History Trivia / ThePhantomMenace

* NotSoAbandonedBuilding: The filming crew was rushed away from the Mos Espa set by the Tunisian government once they were done filming there. As of 2022, the set stands in the middle of nowhere, slowly degrading under the effects of the desert... don't worry, it's only degraded a little. The town actually holds up extremely well.

** Documentary footage of the making of the film shows George Lucas and crew screen a rough cut. The general reaction seems to be an uncomfortable StunnedSilence, with Lucas himself quietly noting that he "may have gone too far in a few places."

*** That was [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-george-lucas-admitted-he-went-far-phantom-menace-screening-1070589/amp/ in regards of the editing and pacing during the climax however.]]

* DawsonCasting: 16-year-old Creator/NataliePortman plays 14-year-old Padmé Amidala.

* DawsonCasting: 17-year-old Creator/NataliePortman plays 14-year-old Padmé Amidala.

* NoStuntDouble: Creator/LiamNeeson did the majority of his own stunts.

** Creator/TomHanks, Creator/MorganFreeman, Creator/DenzelWashington, Creator/KyleMacLachlan, Creator/KurtRussell, and Creator/VinDiesel were considered for the role of [[Characters/StarWarsQuiGonJinn Qui-Gon Jinn]] before the casting of Creator/LiamNeeson.

* DuelingWorks: In Japan, at least. It's released two months after ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasDriftsInTheUniverse'', another sci-fi film which is a SpaceOpera containing numerous homages to the ''Star Wars'' franchise (right up to having it's own Palpatine CaptainErsatz villain).

** YouSoundFamiliar: In the Japanese dub, Boss Nass is played by Creator/ToruOhira, who voiced Darth Vader in the Original Trilogy and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/GeorgeLucas cast Creator/NataliePortman after seeing her in ''Film/TheProfessional'' and ''Film/BeautifulGirls''.

* 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 Creator/RayPark as the character for the first time.

* EarlyDraftTieIn: The 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'').

* EarlyDraftTieIn: The 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 it to be purple (This is due to Samuel L. Jackson requesting said color during the filming of ''Clones''.

* RelationshipVoiceActor: In the Japanese-dubbed version, while he, [[Film/ANewHope for obvious reasons]], doesn't appear here, Creator/AkiraIshida (who voiced Luke Skywalker in the newest dubbed version of the original trilogy), voiced [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Athrun Zala]], and in the prequels, Creator/MaayaSakamoto (Padme), voiced [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny Lunamaria Hawke]], who is Athrun's subordinate. This is really hilarious if you know the fact Padme is Luke's ''mother''. Justified, since Mitsuo Fukuda, the ''Gundam SEED'' saga's director, is a hardcore ''Franchise/StarWars'' fan.

** Darth Maul was played by Creator/RayPark, who is a martial arts expert and stunt man, not an actor, although he has had a number of acting roles since then. This is one of the reasons that he had virtually no lines. When he did have lines, Ray Park was just mouthing the words and English actor and comedian, Creator/PeterSerafinowicz, had his voice dubbed over it.

* OldShame:
** For Creator/JakeLloyd, who soon after retired from acting owing to the mockery he endured in his youth as a result of his performance. Some friends of his from high school noted that he would sometimes fly into a psychotic rage when asked about it.
** Also for Creator/TerenceStamp, who reportedly disliked working on the film, which led him not to reprise his role in ''Attack of the Clones''.
** Creator/NataliePortman also doesn't hold this film in high regard, having blamed it for stunting her film career just as it had begun to take shape.

** 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 he destroys one as he and Anakin leave Tatooine.

** Silas Carson 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.

* RealLifeRelative: Roman and Creator/SofiaCoppola have cameos as a Naboo guard and a handmaiden respectively.