In 1978, CBS broadcast the Star Wars Holiday Speciala two-hour spin-off 18 months after the success of A new hope. The special was never re-aired. A new documentary A disturbance in the forcetry to figure out what went wrong with the most reviled Star Wars adventure in franchise history.
In the first trailer for the documentary before its premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW), A disturbance in the force takes viewers back in time to search for answers about how and why the special was made. The special featured the Star Wars’ main cast, including Harrison Ford (Contraction) as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher (The Empire Strikes Back), and Mark Hamill (return of the jedi) as Luke Skywalker. The plot involved Han Solo and Chewbacca (The awakening of the force Peter Mayhew) traveling to Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld, to celebrate “Living Day.”
Star Wars Holiday Special aired during Thanksgiving week on November 17, 1978. 13 million people tuned in to the special that “Weird Al” Yankovic (Strange) calls the “Holy Grail”. The bizarre special was destroyed and ridiculed by critics and fans. Even George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars who had minimal participation in the development of the special, did not enjoy the Star Wars Holiday Special.
The documentary is directed by Jeremy Coon (dynamite napoleon) and Steve Kozak (Whose line is this anyway?). The documentary features interviews with celebrity fans and two of the special’s writers, Bruce Vilanch (hollywood squares) and Steve Binder (Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special).
A disturbance in the force premieres at SXSW on March 11.
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