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 Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox's long-awaited return to the galaxy far, far away, the first new entry in sixteen years. Directed by George Lucas, it reintroduced audiences to the saga's mythology through the eyes of a younger Obi-Wan and the rise of the Sith. Its arrival was a cultural event, drawing record crowds and reigniting merchandising and fandom on a scale rarely seen before, cementing the prequel era's commercial importance even amid mixed critical reception.
This 35mm cell preserves Darth Maul, portrayed by Ray Park, whose physical performance made the character an instant icon despite limited screen time. As the first Sith Lord seen on screen in the modern saga, Maul represents menace distilled to its purest form, a figure collectors prize for his visual boldness and martial presence. A cell bearing his name alone signals a piece devoted entirely to his singular impact, a fragment of film history capturing the character's introduction into the Star Wars pantheon.
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 the bottom edge, showing a dual bilateral waveform pattern consistent with an analog stereo track; a row of blue dots running beside it is consistent with a Dolby Digital data block strip between the perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight violet-purple tint along the rebate areas; the dye image in the picture area reads as a warm, slightly brownish neutral with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible splices or cue marks; faint longitudinal lines are present across the frame area consistent with projection wear.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, and the subject matter is consistent with a release print of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).
Era check
The combination of analog variable-area stereo optical track, Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations, and color positive stock on a safety base is consistent with a theatrical release print from 1999.
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 000064083
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
