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Monday, May 2, 2016

May the Fourth Week: NSYNC in Episode II?


When George Lucas brought his beloved Star Wars franchise out of retirement, each film was highly anticipated. Everyone eagerly awaited each film and rumors flew around at a fast pace.


 

In the late 90's and early 2000's, one of the biggest boy bands around was NSYNC. Even George Lucas' children were not immune from their charms. They reportedly begged their father to include the band in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

 

So was this the truth or was it an insane rumor? At the time, none of those involved were willing to confirm or deny. Saturday Night Live featured a speculative sketch, mocking the very idea of the band being in the film. When the final film was released, NSYNC wasn't in it. Case closed, right?

 

Not exactly. As it turned out, a few members of the boy band did film scenes for the film. A combination of fan fury plus Screen Actors Guild rules tanked NSYNC's dreams of being in the film. The band had signed waivers, agreeing to be in the film for free. As members of SAG, they couldn't work on a film for free. This, combined with the fury of Star Wars fans made up George Lucas' mind. The band members were cut from the film. However, they may have actually ended up in the background of this scene: