George of the Australian Star Wars Prequels tips us to a super article that just came online about casting roles and crew in SW2. Great info here, and be sure to read the full article at the News.Com.Au website:

May the Star Wars roles be with us
By film writer LYNDEN BARBER
8nov99

DUST off your old Darth Vader helmets - the Star Wars casting director is scheduled to fly into Australia to scout for local acting talent in February or March.

Producer of the Star Wars series Rick McCallum said in Sydney that most of the speaking and non-speaking parts were likely to go to Australians when the next two films in the space series go into production at Sydney's Fox Studios next year. The only exceptions are stars such as Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, who appeared in this year's Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.

Be sure to visit their site for the rest of the article, including a mention of the crew being 98% Australian if possible, and why Australia was chosen for the studio. Also how McCallum and Lucas aim to help train Australians in the new skills, which these technicians will then be able to apply to smaller-budgeted Australian film and television projects. There's also talk of Mission: Impossible 2 and the friction on the Australian set there. Great stuff!