We all should’ve assumed this would happen someday, but if there’s anything more indicative of how the public perception of what is worthy of the Star Wars name has changed, it’s this: Disney+ is bringing back the Star Wars Holiday Special, the much-derided 1978 TV event that featured Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher (plus Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship!) joining Chewbacca for a trip to his home planet’s “Life Day” celebration. The special has been officially buried and ignored by Lucasfilm for decades, though that hasn’t stopped various Star Wars stories from making winking references to it every once in a while, and now it looks like the Star Wars people are finally ready to formally acknowledge the series’ most infamous misstep—well… no, The Holiday Special is worse than that one movie, right?
Anyway, rather than an HD rerelease of the original Holiday Special, which would be cool, Disney is actually working with Lego to create some kind of modern remake that involves a Lego version of the new Star Wars cast—Rey, Rose, Finn, and Poe—heading to Kashyyyk for Chewie’s Life Day celebrations. Disney hasn’t said if the original cast is returning to voice their Lego counterparts, but Variety does say “a few” Star Wars actors will appear (which we’re going to assume means Anthony Daniels at least). A press release adds that this will take place immediately after The Rise Of Skywalker, with Rey going to a Jedi Temple to learn more about the Force and getting swept up in some kind of time travel adventure that teaches her about “the true meaning of holiday spirit,” which somehow makes the idea Bea Arthur showing up as a Mos Eisley bartender actually seem more appealing than it did before. Is it possible they could awkwardly bring her back with old footage like they did with Carrie Fisher? Everyone’s already a Lego, it can’t be too hard.
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special will be released on Disney+ on November 17 of this year, the 42nd anniversary of when the original aired on CBS.