One of the most infamous relics from the galaxy far, far away, is the Star Wars Holiday Special given how highly it was criticized by many fans. Now a new documentary, A Disturbance in the Force examining “how and why did the Holiday Special got made,” will soon premiere at the upcoming SXSW, Comicbook reports.
The spin-off, directed by Steve Binder, was set between the events of the original film and the then-unreleased sequel The Empire Strikes Back and memorably introduced audiences to Boba Fett. However, given its extremely negative reception, Lucasfilm neither rebroadcast nor ever officially released it on home video. While it was only available through bootleg VHS tapes until now, the internet has helped fans discover the special, with the official franchise even incorporating elements from it into the official Star Wars canon.
Following the events of the original film, Star Wars Holiday Special sees Chewbacca and Han Solo visiting the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk to celebrate "Life Day," a celebration akin to Christmas. However, they are pursued by agents of the Galactic Empire, who are searching for members of the Rebel Alliance on the planet. Along with Boba Fett, the special also introduces three members of Chewbacca's family: his father Itchy, his wife Malla, and his son Lumpy.
While the feature was viewed by 13 million people upon its premiere on CBS, it was widely panned by critics and fans alike. Given it was never aired again many fans didn’t know about it but the internet does keep things alive! The Holiday Special featured original cast including, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader, Bea Arthur as Ackmena, Art Carney as Trader Saun Dann and many more.
A Disturbance in the Force is directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak. In the upcoming documentary, various talents will discuss various aspects of the making of the spin-off and the cultural phenomenon it has become. Various talents featured in the documentary include Seth Green, Weird Al Yankovic, Taran Killam, Gilbert Gottfried, Bonnie Burton, Paul Scheer, Bruce Vilanch, Lenny Ripps, Donny Osmond, and Miki Herman. Coon and Kozak also serve as producers, alongside Adam F. Goldberg and Kyle Newman.
Currently, A Disturbance in the Galaxy has no premiere date, but you can check out the synopsis below, as well as a look at the Holiday Special itself:
"In 1977, Star Wars became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. Movies would never be the same again. A year later, neither would television. In 1978, CBS aired the two-hour Star Wars Holiday Special during the week of Thanksgiving and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired. While some fans of the franchise are aware of this dark secret, this bizarre two hours of television still remains relatively unknown among the general public. Simply put, we will answer how and why did the Holiday Special get made."