Screen Tests at SkyWalker Ranch

Thanks to BrendansWinnipegChick for sending this in!

Winnipeg Sun Friday May 5, 2000

Skywalker Ranch hosted a competition last weekend that is to Star Wars freaks what the playoffs are to hockey fans.

According to the Star Wars official Web site (http://www.starwars.com), creator George Lucas and his staff held a series of screen tests for the role of Anakin Skywalker in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode II Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, and casting director Robin Gurland spent Saturday and Sunday watching the Anakin wannabes strut their stuff opposite Natalie Portman, who will reprise her role of Queen Amidala for Episode II.

“George and Robin and I need to put our heads together,” McCallum said in a posting at the Web site.

“It could be several weeks before we know anything. This is just one step in the process. The casting of Anakin is always a very emotional thing… it was for Episode I.”

Lucas – who intends to shoot the new film using state-of-the-art digital video equipment developed by Lucasfilm, Sony and Panavision – shot the screen tests using the same gear.

Whoever wins the role of Anakin will join Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ahmed Best, and Samuel L. Jackson when shooting begins in Australia in the coming months. The psting didn’t list any names vying for the Anakin role.

In recent months, practially every young actor in Hollywood has been mentioned as being a lock for the part including Tom Hanks’ son Colin, Young and the Restless star David Tom, Paul Walker (The Skulls), and Dawson’s Creek’s Joshua Jackson.
– Jam! Movies