If you pause the movie “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” at the right moment, you will see a small Easter egg that refers to the directing career of George Lucas.
In the Star Wars films, you can find numerous hidden Easter eggs that reference other works in the film and television landscape. Well hidden, you might not notice them at first.
One of the clever Easter eggs can be found in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace at 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds.
Here’s a trailer for the Star Wars film from 1999:
A number with great significance for George Lucas
If you pause here, you will see Jar Jar Binks standing in front of a B1 battle droid, whose back is turned to the viewer.
On the robot’s casing, the number 1138 is visible. This is a reference to George Lucas’s directorial debut.
You can see the Easter egg for yourself. Jump to 4:40 to see the number clearly:
THX 1138 is the title of a science fiction film from 1971, set in a future where human emotions are suppressed through medication and people live under strict control. George Lucas was the co-writer and director of this film.
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You can also find the number 1138 several times in the Star Wars universe, and the reference to the directorial debut has now established itself as a kind of running gag in the franchise.
For instance, the number also appears in Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi. Here, Chewbacca takes over an AT-ST with the designation 1138.
In an episode of The Clone Wars, the reference to the 1971 film is also incorporated. In the episode “Clone Cadets,” the officer candidates have to conduct an exercise of the THX Variable 1138 version.
Here you can find another movie where you can see an insult at the right moment: If you pause a Disney movie at the right spot, you’ll discover a hidden message
