'Star Wars' Timeline

6/26/97 Lucas steps behind the camera for the first time since Star Wars as Episode I begins shooting. 8/97 Star Wars Special Edition is released on VHS. 10/31/97 ''Star Wars: The Magic of Myth'' exhibit opens at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. 10/31/97 Lucas plateaus at No. 4 on Entertainment Weekly's Power List, a position he will hold for two more years. 9/9/98 Lucas announces the first chapter of his new trilogy will be called Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. 11/17/98 Meet Joe Black, The Siege, and The Waterboy get a boost at theaters as the trailer for Phantom Menace premieres. 4/7/99 Six weeks before Phantom Menace opens, lines begin to form for tickets. 4/30/99 Lucasfilm sponsors the first Star Wars Celebration, drawing more than 30,000 fans to a convention in Denver. 5/3/99 On the first day of Phantom Menace toy sales, Toys "R" Us sells 1.25 million units of Phantom product nationally, including 50,000 Lego sets alone. 5/19/99 Phantom Menace (starring Ewan McGregor, above left, and Liam Neeson) makes $28.5 million in its first day in theaters and reaches the $100 million mark in a record five days. 6/18/99 Phantom Menace becomes the first major full-length feature to screen digitally. 5/12/00 Lucas announces Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. 6/26/00 Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones begins production. 8/5/00 Sir Alec Guinness dies of liver cancer. 5/12/02 Director Kevin Smith hosts the Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards on the Sci-Fi Channel. 5/16/02 Attack of the Clones premieres and goes on to make $80 million in its first weekend. In November, Clones opens on 58 IMAX screens across North America. 6/30/03 Lucas begins shooting Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. 9/21/04 Star Wars Trilogy released on DVD; includes special documentary ''Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy.'' 3/17/05 At ShoWest in Las Vegas, Lucas announces plans to re-release all six Star Wars films in 3-D, starting in 2007. 4/23/05 Appearing at Celebration III, a fan gathering in Indianapolis, Lucas announces plans for a Star Wars live-action TV series, with filming expected to begin in the middle of 2006. 5/12/05 George Lucas appears as himself on the Fox series The O.C. 5/19/05 The final chapter opens in theaters.