Winnipeg Sun Friday May 5 2000-

Skywalker Ranch hosted a competition last weekend that is to Star Wars
freaks what the playoffs are to hockey fans.

According to the Star Wars official Web site (http://www.starwars.com),
creator George Lucas and his staff held a series of screen tests for the
role of Anakin Skywalker in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode II
Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, and casting director Robin Gurland spent
Saturday and Sunday watching the Anakin wannabes strut their stuff opposite
Natalie Portman, who will reprise her role of Queen Amidala for Episode II.

"George and Robin and I need to put our heads together," McCallum said in a
posting at the Web site.

"It could be several weeks before we know anything. This is just one step
in the process. The casting of Anakin is always a very emotional thing... it
was for Episode I."
Lucas- who intends to shoot the new film using state-of-the-art digital
video equipment developed by Lucasfilm, Sony and Panavision - shot the
screen tests using the same gear.

Whoever wins the role of Anakin will join Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ahmed
Best, and Samuel L. Jackson when shooting begins in Australia in the coming
months. The psting didn't list any names vying for the Anakin role.