The notorious Wookie-centric holiday special is the subject of a new documentary featuring an interview with one of the writers.
It’s the much talked about Christmas special that you’re not allowed to talk about. It’s fascinating to think that the movie Star Wars was the film’s most important release. The immediate follow-up was a dud. I’m not referring to The Empire Strikes back. To capitalize on the success in 1978 of The Empire Strikes Back by George Lucas, director of films like THX 113810 and American Graffiti
101010, there was a TV Christmas special which brought together all the stars from the movie. This special was the first major mistake in the franchise’s history. George Lucas won’t even talk about it. The Hollywood Reporter has details about a new documentary that takes you behind the scenes of the hated TV program. It also includes a trailer. A Disturbance In The Force is a new documentary by Jeremy Coon, Steve Kozak, and aims to uncover the truth behind this abomination that was allowed to air. Coon was responsible for Raiders, a documentary. : The Story Of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made. Kozak has a long resume that includes TV credits such as Whose Line Is it Anyway? or The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
. The documentary will include a number of interviews featuring Seth Green, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Paul Scheer, Taran Killam, Donny Osmond, the late Gilbert Gottfried, Bonnie Burton, Steve Binder, and Bruce Vilanch, co-writer of the Star Wars HolidaySpecial
.
The infamous holiday special features the cast in only short appearances as Han and Chewbacca are currently being pursued by the Empire during the Life Day holiday, which Chewie wants to get back home for. The special featured Chewie and his family of Wookies on Earth. It also features dialogue with Wookie howls without subtitles. The special was never played again and was only available through bootlegs for many years. Lucas would famously say, “If I had the time and the sledgehammer, i would track down every bootlegged version of the program and smash them.”
The doc will premiere at the SXSW festival March 11, and will be looking to distribute.
