George Lucas Revealed ‘The Phantom Menace’ 26 Years Ago
On September 25th, 1998, StarWars.com officially announced the title for Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Sep 25, 2024
On September 25th, 1998, StarWars.com officially announced the title for Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
The backstory:
Multiple titles were rumored leading up to the official announcement including ‘HOPE FOR THE FUTURE’, ‘BATTLE OF THE FORCE’, and ‘KNIGHTS OF THE REPUBLIC’
The film’s release date of May 21, 1999 was confirmed just over a month before the title
Fan reactions:
The title was ‘baffling’ for many fans who felt it didn’t feel like a ‘true Star Wars title’
Others defended the title by comparing it titles of old BUCK ROGERS and FLASH GORDON serials which Lucas famously loved
Reality check: With only three words, George Lucas succeeded in firing up the Star Wars fan base which shows that Star Wars fans really have always been…Star Wars fans.
In hindsight: THE PHANTOM MENACE became the highest-grossing film of 1999 and the second-highest grossing-film of all time during its release, proving that maybe Lucas knew what he was talking about after all.
Eric Eilersen is a Senior Writer at Youtini and co-host of The Youtini Show. He loves collecting Star Wars Funkos, lightsabers, and LEGO as well as playing video games, reading Brandon Sanderson novels, watching the Dallas Cowboys, and spending time with his partner and pets. You can follow him at @EricEilersen.
