, when he gets a message from the temple telling him to rendezvous with Qui-Gon on Naboo to help deal with that situation
  • After being embarrassingly distracted during the convo w the temple, Obi-Wan is ambushed by not only Jango, but another unidentified craft. After a fierce battle (in which he loses his trusty R4 unit) Obi-Wan plays dead, latching onto an asteroid, and heads to Naboo
  • The crew on Naboo sneaks by the blockade and regoups with their Gungan warriors and Naboo pilots in a secret location. Qui-Gon senses a presence, but doesn’t have time to give it too much thought.
  • Padme and the Gungan warriors concoct a plan w the Jedi, who are understandably a bit hesitant to fight in a war. However, even they understand that war is on the horizon, and their participation is almost unavoidable
  • Qui-Gon instructs Anakin to stay with Padme, and heads off to find the source of the disturbance he’s feeling – all the while against Council orders, as usual…
  • Jedi Master Evan Piell, who Qui-Gon left in charge of Padme’s entourage, has had the most experience dealing with Battle Droids that the Separatists use and tells Padme that someone will have to go to space to knock out the Droid Control Center, as the number of Battle Droids on the ground is insurmountable. The Naboo pilots look incredulously at each other, and state they have not near the experience needed to deal with this. While this conversation is wrapping up, Anakin jumps right into a Naboo fighter and heads into space. The other pilots follow him begrudgingly. Anakin flies through waves of Droid fighters, straight into the hangar, defying any logic. He confidently sends his only two missiles straight into the reactor core, destroying the Droid control ship just like that. The Naboo pilots are in amazement, as they have never seen a pilot this reckless yet possessing so much skill
  • Meanwhile, Obi-Wan’s starfighter is heading into Naboo, and he senses a great disturbance in the Force….
  • Anakin also has an uneasy feeling, although he doesn’t know how to interpret it…. He promptly heads back to the hangar
  • At the same time, three shadowy, cloaked figured are contacting Maul holographically, who is already on Naboo. His instructions are to eliminate Qui-Gon Jinn and his new apprentice….
  • Back on the planet, as the battle droid’s falter, Padme and her Gungan entourage take the throne room, and to their surprise Nute Gunray, of the Trade Federation – the first identifiable person in the Separatist Movement – and he is promptly arrested
  • Qui-Gon journey’s into the planet core of Naboo, which was explained earlier as having a 100% natural plasma energy core, that provides power to not only the surface, but also the Gungan villages below the surface. There he is encountered by Maul, the horned and tattooed Dathomirian Zabrak, who has a double-bladed red lightsaber and is emanating the dark side and anger like the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn has never experienced. A fierce battle ensues.
  • Anakin has landed, and immediately headed straight for the power core, directly below the hangar. Although brief, his connection to Qui-Gon is obvious and incredibly important to him.
  • Obi-Wan lands on Naboo in the hangar and finds Padme and Master Piell. He apprises the situation, listens to Padme’s assessment of the battle, and asks where Qui-Gon is. Then IMMEDIATELY looks around and asks where the hell Anakin is! Immediately he realizes there will be trouble and leaves master Piell and the other Jedi to help Padme and the Gungans reassert control of the palace
  • Qui-Gon knows he is outmatched, it’s obvious. No Jedi has faced a warrior like this in generations, he thinks “could this be Sith”. No way, right? They have been extinct for 1000 years…
  • Deep in the core, Qui-Gon and Maul get separated by energy doors. Qui-Gon meditates peacefully with the Force, Maul paces like a caged animal…
  • Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker arrives on the scene and is acknowledged by Maul, but is separated with three energy doors between himself and Qui-Gon. As the doors open, Qui-Gon confronts Maul one more time. However, he also senses Anakin’s presence AND another dark presence, but has no time to contemplate on it.
  • Qui-Gon and Maul battle, and as Anakin watches on (separated by an energy door), Maul strikes Qui-Gon down. Anakin screams loudly and freaks out, exuding a blast of energy that propels the surprised Maul backwards into an energy well, seemingly to his end. At that moment the dark, hooded figure Qui-Gon sensed Force pushes Anakin into the energy door, electrocuting him and rendering him unconscious. As this figure walks up to Anakin, green lightsaber ignited, he senses and hears Obi-Wan rushing up and force jumps up and out of the core two levels at a time, with Obi-Wan never sensing his presence in his haste.
  • Obi-Wan rushes past an unconscious Anakin (with little care, one would note), straight to Qui-Gon, who is barely still alive. He makes Obi-Wan commit to training Anakin, tells him to listen to the Force……. Obi-Wan says that he will do whatever his former master wants, of course. Qui-Gon dies.
  • Obi-Wan helps Anakin return to consciousness, and rejoins Padme, master Piell, and the rest of the Naboo and Gungan’s, obviously distraught. Padme is surprisingly concerned for Anakin, and much to Obi-Wan’s shock, Anakin is hailed as the hero of the entire battle. Once he hears the full story even he has to admit he’s surprised and impressed. How could a boy from a desert planet with no formal training, fly a fighter into battle and come out victorious. He knows he will have to fulfill his former master’s wish at this point, even if it meant leaving the Jedi Order…… And maybe that’s the will of the Force……
  • In a cave, miles from the battle and capital on Naboo, there are two hooded figures and one full-sized holograph loading an unconscious dark figure onto a starship. Once stabilized, we realize this is what’s left of Maul, more of less torn in parts by the energy reactor Anakin force-tossed him into… Aboard the ship, the two hooded figured pull back their hoods to reveal they are none other than Dooku and Sifo Dyas. However, the holographic figure is not revealed but referred to as Lord Sidious. He informs them to be patient, and that everything has transpired exactly as he is foreseen. He then says they will remake Maul, his fallen apprentice, into something more useful for the coming war. The ship leaves the Naboo system….
  • Yoda and Mace Windu have now travelled to Naboo, to meet up with Obi-Wan and Evan Piell, and to deal with Qui-Gon’s death and Anakin’s situation.
  • In a rare act of defiance, Obi-Wan informs them he will train Anakin no matter what, telling them that Qui-Gon believed he is the chosen one, and he believes in Qui-Gon. Evan Piell relunctantly backs Obi-Wan up, telling the story of Anakin’s heroics…. With some hesitation, Yoda and Windu grant him permission to train Anakin, but explain it is unorthodox and they will keep an eye on him.
  • Obi-Wan then explains they have a pressing matter on Kamino in regards to the Clone Army, a matter that will need to be dealt with quickly. Yoda states he will take care of this personally.
  • Story ends with Padme thanking Anakin, and wishing him well, saying there’s just something about him. Anakin and Padme share eye contact, ship leaves Naboo
  • Credits