Lucasfilm is set to revisit one of the deepest, darkest corners of the entire Star Wars saga this November as it pays tribute to the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special with a brand new animated LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+.
The original Holiday Special aired but one single time in 1978, and was so bad that it remains under lock and key in the Lucasfilm vault, with creator George Lucas having expressed particular dislike for the musical variety special, stating that: “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.”
However, with Disney now in control of the franchise, the Mouse House is dusting off Life Day for the new animated special, and executive producer James Waugh has been revealed how it will incorporate elements of the original:
“This is not like a LEGO Star Wars remake of the Holiday Special in any way … but what it does is lean into the conceits that were created in that holiday special,” says Waugh. “We have Life Day as a fictional thread because of the Holiday Special. You’ve seen that [referenced] in The Mandalorian, we’ve used it in publishing and fans have embraced it – last year fans celebrated Life Day at Galaxy’s Edge in the park. So it’s really those elements and going to Kashyyyk for family celebrations with the Wookies, but we’re not doing Lego Bea Arthur singing in a cantina.”
SEE ALSO: The Star Wars Holiday Special continues to be a baffling, fascinating cultural relic
The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special will bring together characters from the Prequel, Original and Sequel Trilogy eras, and features voice work from Star Wars alum Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) along with Star Wars: The Clone Wars veterans Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), Tom Kane (Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Troopers).
