What are the most interesting facts you did not know about Star Wars Episode I?

Episode I introduced the still-controversial concept of midichlorians, microbiotic organisms that allow individuals to use the Force. Lucas recently revealed that his plans for the sequel trilogy would have included protagonists shrinking to microscopic size to find the origins of midichlorians and other mysterious miniature beings known as the Whills. 

Despite pioneering the use of visual effects and CGI, Episode I's iteration of lovable droid C-3PO was realized using a decidedly old-fashioned method. It's not animatronics, either: C-3PO is actually a life-size puppet. A professional puppeteer would dress in a full-body suit that roughly matched the background color of the scene while manipulating the puppet. Actor Anthony Daniels would then read his lines for the role off-camera, and the puppeteer would be digitally erased in post-production.

The role of sinister Sith Lord Darth Maul is played by stuntman Ray Park. Originally a member of the movie's stunt team, Park was tapped for the role after his impressive combat displays. Unfortunately, Park's voice didn't make the cut for the final film. Lucas found Park's voice "too squeaky," and his dialogue was dubbed over by British actor and voice actor Peter Serafinowicz.

After completing "Return of the Jedi", Star Wars mastermind George Lucas took a long hiatus from the franchise, stating that he was too burnt out to continue with Star Wars. After seeing renewed fan interest with the release of several pieces of tie-in media, Lucas began working on the prequel trilogy in earnest. Even so, he was still reluctant to take the reigns as director and approached several alternate candidates for the role. Those candidates included such names as Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis, who all turned down the job in fear of such a daunting task. Howard would eventually return to the franchise to direct "Solo: A Star Wars Story".

Amidala's entourage of body doubles and handmaidens includes some familiar faces. Actress Keira Knightley was still a relative unknown when she donned her orange handmaiden robes, despite her parents pressuring her not to audition. She apparently looked so similar to actress Natalie Portman that their parents couldn't tell them apart on set. Sofia Coppola, daughter of iconic director Francis Ford Coppola and now a famous director in her own right, also appears as one of the handmaidens.