Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 8 Reasons It Will Be The Best Yet
If theres one thing about the casting that really needs getting excited about, it surely must be of Ian McDiarmid as a Chancellor Palpatine. What sounds on the surface like a boring political character (does that even have a place in Star Wars whiz bang action?) is actually the younger version of the evil emperor from Return of the Jedi; McDiarmid played the role in Episode VI under heavy make up.
This casting choice tells us a lot of Lucas greater plans for the prequels. Namely, that theyre going to be made to be seen following the original trilogy. Expect Palpatine to be established as a villain early on, maybe even posing as a good guy, lending an air of dramatic irony to the whole story. This is a very smart move on Lucas part; we know Anakin is going to be Vader, so theres no need being coy.