The droid factories of Geonosis, also known as the Geonosis droid foundries, were expansive underground manufacturing facilities dedicated to droid production, situated on the planet of Geonosis. These facilities specialized in the creation of droids.
Geonosis presented several advantages as a location for droid foundries. The Geonosians, a technologically advanced but sovereign species, resided there and could oversee and assist with droid construction. Its harsh and isolated terrain offered natural protection from outsiders, and the vast subterranean cave systems provided excellent concealment from unwanted eyes. Furthermore, Geonosis's mineral-rich ring system supplied the factories with an abundance of raw metals and alloys, a critical resource for production on the planet.
Similar to other production sites operated by Baktoid Armor Workshop, the Geonosis foundries were heavily automated. They required minimal sentient supervision and a consistent supply of raw materials. Despite being considered slow and outdated by galactic standards, each facility contained hundreds of conveyor belts and robotic assembly arms, capable of producing thousands of droids daily from basic components. Due to the foundries' secluded location and low profile, safety standards were lax, and expendable Geonosian drones were housed in storage compartments adjacent to the factory floors.
Among the primary droid models manufactured at the Geonosis foundries were B1-Series battle droids, B2 super battle droids, and formidable droidekas. Beyond droids, these factories also produced vehicles, weaponry, and various military components.
Baktoid Armor Workshop, a member of the Techno Union, constructed these foundries in response to increasing restrictions imposed by the Republic on their industry. This occurred many years before the Separatist Crisis. In an attempt to bypass these emerging regulations, BAW initiated investments in manufacturing plants located outside the Republic's direct control, specifically in the Outer Rim Territories on planets like Hypori, Olanet, and Zaadja.
The Republic fostered the development of local industries as a component of an idealistic campaign to promote galactic unity and disseminate technology across the galaxy's distant regions. This political initiative eventually waned, leading to the abandonment of the factories. Sometime before the Clone Wars began, the factories were reactivated to supply the Trade Federation with droids, and the Federation regarded them as their preferred weapons manufacturers.
During their mission to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi in 22 BBY, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 inadvertently entered one of the Geonosian droid assembly facilities. Despite their valiant efforts, Anakin and Padmé were captured and sentenced to execution in the Petranaki arena. During the subsequent First Battle of Geonosis, the clone commando unit Delta Squad was tasked with destroying a foundry and eliminating Sun Fac, Poggle the Lesser's primary lieutenant, a mission they successfully completed. Following the Republic's triumph on Geonosis, a clone trooper garrison was stationed to secure the planet.
Despite the Republic victory, Poggle later established additional factories on Geonosis, funded by the Trade Federation. Upon discovering this, the Jedi launched a successful planet-wide invasion to destroy the factories, capture Poggle, and reclaim the planet.
Following the massacre of the Separatist Council, Baktoid reduced its operations and relocated to the Outer Rim, reopening its Geonosis factory, which had remained operational until the Confederacy's end.
The inclusion of the droid factory occurred late in the production phase. It was conceived and integrated into the storyline after principal photography had concluded. The original script had Anakin and Padmé infiltrating the Geonosian spire and encountering Count Dooku directly. In that version, R2-D2 and C-3PO remained on the Naboo starship. The addition of the droid factory not only introduced a new action sequence but also provided a visual representation of the growing droid army's scale. Elements featuring Anakin, Padmé, and the droids were filmed during additional photography in 2001, primarily against bluescreens with minimal set construction. The Animatics Department populated the bluescreen areas with detailed temporary renderings of the droid factory, previsualizing the environment that Industrial Light & Magic would eventually create.
Ben Snow, one of the film's Visual Effects Supervisors, acquired reference footage from a Northern California automobile factory and foundry to establish visual foundations for the automated machinery's movements and the intense heat and steam effects that his team would replicate.
While much of the environment was computer-generated, specific machines and the surrounding walls of the droid factory were constructed as meticulously detailed and dramatically illuminated miniatures.