20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones
9. Count Dooku Was Originally Designed As A Female Alien
Though it's absolutely impossible to consider anyone else but the inimitable Christopher Lee playing Count Dooku, the character was extensively redesigned throughout pre-production.
Initially, Dooku was intended to be a female alien creature, and Lucas also cycled through other concepts such as Dooku being a killer fairy and advanced robot.
Ultimately these ideas were scrapped and a more conventional humanoid was designed after Christopher Lee joined the cast.
However, one of the rejected female alien concepts was eventually recycled for Asajj Ventress, a Dathomirian female who went on to appear in the Expanded Universe and most notably The Clone Wars animated series.
Everything worked out for the best, then.