Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace arrived in 1999 as George Lucas's return to directing after a sixteen-year absence, released by 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm to one of the most anticipated openings in cinema history. As the first chapter of the prequel trilogy, it introduced audiences to a younger galaxy, pushed digital effects into new territory, and reignited a cultural franchise for a new generation, cementing its place as a milestone in blockbuster filmmaking regardless of the mixed reception it received at the time.
This 35mm cell preserves a frame of the Droideka, the wheeled Destroyer Droid whose battle-ready design made it an instant favorite among prop and creature collectors for its mechanical menace and distinctive rolling-to-combat transformation. As a piece of the actual release print, it stands as a tangible artifact from the film's theatrical run, capturing one of the era's most memorable additions to the Star Wars droid roster and its debut appearance on the big screen.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched corners are rounded and cleanly cut.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block column occupying the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, and a DTS timecode stripe is also discernible, consistent with a tri-format release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at readable resolution.
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image retains good colour saturation with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light longitudinal scratches are visible running parallel to the film length, consistent with projection through a gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the depicted interior set and mechanical figure are consistent with the production design of the film on record.
Era check
The combination of a tri-format optical soundtrack (Dolby Digital, DTS, and analogue variable-area) on a 35mm positive print is consistent with a theatrical release print from 1999, when all three formats were standard on major studio releases.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000064073
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
