Unless you’re a die-hard Star Wars fan, or a child who was very badly scarred in the late 70s after catching it on TV, you probably never heard of the infamous “Star Wars Holiday Special” that was so bad everyone involved hates talking about with a white-hot vengeance. Well, good news, kind of: Disney+ is bringing it back, but this time with a Lego twist and four decades worth of Star Wars content to pull from. Although, sadly, no Bea Arthur. (RIP.)
Airing November 17, “The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special” will focus on Rey, Finn, Rose, Poe, and Chewie in an all-new holiday-themed adventure set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Via Variety:
The 45-minute special will follow Rey as her further investigation of the Force launches her and BB-8 across the history of the Skywalker Saga — as Finn, Poe, Rose, and Chewbacca prepare for the “Star Wars” holiday Life Day on Chewie’s home planet of Kashyyyk.
A rep for Lucasfilm tells Variety that a few “Star Wars” actors will reprise their roles for the special, but it’s still unclear whether Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, or Kelly Marie Tran are returning.
Here’s where things get really nerdy. “Life Day” is the event being celebrated in the original “Star Wars Holiday Special” that only aired once on CBS and was so terrible that George Lucas has done almost everything in his power to keep it from ever seeing the light of day again. Time hasn’t healed that wound. Shortly after selling Star Wars to Disney, Lucas was asked about the infamous special, and well, this is what he said, according to Salon: “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.”
However, on an interesting note, the holiday special marked the first appearance of Boba Fett, who showed up in an animated short before making his live-action debut in The Empire Strikes Back. During the short, Boba Fett uses a two-pronged rifle, which became a direct inspiration for The Mandalorian. In an episode of the behind-the-scenes series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, Lucas actually visited the set during production on the first season, and showrunner Jon Favreau jokingly asked him if he recognized the rifle. Lucas’ response? He rolled his eyes.
The hate is still strong with this one.
(Via Variety)