Watch Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Online

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It was the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the first in terms of internal chronology.

Lucas began production when he felt special effects had advanced to the level of what he had envisioned for the film. Shooting took place during 1997 at various locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert. The Phantom Menace was released in May 19, 1999, almost sixteen years after the previous film in the series, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and was accompanied by extensive media coverage and great anticipation. Despite being almost universally slated by critics, it grossed US$924.3 million at the worldwide box office, being the highest-grossing Star Wars film and the 9th highest-grossing film of all time, a credit to Lucasfilm mega-budget advertising campaign.

The film follows Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who flee the planet Naboo with Queen Amidala in the hope of finding a peaceful end to an inadequately explained trade dispute. Along the way, the ship must stop for repairs on the planet Tatooine, where the Jedi encounter Anakin Skywalker, a young slave boy who is unusually strong with the Force. Meanwhile, they must contend with the mysterious return of the Sith.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on VHS on April 4, 2000, in two different versions, a standard pan-and-scan and a Collector's Edition widescreen. In its first two days of availability, the regular version sold 4.5 million copies and the limited edition, 500,000. Later it became the first Star Wars film to be officially released on DVD, in October 2001. The DVD version of the film had certain scenes and other elements edited and inserted by George Lucas, making it slightly different from its theatrical release while retaining an identical plot.

Among the special features are seven deleted scenes completed specifically for the DVD, a commentary track featuring among others Lucas and producer Rick McCallum, and a number of documentaries, including a full-length documentary entitled "The Beginning: Making Episode I". The Phantom Menace became the fastest selling DVD ever in the US, with 2.2 million copies were sold in its first week after release. The DVD version was re-released in a prequel trilogy box set on November 4, 2008. A LaserDisc version of The Phantom Menace was also released in Japan, several months before it was available on DVD in the US.