'ATTACK' AT 20: DOOKU ESCAPES!

Newly arrived at the secret hangar bay with an accompanying squad of Clone Troopers, battle-ready Padme Amidala is too late to stop the confident Count Dooku's escape from Geonosis, but not for want of trying with her assured blaster fire directed at his solar sail vehicle, which soon after arrives secretly within the hustle and bustle of Coruscant. Touching down in an antiquated building within the mysterious industry area of the planet, Dooku, in his true guise as Darth Tyranus, confidently gives his master, Darth Sidious the welcome news that the galactic war has begun.

His mission of chaos accomplished, Dooku departs Geonosis.

Concept art of the Solar Sail vessel.

Count Dooku returns secretly to Coruscant...

At the secret foundry location, Darth Sidious awaits his returned apprentice.

... to inform his master, Darth Sidious, that 'the war has begun'!

The original construction for the Solar Sail vehicle amidst the secret Separatist hangar at FOX Studios, Australia, for August 21st, 2000 filming.

Ian McDiarmid takes a break on set by the Solar Sail vehicle.

'ATTACK' AT 20: YODA vs DOOKU!

An intense duel ensues between the towering force of Count Dooku and the small but determined Yoda, the latter of whom soon shows the latest Sith Apprentice the full power of his abilities. Recognising potential defeat or stalemate, Dooku creates a distraction for Yoda that requires his abilities to rescue the injured Obi-Wan and Anakin, now in danger, instead. The Count soon escapes the hangar safely within his Droid-operated Solar Sail vessel pod.

“From what I could tell, George was asking for the Tasmanian devil.. every time we showed it to him he said, “Amp it up! He’s got to be bouncing around!” He kept saying, “He’s a frog, this wicked-ass frog that’s going to kick it.”” 

Rob Coleman - DVD Review magazine Issue 44 - 2002 

“I’ve done more fights on celluloid than any actor in history…and I’ve got the scars to prove it. And this fight is greater than anything I’ve been involved in.”

Christopher Lee - DVD Review magazine Issue 44 - 2002

“I thought it was a remarkable scene considering that I never, at any time during the fight, actually saw Yoda. When we were filming, he wasn’t there. There was no time to position him. The whole thing was very fast and quick, so there wasn’t any time to place him 40 feet up on the left, or 10 feet to the right or wherever he was. I had to do it against blue screen, without Yoda being there, or anybody else for that matter. It was mainly a question of eye lines. I was told to look in that direction, make that movement and then make another movement in another direction. It was choreographed. That was the only way to do it. The long shots where Dooku is running (weren’t performed by me) because I was 79 or thereabouts, and I just can’t run. So that’s done by a double. But everyone had doubles, and they are in Episode III too. They have to be on certain occasions. But most of the stuff that you saw that was close-up-that’s to say knees upward, waist upward-was done by me.” 

Christopher Lee - Starlog magazine Issue 336 - July 2005

Locking lightsabers!

A deleted moment where Dooku uses two lightsabers.

A part of the filmed duel sequence saw Dooku wield two sabers against Yoda but this experimental footage was ultimately unused, though still photos from it were used for EPISODE II marketing and publicity purposes linked to the Dooku character.

An impressive visual shot from the duel sequence.

Yoda congratulates Dooku on his duel prowess.

Dooku provides the cowardly distraction needed to escape.

Yoda rescues Obi-Wan and Anakin as Dooku escapes...

More on the live action part of the filming:

STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: CLASSIC IMAGE: THE TWO MASTERS OF DARKNESS!

'ATTACK' AT 20: DEFLECTING DARKNESS!

Count Dooku, on the attack!

Upon entering the secret Geonosis hangar bay area, Yoda must soon deflect an attack of force objects direction, then a further assault of physical Dark Side strength, as Count Dooku brings down a piece of ceiling onto the diminutive Jedi. Directed bolts of of terrifying Force lightning are then unleashed and held back, before Dooku finally realises that the only way to defeat this former master will be through his experienced skills with a lightsaber...

Yoda surveys the secret hangar.

And squares off against the deadly powers of Count Dooku.

“There was bluescreen in The Lord of the Rings, but nothing like there was on Star Wars. About 85% was shot on bluescreen for Star Wars. Walls, floor, the complete stage was blue. They need that for technical reasons, which I can not go into, for it’s something I do not understand. They need that to put in the background, what’s behind you, in front of you, besides you. Reading the script, I know what is taking place and where this is supposed to be, but I do not know what it is going to look like and I do not know if I’m going to be surrounded by other people, droids or that I’ll be alone. I have no idea. So when shooting, there is nothing there – and there certainly wasn’t when I had my fight with Yoda! They have to match what he does after what I’ve done first! I do the lightsaber moves, after I’m told where Yoda is going to be. So I do not know exactly what he is going to do in the fight. I’ve often been asked the question what it is like to work with bluescreen. Over the years I got quite used to that. The answer is of course that you have to have a very powerful imagination, experience, professional knowledge, powers of invention of your own and you have to have the right instincts. You either have them or you haven’t. If you have them, it’s a great help to everybody. What else do you need to be an actor? Dedication, devotion. All these elements are vital if you want to make a career as an actor.” 

Christopher Lee - Internet interview (source unknown) 

The Dark Side of the Force is unleashed!

Yoda prevents the ceiling from coming down on him.

Sending out Force lightning.

Yoda absorbs the dark energy...

and redirects it back at Dooku.

'ATTACK' AT 20: ANAKIN'S FATEFUL TRIAL BY COMBAT!

Dooku critically injures Anakin, severing his right arm in a shocking moment that also echoes Luke Skywalker's later limb loss against Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.

Speedily blocking Count Dooku's attempt to kill Obi-Wan, Anakin shows his skills anew as a lightsaber duelist against such a formidable enemy. Sadly, Dooku proves too strong and critically injures the young hero. The scenario for our two now disabled and weakened heroes looks grim, but help of the most intriguing and diminutive kind is on the way...

Back in the duel, Anakin blocks Dooku's death blow to the injured Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Anakin makes a brief attack on Dooku with his and Obi-Wan's lightsabers.

Posed reference/publicity image of Hayden Christensen with two lightsabers.

Though down to just his own saber, Anakin fights on in the now darkened hangar but is soon defeated by his strong adversary.

Dooku Force sends the badly injured Anakin over towards the also fallen Obi-Wan.

'ATTACK' AT 20: DOOKU's DEPARTURE PLAN!

It looks as if he's retreating from a losing battle with the newly arrived Republic forces, but Count Dooku's real goals for the Clone Wars, in his true guise as Darth Tyranus, are all proceeding to plan. Now ready to leave Geonosis, the confident Sith soon realises, however, that he's being pursued by the Jedi...

Behind the scenes.

Ryan Church artwork for the scene of Dooku and his pod fighter escort leaving the Geonosian underground hangar.

'ATTACK' AT 20: THE SECRET WEAPON! (DEATH STAR)

The tide of war is no longer in the good fortune of a seemingly surprised Count Dooku and the Geonosians as their forces retreat from the experience and tactics of the surviving Jedi and thousands of accompanying Clone Troopers. As the slimy Poggle the Lesser orders full retreat into the planet's deep catacombs, Count Dooku also makes departure preparations, but not before being given the top secret plans to the new battle station that will be secretly built by the Separatists, then later 'acquired' for the Galactic Empire: the Death Star!

A hive of activity in the war room.

Dooku is seemingly surprised by the huge number of Republic forces on Geonosis.

Poggle the Lesser entrusts the secret plans to Count Dooku...

... for relaying on to the even safer hands of Dooku's 'Master'.

'ATTACK' AT 20: MACE WINDU TO THE RESCUE!

"This party's over!"

The arrival of supreme Jedi Master Mace Windu, bringing with him nearly two hundred diverse human/alien Jedi, to the Geonosian arena sees-in an intriguing sense of pause then stalemate between the sides of good and evil. But as hostile Super Battle Droids quickly appear on the scene, battle between the Jedi and Count Dooku's en masse droid armies is quickly in place as the death arena is plunged into chaos amidst a swarm of retreating Geonosian insects. 

Meanwhile, bounty hunter Jango Fett is determined to kill Windu for his threatening actions...

Keeping a bounty hunter at bay.

Mace confronts Dooku. Has the Separatist leader the might to defeat the Jedi?

Droids incoming from the darkness behind.

Mace is outgunned but soon leaps into the arena below.

As Jango Fett discharges his flame thrower and catches Windu's cape.

Unused shot of Jango Fett firing double blasters, presumably at the now descending Windu.

“Facing off against Samuel Jackson? Seriously, you try eyeballing the guy when all you can think about is Pulp Fiction. Don’t even go there.” 

Temuera Morrison - Empire magazine - June 2002

Lucas has fun with the young Daniel Logan during filming set-ups.

Sam Jackson shows us who's the boss on set at the FOX Studios, Australia in 2000.