

Nichols of Santa Clarita, California in the September 7, 2001, edition of The Washington Post. Rumor initially attributed The Phantom Edit to Kevin Smith, who admitted to having seen the re-edit but denied that he was the editor. , NPR, PBS, and the BBC all covered the edit to various degrees.

The Phantom Edit was originally circulated in Hollywood studios in 20, and was followed by media attention.

The Phantom Edit was the first unauthorized re-edit of The Phantom Menace to receive major publicity and acclaim and is also considered the first fan-edit of a feature film ever to be shared by an online audience. Nichols, was to make a much stronger version of The Phantom Menace based on the previous execution and philosophies of film storytelling and editing of George Lucas. The purpose of the edit, according to creator Mike J. Star Wars Episode I.I: The Phantom Edit is a fan edit of the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, removing many elements of the original film.
