<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $115 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $1.027 billion </Td> </Tr> <P> Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera adventure film film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox . It is the first installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz . The film is set 32 years before the original film, and follows Jedi Knight Qui - Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi - Wan Kenobi as they protect Queen Amidala, in hopes of securing a peaceful end to a large - scale interplanetary trade dispute . Joined by Anakin Skywalker--a young slave with unusually strong natural powers of the Force--they simultaneously contend with the mysterious return of the Sith . </P> <P> Lucas began production of this film after he determined that film special effects had advanced to the level he wanted for the fourth film in the saga . Filming started on June 26, 1997, at locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert . Its visual effects included extensive use of computer - generated imagery (CGI); many of its characters and settings were completely computerized . The film was Lucas's first directorial effort after a 22 - year hiatus following Star Wars in 1977 . </P>

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