In May 1999 George Lucas appeared on British light entertainment morning show The Big Breakfast. When interviewer Johnny Vaughn asked him to discuss the story of The Phantom Menace, the following exchange occurred.
Vaughn: So what is the writing at the start of this one, what’s it going to tell our viewer?
Lucas: Well, most people find it confusing, but basically what it says is that there’s a planet, the bad guys have surrounded it—
V: Planet, bad guys round it.
L: Yeah. Surrounded.
V: Why?
L: They can’t get—Well, we don’t know why, it’s making no sense.
V: It’s a hundred fifty million dollar movie, what do you want to know?
L: They’re bad guys, what are you going to say?
V: That’s all you need to know.
L: They’re bad guys.