!!The movie
* AbilityOverAppearance: Creator/GeorgeLucas originally wanted to cast an American actor as Qui-Gon Jinn, but cast Creator/LiamNeeson because he considered that Neeson had great skills and presence. Lucas said Neeson was a "master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands".
* ActingForTwo:
** Creator/SilasCarson played four roles in this movie alone: Nute Gunray, Ki Adi Mundi, Lott Dodd and Antidar Williams (the pilot of the diplomatic cruiser destroyed at the beginning). He commented that a number of actors really struggle with such heavy makeup due to claustrophobia, his comfort with the job is why he was in high demand. His role as Antidar was because he wanted at least one role without makeup. He was only credited for playing Gunray and Williams, though he would also be credited for Ki Adi Mundi in the sequels.
** Jerome Blake played Rune Haako, Mas Amedda, Orn Free Taa and Oppo Rancisis. He was only credited for Haako, though in ''Attack of the Clones'', he would be credited for Rancisis via recycled footage from this film.
** Alan Ruscoe played Daultay Dofine, Bib Fortuna and Plo Koon. He was only credited for Dofine.
** Ody Mandrell and Bib Fortuna are both voiced by Matthew Wood.
** Marc Silk, who voiced Aks Moe, also voiced Tey How during some of her scenes.
** Creator/WarwickDavis played both Anakin's friend Wald and one of the podrace spectators Weazel. He was only credited for Wald, but he would reprise his role as Weazel in ''Film/{{Solo}}''. He also doubled for Yoda in once scene.
* ActorInspiredElement: Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that Darth Maul has a helix piercing in his left ear. Creator/RayPark meant to take it out before getting in the make-up chair, but forgot, and rather than disrupt the extensive make-up, they decided to leave it in, feeling the edgy-looking piercing fit Maul's character.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Most actors just jumped at the opportunity of being in a ''Star Wars'' movie. Creator/EwanMcGregor stated he had been wanting to play a Jedi all his life, and Creator/LiamNeeson signed on without even having read the script.
* BeamMeUpScotty: A minor one, but Anakin is sometimes associated with the line "This is so wizard!" or variations of the line; while the line ''is'' in the film, it's actually said ''to'' Anakin by Kitster.
* CameoProp: A full size EVA Pod from ''Film/TwoThousandAndOneASpaceOdyssey'' can be seen in Watto's junkyard.[[note]]It's probably not the original, as it's well-known that Creator/StanleyKubrick destroyed all the props that were used in ''2001'' to prevent them from being used in other movies. It might be the reconstructed version that was created for ''Film/TwoThousandTenTheYearWeMakeContact''.[[/note]]
* CastTheExpert:
** Darth Maul had very few lines and was centered more on the big climactic 2v1 duel so they cast Creator/RayPark, who was a martial artist and stunt man, not an actor, although he has had a number of acting roles since then. Creator/PeterSerafinowicz was brought it to dub his lines, much like Creator/JamesEarlJones with Creator/DavidProwse as Darth Vader.
** In the European Spanish dub, intentionally or not, Palpatine was dubbed by the late Jordi Dauder, who was a real life politician aside from being an actor and knew well the topics of imperialism and capitalism that Sidious and the Trade Federation represented.
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/BrianBlessed originally auditioned for the role of Sio Bibble, the Governor of Naboo, for which he was considered "too loud". Casting director Robin Gurland approached him to play Nass because it was a "bigger than life" character with "a kind of bravado".
* CreatorBacklash:
** Creator/JakeLloyd isn't fond of his role in the movie, thanks to having been mocked about it since childhood, some even hating him for misaimed hatemail and vandalism. He went through a phase where he destroyed all of his ''Star Wars'' memorabilia and refused to talk about it. However, an interview with a ''Star Wars'' fan site has confirmed that he's mellowed out since then (it's still a sore spot, just not as raw anymore) and contrary to popular belief, he does not hate ''Star Wars'' after all the bullying. He also criticized the Prequel Trilogy, feeling that part of the problem with them was that they were made for children and George Lucas didn't try to make them live up to the expectations of adult fans.
** Creator/AhmedBest liked working on the theatrical film and doesn't hate Jar Jar Binks (the character he voiced and did mo-cap reference for), but he [[http://www.avclub.com/article/guy-who-played-jar-jar-binks-totally-gets-why-audi-230642 admitted]] that he totally gets why people hate the character and he has stated that he will not reprise the role in any future works. He would reveal many years later that he almost [[https://twitter.com/ahmedbest/status/1014222723764162561 took his own life]] after the sheer amount of backlash he received for playing Jar-Jar. However in 2020 on Twitter he expressed his willingness to return to the role again, as long as the story is good.
** Creator/AnthonyDaniels (the actor behind Threepio) has stated that he doesn't care much for this theatrical film or the Prequel Trilogy in general, feeling the films were cold, bleak effects showcases.
--->"Ah, the prequels. I turned one on the other night... The effects are clever but pointless. The skill is there, but so what? Coldness, that’s the word. Bleakness, even.”
** Creator/PeterSerafinowicz didn't care for voicing Darth Maul either. He criticized Lucas' poor direction to him, which just amounted to, "Make him sound evil." He also was not happy that only three of his lines are in the movie, and that he only got a meager salary for those lines. On top of that, he was annoyed that he wasn't even invited to the film's premiere and had to pay for his own tickets and travel expenses, and he didn't think the film was very good on top of that.
** Creator/NataliePortman also regrets working on the film, saying it nearly torpedoed her acting career, and she refuses to show it or the other Prequel Trilogy’s films to her kids (mostly because of Padmé's death).
--->"''Star Wars'' had come out around the time of ''Seagull'' and everyone thought I was a horrible actress. I was in the biggest-grossing movie of the decade, and no director wanted to work with me."
** Creator/TerenceStamp was also unhappy working on the film, describing it as a boring experience and he was miffed that he didn't actually get to work alongside Creator/NataliePortman. This is partly the reason why he refused to reprise his role in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones''.
** During the documentary footage capturing the film's production, George Lucas and his crew are seen screening a rough cut. The reaction appears to be one of uncomfortable silence, with Lucas quietly acknowledging that he "may have gone too far in a few places," specifically referencing the editing and pacing during the climax.
** Maybe not backlash ''per se'', but Creator/KeiraKnightley revealed in a 2020 interview that she had little memory of being in ''The Phantom Menace'' and hadn't seen the film since it originally came out. The interviewer had to tell her that her character was named "Sabé," not "Padmé." We'd say this is a case of ButForMeItWasTuesday, but frankly, even ''Star Wars'' fans struggle to remember that a young Keira Knightley was in ''The Phantom Menace''.
* DeletedScene: [[DeletedScene/StarWars See here]].
* EarlyDraftTieIn: The [[https://i.redd.it/e59bl5lrnpq21.jpg Mace Windu action figure]] released to promote the film included a ''blue''-bladed lightsaber. Windu never activates his saber in this film and ''Attack of the Clones'' showed its blade to be purple (This is due to Samuel L. Jackson requesting said color during the filming of ''Clones'').
* EnforcedMethodActing: Padme's frightened look and immediate decision to go in the other direction when she sees Darth Maul was reflective of Creator/NataliePortman's genuine shock when she saw Creator/RayPark as the character for the first time.
* FakeBrit: The Scottish Creator/EwanMcGregor portrays the English-accented Obi-Wan Kenobi in this movie and for the rest of the prequel trilogy.
* LoopingLines: Peter Serafinowicz looped Darth Maul's lines during post-production.
* NoStuntDouble: Creator/LiamNeeson and Creator/EwanMcGregor did the majority of their own swordplay, though they had a few stunt doubles for various high jumps and high falls. Creator/RayPark was cast as Darth Maul because the bulk of his screentime [[CastTheExpert was the climactic fight]].
* TheOtherDarrin:
** A minor example with Tey How, the Trade Federation's communications officer. George Lucas' daughter, Amanda, voiced the character when she first appears during Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's failed negotiations. When the officer appears again during the climatic battle sequence, Amanda is replaced by Marc Silk due to the former's lack of availability. Since Silk had already voiced Senator Aks Moe earlier on, he wasn't credited for his role as How.
** Alan Ruscoe replaced Michael Carter as Bib Fortuna, with Matthew Wood taking over as his voice from Erik Bauersfeld.
** In the European French dub, Creator/BrunoChoel started replacing Philippe Dumat as Obi-Wan Kenobi with this film, due to Dumat (who voiced him in ''Film/ANewHope'', ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'') sounding obviously too old for a younger Obi-Wan.
* PopCultureUrbanLegends: It's been said on various internet sources that JustForFun/RobbyTheRobot makes a cameo in Wald's Parts. There is no evidence of him actually appearing (the closest thing in the scene that resembles Robby is [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/e/eb/Wattos_R1_unit.png/revision/latest?cb=20160319212443 this droid behind Padmé]], which is actually confirmed to be a Jawa-modified R1-series astromech droid).
* PreviewPiggybacking: ''Film/MeetJoeBlack'' and ''Film/TheSiege'' both had the teaser trailer for this film. A number of fans bought tickets just to see the preview, ''and then walked out''.
* PromotedFanboy:
** Creator/PeterSerafinowicz, the voice of Darth Maul, is a fan of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, though unfortunately, as listed in CreatorBacklash above, this wasn't enough to make him enjoy the experience of working on the film.
** Creator/SamuelLJackson campaigned to be in the film, even suggesting he be [[FacelessMooks a stormtrooper wearing a helmet]]. As such, he ended up being cast as Mace Windu, Jedi Master second only to Yoda. He didn't do much in this movie other than participate in some political discussions, but [[AscendedExtra certainly made up for it in the following films]].
** Dan Madsen, a ''Star Wars'' fan and founder of the ''Star Wars Insider'' magazine, made a cameo as Dams Denna.
* RealLifeRelative: [[Creator/RomanCoppola Roman]] and Creator/SofiaCoppola have cameos as a Naboo guard and a handmaiden respectively.
* RefittedForSequel:
** The heroes visiting an underwater city to parlay with its ruler was originally a big plot point in Lucas' first draft for the original film, ''The Adventures of Starkiller: The Star Wars''.
** The idea of Anakin bypassing a blockade by using the Force to come out of hyperspace at the very last moment before crashing into Naboo was revisited in ''Film/TheForceAwakens''. While Han Solo doesn't use the Force, feats such as this one make some fans assume that he does.
** The name Mace Windu goes all the way back to the original ''Journal of the Whills'' story treatment.
* RoleReprise: Creator/FrankOz (Yoda), Creator/AnthonyDaniels (C-3PO), Creator/KennyBaker (R2-D2), and one that even thought he wouldn't get cast given the character is supposed to be younger, Creator/IanMcDiarmid (Palpatine).
* SeparatedAtBirthCasting:
** Creator/NataliePortman was originally going to be ActingForTwo, playing both Padmé and Sabé, but then the production found Creator/KeiraKnightley. Apparently even their own mothers couldn't tell them apart when they were in the full regal make-up.
** Every potential Obi-Wan had his pictures compared to young Creator/AlecGuinness. The other two Prequel Trilogy films [[http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/121108/obi_wan_kenobi_ewen_mcgregor_alec_guinness_189mjpd-189mjpv.jpg?x=450&q=80&n=1&sig=NUPvC5zFG6ck_nuJxO7E6g-- showed Ewan McGregor was a dead-on casting choice.]]
* SequelGap: 16 years between this and ''Jedi's'' release. The [[Creator/NataliePortman lead actress]] was ''two'' the year the last one came out.
* SpoiledByTheMerchandise: The soundtrack to ''The Phantom Menace'' was released before the movie itself came out. Anybody who picked it up got treated to tracks called "Qui-Gon's Noble End" and "The High Council Meeting and Qui-Gon's Funeral." Oops.
* StarDerailingRole: Jake Lloyd was never a star, but he had a respectable career as a child actor before this film. He did one movie after it and then quit acting. He said in a recent interview though that he's pursuing a career in film ''editing'', so he isn't totally gone from the movie-making scene. One can only hope he has/had access to Creator/WilWheaton as a mentor.
* StarMakingRole: Both Creator/EwanMcGregor and Creator/NataliePortman were well-respected actors but were in either small roles or independent films. This movie made them big names. Creator/RayPark also fits in, as his presence in the final battle was one of the most memorable parts of the movie.
* StuntDouble: While Creator/LiamNeeson did the majority of his own stunts, he did have three stunt doubles on hand to do everything else. Andrew Lawden doubled for Neeson for part of the Darth Maul duel on Tatooine, while Joss Gower played Qui-Gon for some shots in the main duel near the end. Rob Inch did everything else.
* UncreditedRole:
** Creator/CarrieFisher was an uncredited script doctor on the film.
** Scott Schumann provided the uncredited voice for Jabba the Hutt.
* UnderageCasting: Qui-Gon Jinn is meant to be an old Jedi Master in his late-50s to early-60s according to supplementary material. Liam Neeson was 45 when he played him. (Though his age would be {{retcon}}ned to his late forties in the Disney canon.)
* WagTheDirector: Creator/LiamNeeson convinced Creator/GeorgeLucas to keep a scene where Qui-Gon Jinn puts his hand on Shmi Skywalker's shoulder. Lucas felt this might be out of character for the monk-like Jedi, but Neeson thought there should be an emotional connection between the characters. In an interview with Premiere Magazine, Neeson defended his action, saying, "It may be ''Star Wars'', but we've got to have something in there for the adults."
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/TomHanks, Creator/MorganFreeman, Creator/DenzelWashington, Creator/KyleMacLachlan, Creator/KurtRussell, and Creator/VinDiesel were considered for the role of Qui-Gon Jinn before the casting of Creator/LiamNeeson.
** Creator/HughJackman, Creator/JosephFiennes, Creator/KennethBranagh, and Creator/TimRoth were considered for the part of [[Characters/StarWarsObiWanKenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi]] before Creator/EwanMcGregor was cast.
** Creator/MichaelAngarano, Creator/HaleyJoelOsment, [[Film/HopeFloats Cameron Finley]], and [[Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle Justin Berfield]] auditioned for the role of [[Characters/StarWarsAnakinSkywalker Anakin Skywalker]] before the casting of Creator/JakeLloyd.
** Creator/KellyMacdonald was in the running to portray [[Characters/StarWarsPadmeAmidala Queen Amidala]] before Creator/NataliePortman was cast.
** Creator/BenicioDelToro was initially cast as [[Characters/StarWarsDarthMaul Darth Maul]], but dropped out of the project after the director took most of his lines out of the film. Del Toro would later go on to portray DJ in ''Film/TheLastJedi''.
** Music/TupacShakur was interested in having a part in the film, and [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tupac-shakur-auditioned-to-be-a-jedi-in-star-wars-report-245892/ according]] to a sound engineer that worked with him, actually auditioned to play Windu before the role went to Creator/SamuelLJackson. This account has been questioned, though, given that Shakur was murdered in September 1996 in what would have probably been a stage of production too early to host auditions.
** Early treatments of the film originally did not have Qui-Gon Jinn, and simply had Obi-Wan by himself as a Jedi Knight. Lucas later decided to show the master-padawan setup of the Jedi properly, as it would flow with the generational "PassingTheTorch" theme found throughout the whole saga, and he added Qui-Gon. Interestingly, Lucas initially considered making ''Qui-Gon'' the padawan.
** A rumor back in the day stated Jar Jar was originally conceived not as a comic relief character, but as a morally ambiguous mercenary that would ultimately betray Qui-Gon, like an EvilCounterpart to Han Solo (or, in hindsight, like DJ turned out to be in ''The Last Jedi''). This has been considered one of the several possible hints of the popular "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks#Speculations_of_villainy Darth Jar Jar]]" theory, where Jar Jar was actually written as being [[ObfuscatingStupidity secretly a Sith]] working for Sidious.
** In the earliest drafts without Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan had the lead role, and Jar Jar had a larger and more important role. Also, when the crew returned to Naboo, the Trade Federation blockade was still supposed to be in place, and Anakin was going to land the Queen's ship by using his Force-intuition to divine the last possible moment to bring the ship out of lightspeed, before they crashed into the planetary surface. This scene was eventually used in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' with Han performing the maneuver without any use of the Force instead.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuQWxz5Eqi8 According]] to Jake Lloyd, there was a ''six-hour'' cut of the film that was screened for several people before the film was released, with those who saw it (who supposedly included Matthew Wood, General Grievous's voice actor in ''Revenge of the Sith'') proclaiming it to be "mindbogglingly good". This claim has caused a lot of skepticism due to the purported cut's improbable length, with many people believing Lloyd either mistook test footage for real film scenes or is just trolling the fandom, but some believe there might have really been an unreleased six hours-worthy script containing who knows what discarded scenes and subplots.
** A [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Blarth Blarth]] was to accompany Jar Jar as a sidekick.
** One of the first ideas for Darth Maul's character was a ''female'' Dark Side user, a sort of Sith witch with white skin and either loopy red dreadlocks or an elaborate ribbon headdress. This version was discarded, but its concept art was eventually recycled for the Mother Talzin in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars''. Other versions had him with a gruesomely skinned face, African war paint, and finally something resembling his final design (although, amusingly, his design originally didn't have horns, but ''feathers'', which an artist misinterpreted as horns and made the team ThrowItIn).
** Around 200 actresses auditioned for the role of Padmé Amidala before Natalie Portman was cast. This included Vinette Robinson, with it being her first film audition; she said she tried to use an RP accent to come across as a ProperLady and struggled to hide her natural Yorkshire accent. Two decades later, Robinson was cast in the role of Wrobie Tyce, a Resistance pilot, in ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker''.
** Lucas originally planned for Anakin to be twelve years old. He was later aged down to nine because Lucas felt that if Anakin was on the verge of his teens, it wouldn't be sufficiently traumatic for him to be separated from his mother.
* YouSoundFamiliar: In the Japanese dub, Boss Nass is played by Creator/ToruOhira, who voiced Darth Vader in the Original Trilogy and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''.

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!!The tie-in game
* EarlyDraftTieIn:
** A deadly waterfall is present at the beginning of the Gardens of Theed level, likely as a reference to the deleted scene where Jar Jar narrowly avoids a waterfall-related death when the Bongo arrives at Naboo.
** Before the Darth Maul battle in the Encounter in the Desert level, several of his probe droids attack Qui Gon, similar to the deleted scene where Qui Gon destroys one as he and Anakin leave Tatooine.
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