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Leslye Headland's "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte" ran on Disney+ from June 4 to July 16, 2024, coming to an end after only eight episodes. The series, set a century before the events of "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," told the story of Mae and Osha (both played by Amandla Stenberg), identical twins who were raised by a coven of Force witches on a distant plant, far away from the shenanigans of the Jedi. At this point in "Star Wars" history, the Jedi were a powerful police force throughout the galaxy, and hence, prone to mistakes and coverups. When several Jedi visit Mae and Osha's home, there is a series of misunderstandings that lead to the deaths of all the witches. The Jedi cover it up and go on their merry way. 

Osha, not having witnessed the carnage, is taken to be trained among the Jedi, while Mae is left behind,...

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were announced this past weekend. Disney+ original Ahsoka was up for five of the categories ranging from Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-hour) and Animation to Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling. It is no surprise to fans of the series that the award the creative team took home was for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of #Ahsoka on their Creative Arts Emmy® Awards win for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes! #Emmys pic.twitter.com/gLZhRwhg7H

— Ahsoka (@ahsokaofficial) September 9, 2024

The head of the team that won this prize was Shawna Trpcic, sharing the distinction with Elissa Alcala. Trpcic, a California native, studied fashion at the Otis College of Art and Design. She studied with Bob Mackie, the Oscar-nominated costume designer behind The Star Wars Holiday Special. After beginning her career in films in 1990 as an illustrator,...

Hollywood is mourning a legendary actor. On Monday, following the death of James Earl Jones, dozens of celebrities shared tributes to the actor who voiced Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader in Star Wars. Jones died at his home in New York at the age of 93.

In a statement, George Lucas remembered Jones as “an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit.” The Star Wars creator and director added, “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all...

James Earl Jones, the renowned actor of stage and screen who lent his booming, inimitable voice to Darth Vader and The Lion King, died Monday morning at the age of 93.

Jones died at his home in Duchess County, New York, with his family surrounding him, the actor’s representatives at Independent Artist Group confirmed to Rolling Stone. No cause of death was given.

In the decades before venturing off to “a galaxy far, far away,” Jones was a Tony-winning Broadway star, first winning Best Actor in 1970 for his role of...

Amandla Stenberg said that “The Acolyte” being canceled after one season was “not a huge shock.” In a series of videos posted to her Instagram account Wednesday, the lead of the Star Wars series further denounced the racist and homophobic hate being spewed at her show.

“There has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it,” the Black queer actress said. “That’s when we started experiencing a rampage of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language towards us.”

In an interview ahead of the prequel series’ release, Stenberg and showrunner Leslye Headland joked about “The Acolyte” being named the “gayest Star Wars” by fans. Hedland told TheWrap she was “into it.”

Some fans online were not.

Despite positive reviews from critics, the Disney...

The apparent cancellation of the recent Star Wars spin-off series The Acolyte has the media in a frenzy. Despite being propped up by multiple outlets, the series was turning heads as soon as it was announced.

The series went on to become one of the lowest-viewed Star Wars shows on Disney+ and currently holds the record for the lowest-rated piece of Star Wars television on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 18% audience score below shows like The Ewoks or even the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. This has led to accusations of review bombing.

While not confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm themselves, a report via Deadline stated that Disney would not renew the show after the first season even though multiple more seasons were said to be planned out.

The viewership was not big enough to justify a continuation, much like the short lived Willow series nearly two years ago.

More evidence of this has appeared,...

Set a century before The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte follows a Jedi master (Squid Games star Lee Jung-jae) and his former apprentice (Amandla Stenberg) as they hunt for a killer who’s dispatching Jedi. The new series holds a distinction that no other live action Star Wars saga can claim—not the half dozen Disney Plus shows or the eleven feature films, not the Star Wars Holiday Special, not even that Ewok movie with Wilfred Brimley. The Acolyte is the first live action story set in the heretofore unseen High Republic era that served as the zenith of Jedi influence and power. […]

The post “Playing in the Best Sandbox Ever”: Dp Chris Teague on The Acolyte first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Set a century before The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte follows a Jedi master (Squid Games star Lee Jung-jae) and his former apprentice (Amandla Stenberg) as they hunt for a killer who’s dispatching Jedi. The new series holds a distinction that no other live action Star Wars saga can claim—not the half dozen Disney Plus shows or the eleven feature films, not the Star Wars Holiday Special, not even that Ewok movie with Wilfred Brimley. The Acolyte is the first live action story set in the heretofore unseen High Republic era that served as the zenith of Jedi influence and power. […]

The post “Playing in the Best Sandbox Ever”: Dp Chris Teague on The Acolyte first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Robin Williams was known to be one of the greatest comedic talents ever. Despite his unfortunate demise in 2014, the late star is still loved and respected by his fans and colleagues. Over the years, many stars have stated how Williams was one of the most incredible companies to work with. Anthony Daniels, popular for his work as C-3Po in Star Wars, noted that meeting with the late actor was one of his most memorable experiences.

Robin Williams in a still from Dead Poets Society | Touchstone Pictures

Although Anthony Daniels never got his golden opportunity to share the screen with Robin Williams, he met the actor during a public event. The C-3Po actor suggested that he can never forget his meeting with the late star. Similar to other stars, Daniels was also enamored by Williams’ entertaining and friendly attitude.

How did Star Wars‘ Anthony Daniels describe his encounter with Robin Williams?...

The history of the biggest franchise in the world, created by George Lucas in 1977, lasts almost 50 years and has gained a colossal fan base.

Of course, where several generations of geeks carefully preserve their love for the great space opera, there is always room for discontent.

1. The Star Wars Holiday Special

In 1978, riding the wave of the unexpected success of A New Hope, CBS aired The Star Wars Holiday Special. The plot follows Han Solo and Chewbacca as they fly to the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk, where his family is waiting for him to celebrate Life Day.

The main plot is constantly interrupted by comic interludes: a wild cooking show and commercials for non-existent gadgets. The show featured all the main characters from the original movie: Princess Leia sings to the Star Wars theme song, and Luke Skywalker stares into the camera for several minutes without blinking.

To say...

It seems The Acolyte has perhaps not been as critically acclaimed as we might have expected. We never expected this recent Star Wars TV series to set a record-breaking course through space, albeit for reasons as impromptu as a plot twist in a galaxy far, far away. After beaming less than half of its first season into our living rooms, The Acolyte has achieved the dubious honor of becoming the worst-rated Star Wars television series, descending to a 14% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still from The Acolyte | Disney+

This descent has unfortunately eclipsed the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special, which infamously hovered at a 20% audience score. In the midst of everything, The Acolyte writer gently points the finger at Dave Filoni, the Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm.

The Acolyte Surpassed the Star Wars Holiday Special in Fan Disapproval

The Star Wars franchise has seen its fair share of highs & lows over the years,...

In what’s likely an industry first, a TV show’s star has written and released a song and music video — complete with dance moves — in response to racist backlash against the show.

Disney+’s The Acolyte actress Amandla Stenberg posted the track on Instagram on Wednesday and captioned the post: “Happy Juneteenth...

While there are those who believe The Acolyte is being "review-bombed," the huge surge of negative verdicts means it now has an Audience Score (14%) on Rotten Tomatoes which is worse than even the hilariously bad Star Wars Holiday Special. 

Seeing as the show has an 84% score from critics, there's clearly a stark contrast between how critics and fans have responded to the series. However, newly revealed viewership data from Variety (via SFFGazette.com) may paint a very different picture when it comes to whether The Acolyte can be considered a success.

In a Top 10 list which measures the minutes watched by every streaming original TV show between June 7 - June 13, Netflix dominates with 9 titles. 

The likely reason for that is the streamer's tendency to release entire seasons at a time; however, even with only two episodes of The Acolyte available on Disney+, it still managed to reach the #6 spot. 

It...

Fearing that the general moviegoer might forget about Star Wars, the studio execs wanted George Lucas to bridge the gap between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back with another project. This resulted in the creation of the infamous 2-hour-long Star Wars Holiday Special that George Lucas has been ignoring since its inception back in 1978, which also saw the original cast returning.

But despite airing just once and never being released on home video, the bootleg versions created by people have immortalized its existence. Although it held the record for the lowest audience score for a Star Wars project on the Tomatometer, it has finally been broken.

The Acolyte Registers Even a Lower Score than George Lucas’ Biggest Nightmare

Star Wars Holiday Special | CBS

To say that The Acolyte hasn’t sat well with Star Wars fans would be an understatement, as opposed to the Holiday Special‘s 21% audience score,...

Star Wars The Acolyte Smashes Record At Disney+ ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Star Wars The Acolyte might have failed to impress the audience, but they are still tuning in to the show, which dropped on Disney on June 4. The latest Star Wars show, The Acolyte, failed to win over the audience but has managed to score a win by setting a record for Disney as the biggest launch of the year in the streaming service.

While Star Wars The Acolyte is the top show on Disney in 2024, audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes screamed otherwise. While many critics praised the three episodes that dropped after its premier, fans have rebelled against the show, giving it a 16% Rotten Tomatoes rating; it is below Star Wars Holiday Special, considered the worst piece of Star Wars media for decades.

Meanwhile, the critics were more generous, scoring it at 84%.

Trending Kristen Stewart Comedy Movie Arrives With...

Actor John Boyega starred in three of the extant 16 "Star Wars" movies*, playing the rogue-Stormtrooper-turned-good guy Finn in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015), "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (2017), and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (2019). Boyega liked playing Finn, but has gone on record (notably in a 2020 GQ interview) about his disappointment with how the series treated his character; Finn was set up to be a leading man, and was sidelined for what appeared to be racism-based reasons. Boyega was also off-put by Disney's habit of micromanaging "Star Wars," feeling that every one of the franchise's actors ran the risk of being roped into "Star Wars" projects exclusively. "You ain't going to Disney+ me," he once laughingly said to Variety. 

There hasn't been a "Star Wars" movie since 2019, as Disney+ kind of killed their Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. The theatrical market was oversaturated, audiences didn't respond terribly well...

If the Star Wars franchise is considered one of the greatest film series of all time in Hollywood, the credit goes to its creative mastermind, George Lucas. The visionary director pioneered a sci-fi revolution with the epic space saga that spanned multiple decades to become a cult classic that will continue to remain evergreen for years to come.

Hollywood director George Lucas (image credit: Joey Gannon/Wikimedia Commons)

While Lucas enjoys an almost God-like status in the industry, the director has not escaped some serious criticisms against him, including being called racist for allegedly giving white people more importance in his casting choices for the Star Wars films. But hardcore fans have firmly stood by him by pointing out that this accusation has no basis at all.

George Lucas Fans Summarily Debunk Racist Theories Against Him

With the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas created a new cinematic revolution in Hollywood...

Prior to his work on "Star Wars" in 1977, actor and bodybuilder David Prowse had made a career playing goons, creatures, and bodyguards in high-profile movies. Prowse played Frankenstien's monster in the Hammer film "The Horror of Frankenstein," a role he had already played briefly in the 1967 version of "Casino Royale." He played a comedic torturer in "Carry On, Henry," the 21st "Carry On" movie. Most visibly, Prowse played the muscular bodyguard for the injured old Frank (Patrick Magee) in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." He was the one who got to cradle Malcolm McDowell like a baby. This was easy for Prowse, who stood six-foot-six. 

The actor also played Darth Vader "Star Wars," "The Star Wars Holiday Special," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi" ... but only in the scenes wherein Darth Vader wore a mask. In "Jedi," when Vader finally revealed his face, Prowse was replaced by actor Sebastian Shaw.

If the Star Wars franchise is considered one of the greatest film series of all time in Hollywood, the credit goes to its creative mastermind, George Lucas. The visionary director pioneered a sci-fi revolution with the epic space saga that spanned multiple decades to become a cult classic that will continue to remain evergreen for years to come.

Hollywood filmmaker George Lucas (image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

After directing the cult prequel trilogy between 2002 and 2005, the filmmaker sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. In an interview in 2002, he spoke about all things Star Wars, including his inspiring journey of how the films, which were very ahead of their time, were conceived and created. In the process, Lucas also debunked myths about certain characters in the film.

George Lucas Clarified A Long-Standing Myth About Jedi Knights Years Ago

The Star Wars prequel trilogy is considered one of the most iconic films in George Lucas’ repertoire.

Anthony Daniels has been stirringly loyal to the "Star Wars" media empire ever since its inception in 1977. Daniels played the prissy, cowardly droid C-3Po, an automaton built to aid in translation and matters of diplomacy. Curiously, he was programmed to flee from danger, and frequently comments on how his carbon-based compatriots are reckless and foolhardy. He may have a point, as C-3Po is dismembered and reassembled several times throughout "Star Wars" history.

Daniels has appeared inside the droid costume, or at least provided the voice for C-3Po in 14 feature films, not all of them "Star Wars" related. He played the part in "The Lego Movie," for instance. He also voice the popular droid in "The Star Wars Holiday Special," appeared on both "The Muppet Show" and "Sesame Street," starred in the animated series "Droids," and acted in over a dozen "Star Wars" and "Lego Star Wars" video games.

Tribeca is getting into the film distribution game — again. The organization, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, is launching a film distribution label called Tribeca Films that aims to acquire and distribute independent films from across the festival circuit.

Tribeca Enterprises announced today that it is partnering with digital distribution company Giant Pictures on the label and will launch ahead of the Tribeca Film Festival this June. The label intends to acquire 25 titles per year from festivals like Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Cannes, TIFF, and (of course) Tribeca.

It will kick off with six new films to be announced this spring, and the label is targeting feature-length narrative, documentary, and animated films with digital rights available for U.S. audiences.

This isn’t the first time Tribeca has gone down the road of digital film distribution. Tribeca has been investing in Tvod since 2010 and again in 2014 with...

Boba Fett is, inarguably, one of the most beloved characters in "Star Wars" history. That's no small thing, given that the franchise also includes half a dozen (or more) pop culture icons. Perplexingly, the fan-favorite bounty hunter had very little screen time in the original trilogy and didn't have a solo project until "The Book of Boba Fett" arrived in 2022. For years, it was one of the finest examples of "less is more" ever committed to film. The man under the helmet was Jeremy Bulloch, and the actor will forever be tied to that role. And, as it just so happens, Bulloch kind of just lucked his way into the role.

Bulloch did a Reddit Ama back in 2014. At one point, a fan asked the actor how the role of Boba Fett was pitched to him. Indeed, the actor appeared as Fett in "The Empire Strikes Back," but it's not...

Austin-based indie directors David and Nathan Zellner have spent more time thinking about Sasquatch than most filmmakers do musing about human beings. In 2011, they brought “Sasquatch Birth Journal 2” to the Sundance Film Festival, a four-minute faux nature documentary in which a hirsute creature can be seen giving birth to an equally furry infant. Thirteen years later, the siblings return with “Sasquatch Sunset,” a one-joke feature that leaves the amateur videographer gimmick behind, committing itself to tracking a year in the lives of a Sasquatch family of four — let’s call them Big Foot, Mama Foot, Tender Foot and Buster (the runt of the litter).

In case you were wondering, the joke is that the film exists at all … because who would finance, much less star in, an 88-minute portrait of these apocryphal brutes? The late-arriving punchline comes with the end credits, when the names Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg appear...

Over the course of "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi," the masked character of Boba Fett only has four lines of dialogue and six and a half minutes of screentime. Add in "The Star Wars Holiday Special," and the character suddenly had 20 additional lines. Either way, he was not a major player in "Star Wars," and ultimately fell into the mouth of a Shai Hulud on Arrakis a Sarlacc on Tattooine. It wasn't until the decade-and-a-half following the release of 1983's "Jedi" that Boba Fett would come to be admired by Starwoids who watched the "Star Wars" movies dozens of times each. In the "Star Wars" prequel films released from 1999 to 2005, Boba Fett was given a mythic backstory, and in 2021, he became the star of his own TV series.

But for many years, outside of the old Expanded Universe, he was merely the "four lines...

While Luke the mighty Jedi, Han the rogueish smuggler, and Leia the badass princess get all the attention, Chewbacca has long been the unsung hero of the "Star Wars" universe. Easily mistaken for a furry mascot, Chewbacca is the best friend you can ask for, the best co-pilot, and also one of the strongest fighters in the franchise.

Unfortunately, most of Chewbacca's lore has been told outside of the movies, like the best-forgotten "Star Wars Holiday Special" introducing Chewbacca's family and their holiday traditions, or the Expanded Universe books introducing the idea of Chewie owing Han a life debt. This means that a lot of people know rather little about him or the Wookiees.

Like so many elements of the galaxy far, far away, Chewbacca's life and general Wookiee culture only come into the picture and become important if and when a particular author decides it is important. That's the...

The first "Pigs in Space" segment of "The Muppet Show" occurred in the third episode of the show's second season, the one hosted by Milton Berle. "Pigs in Space" sought to lampoon all of the most popular sci-fi tropes of the day, most notably "Star Trek," which was exploding in popularity at the time thanks to endless syndication deals. The segments took place on board a pig-shaped vessel called the Swinetrek, which was commanded by the handsome Captain Link Hogthrob (Jim Henson). Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) played First Mate Piggy, and the ship's chief medical officer was Dr. Strangepork (Jerry Nelson). The "Pigs in Space" segment was so popular, it appeared in 32 episodes of "The Muppet Show" through its fifth season. The segment was revived for the short-lived 1997 series "Muppets Tonight," where it was called "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine: The Next Generation of Pigs in Space."

"The Muppet Show...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

After Yang (kogonada)

I had the pleasure to speak with filmmaker kogonada about his stirring treatise on mortality, After Yang, and the moment from that conversation I return to most is him saying that “what makes art so invigorating is that you’re pursuing the ineffable.” This is a notion seeded throughout his gentle, transcendent sophomore feature. We can never truly know another person. In some ways, we will never fully know ourselves or our relationship with the world. But the search for it, the mystery, the endless pursuit—that’s the beauty of life. – Mitchell B.

Where to Stream: Prime Video

A Disturbance in the Force (Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak)

The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never,...

Chicago – A long time ago (1978) in an America far far away, the one and only showing of the “Star Wars Holiday Special” took place on CBS-tv. Infamously miscast and difficult to watch, the history of the show is chronicled in a new doc “A Disturbance in the Force,” co-directed by Jeremy Coon and Steven Kozak.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. On November 17th, 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever be broadcast on national TV. “A Disturbance in the Force” co-directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak combine celebrity insight – including Seth Green, Donny Osmond and Kevin Smith – archival/participant interviews and broadcast history perspective to understand why this show was created.

"Star Wars" fans of a certain age sat through it on television. Younger fans had to hunt for it on the Internet. It was the debut of Boba Fett, and there was an excruciatingly long Wookiee domestic scene without any dialogue but plenty of grunts and groans. Yes, friends, I'm talking about the "Star Wars Holiday Special." Carrie Fisher sings while high as a kite, Mark Hamill wears an astonishing amount of makeup, and Harrison Ford is clearly unhappy to be there. 

It's full of all sorts of weirdness, like Chewbacca's (Peter Mayhew) wife Malla watching a cooking show while her hairy paws cook food without gloves (eww), and Chewie's father Itchy watches soft porn in the form of a VR recording of a singing Diahann Carroll. His kid Lumpy watches some sort of variety show acrobats ... it's a mess. 

It wasn't just a disaster to watch. It was actually...

Los Angeles — November 17, 2023 (Life Day) — September Club and Giant Pictures bring home A Disturbance In The Force on December 5 from a galaxy far far away to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the most infamous story in the history of Star Wars. The acclaimed documentary made its debut at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and chronicles the making of the bizarre (and buried) Star Wars Holiday Special as well as a specific bygone era of 1970s event television. Discover the “hilarious secrets behind Star Wars’ iconically awful Holiday Special” (The Daily Beast) when A Disturbance In The Force arrives on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray on December 5 via Giant Pictures.

From the filmmakers behind Napoleon Dynamite and Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, comes A Disturbance In The Force, the documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry,...

Why did George Lucas allow the Star Wars Holiday Special to take place? A Disturbance in the Force does a deep dive into the 1978 special watched by millions and then locked away in a vault, never to be screened again.

“After almost 45 years of being the butt of jokes, we had to unlock all the secrets behind the Holiday Special. Its influence on pop culture has only increased over the last two decades and, also, add the fact that it is a part of the Star Wars filmography – and a hidden one at that – only adds to its mystique. Now is finally the time after all these years to get answers about how the Holiday Special happened,” explained co-directors and producers Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak.

A Disturbance in the Force features interviews with Seth Green, Weird Al Yankovic, Paul Scheer, Taran Killam, Patton Oswalt, and Donny Osmond. Plus, Gilbert Gottfried,...

It’s the holiday season. Not only is it the time of year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also Life Day! What’s Life Day, you may ask? Well, it’s the most important holiday on Chewbacca’s Wookie home planet, according to the Star Wars Holiday Special. The infamous Christmas variety hour was a particularly early misfire to capitalize on the newfound phenomena of Star Wars after its release in 1977. The special got the cast to reprise their roles for this TV presentation. However, Luke, Han, Leia and Chewie would only make brief appearances as the show was marred by a dominant Wookie storyline without subtitles or translation, plus strange variety show performances.

It’s a popular culture mystery that most fans would love to hear the story behind, and luckily, a documentary about the holiday special is on the way. A Disturbance in the Force comes from the production company,...

The feature-length documentary A Disturbance In The Force delves into the bizarre history of 1978’s ill-advised Star Wars Holiday Special. It’s out next month.

Bea Arthur out of The Golden Girls tending the Cantina bar in Mos Eisley. Stormtroopers disco dancing. Kris Kristofferson dressed up as Han Solo for some reason. Yes, 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special offers up such an array of bizarre, fever dream imagery that it has long since passed into legend.

Initially conceived as a stop-gap to tide fans over during the long wait between 1977’s Star Wars and 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, a mixture of somewhat relaxed quality control and 1970s US television conventions saw the special emerge as a glittery variety show rather than fantastical space opera. The results were so jarring that George Lucas has since attempted to scrub its existence from history (though you’ll still find rough bootleg videos...

The story behind the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special is the focus of the documentary A Disturbance in the Force, which — following its premiere at Sundance earlier this year — will head to streaming and DVD this December.

The ill-fated special, which aired Thanksgiving weekend in 1978, is now legend: Fresh off the success of Star Wars, George Lucas was talked into capitalizing on the craze in the form of a holiday-themed TV special, but what resulted was a “Life Day” celebration that hued closer to a Seventies variety show than The Mandalorian.

Star Wars fans will truly get to feel A Disturbance in the Force when a documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special — which debuted 45 years ago today, on CBS — is released.

Having premiered back in March at the SXSW Film Festival, A Disturbance in the Force will be released on digital and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Dec. 5, our sister site Variety reports. The 86-minute docu will also play in select theaters across the U.S. ahead of its digital release.

More from TVLineThe Late Ray Stevenson Was Terrific on Disney+'s Ahsoka Series - But Now His Role Should Be...

“A Disturbance in the Force,” a comical behind-the-scenes documentary about the ill-fated 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special,” will arrive from a galaxy far, far away in December.

After its premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, “A Disturbance in the Force” will be released on digital and Blu-Ray on Dec. 5. This announcement comes on Life Day, a canonically Wookie holiday in the Star Wars universe.

The movie will also play in select theaters across the U.S., U.K. and Australia ahead of its home entertainment launch. September Club produced “A Disturbance in the Force” with Giant Pictures handling digital and Blu-ray distribution. Adam F. Goldberg served as executive producer.

“A Disturbance in the Force” chronicles the making of the bizarre “Star Wars Holiday Special” that aired 45 years ago and never surfaced again. For some context: “Star Wars” was released in theaters in 1977 and became a cultural phenomenon. A year later,...

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Ah, Boba Fett. The bounty hunter with a Mandalorian helmet first appeared in "The Star Wars Holiday Special" in an animated sequence that was slightly less bats**t bizarre than the rest of that monstrosity (which I do admit to having a soft spot for). He would subsequently return in "Star Wars: Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back," working for Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) and taking the body of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), frozen in carbonite, to Jabba the Hutt. His role was very small, but that character design was just too good for him to fade into the background. Fans went a little wild over him. Eventually, Boba even got a dad and a backstory in the prequel trilogy, in addition to his very own show on Disney+, "The Book of Boba Fett," starring Temuera Morrison.

A fun piece of trivia: the "Star Wars" character Boba Fett, prior to his inclusion in "The Star Wars Holiday Special" -- which didn't air until November 17, 1978 -- made a live appearance in a parade in the San Anselmo County Fair the previous September. The parade may have been before the character had been given a name, and "Star Wars" fans were tantalized to see a new, mysterious figure walking down the street next to Darth Vader. It was the first appearance of Boba Fett.

The stoic, faceless, and largely mute character, because of his cool helmet, became a fan favorite over the years, and Boba Fett's importance has grown since 1978 to the point where he got his own TV series. Boba Fett has been played by many actors over the years. In "Empire" and in "Return of the Jedi," Jeremy Bulloch wore the suit, while Jason Wingreen played his voice.

For a character that first appeared in animation in the "Star Wars Holiday Special" and had only a few lines in "The Empire Strikes Back," Boba Fett did pretty well for himself. If you're a "Star Wars" fan, you've likely had discussions about the craziness of how a brilliant costume design ended up taking Boba Fett from a side character to a fan favorite with his own series.

Temuera Morrison, who played Boba's father Jango in the prequels, plays the role in its current form in the Disney+ series "The Book of Boba Fett" as well as "The Mandalorian," giving us more info on Boba and his backstory. This, of course, includes how the bounty hunter working for Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader managed to survive certain death after being thrown into the sarlacc pit in "Return of the Jedi."

However, back when Boba had only ridden a...

"Star Wars" lore has a history that spans over four decades. It's had its ups and its downs over the years, and the prequels released between 1999 and 2005 often end up in the latter category. They are a bit of a mess to some, though to others, they providedepth and context to the original trilogy. 

No matter what side of the prequel debate you land on, one scene is hard to watch without being moved. It's the "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" scene where Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) battles Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) on Mustafar, losing limbs, burning to a crisp, leading to the final part of his transformation into Darth Vader. 

There may be some pretty stilted acting in the prequels, but this scene always gets me, even when I'm rolling my eyes at other things. It's just heartbreaking when you know what's coming for Anakin...

In 1977, "Star Wars" created a powerful fandom. Suddenly the world was invested in a space princess who directed her own rescue, a farm boy with big dreams, and a rogue pilot who charmed his way into our hearts and bags of smuggled goods. For many people, this marked the beginning of their love of genre films, and there are very few places on the planet where the names Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia aren't recognized.

When we think about Leia Organa, the Princess/Senator/General that inspired a generation, it's almost impossible to imagine anyone but the late, great Carrie Fisher playing the role. However, that part went through auditions like any other. During a 2002 interview between Fisher and creator George Lucas on Fisher's show "Conversations from the Edge with Carrie Fisher" (via Comic Book Resources), Lucas revealed that the runner-up for her role ended up as a famous musician.

On November 17th, 1978, the Star Wars Holiday Special aired on CBS in America. The special premiered almost a year and a half after the first Star Wars film landed in cinemas and took the world by storm. It aired once in America. Just once. Then it was promptly locked away in the vaults at Lucasfilm, never to be seen again… Unless you lived in Australia where those lucky bastards got to see it every year for six years between 1979 and 1984. The story in the Holiday Special follows the events of the first film. Chewbacca and Han Solo attempt to visit the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk to celebrate "Life Day" but the Empire is hot on their tails. So we...

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The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never, “Have you seen The Star Wars Holiday Special?” It was always, “Have you heard of The Star Wars Holiday Special?”

We’re talking about a 1978 air date, after all. Someone must have owned a Vcr, since bootleg copies of the maligned variety show do exist on the Internet (George Lucas has vehemently denounced the project and even Disney has refused to release a “clean” copy beyond putting the animated segment “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee” on Disney+.) But its existence was akin to legend back then. Just knowing was enough to be cool with details being learned rather than experienced.

So it’s shocking that it’s taken until 2023 to finally receive a “definitive” look at its creation and eventual lambasting. Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s A Disturbance in the Force thus seems almost like a miracle...

It’s July, so you know what that means… Fantasia International Film Festival time! Kicking off our Summer of film festival coverage, Fantasia is Always packed with a vast variety of films, from action to horror, drama to comedy, the festival covers the gamut of genres and offers films that [I think] no other festival does. With that in mind, here are five of my “must-see” picks from this year’s line-up.

Blackout – Genre veteran Larry Fessenden goes back behind the camera for another genre film following the likes of Wendigo, The Last Winter and Beneath. This time around Fessenden brings us the tale of a painter (Alex Hurt) who, convinced he is a werewolf, creates chaos in a small town at each full moon. Suitable Flesh – Director Joe Lynch returns with his first feature after a 4-year absence to helm Suitable Flesh, which not only stars Scream Queen Barbara Crampton but comes from writer Dennis Paoli,...

Nicolas Cage will pick up this year’s Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award at Fantasia.

“He is one of the most individualistic and captivating screen presences in the last 40 years. Beyond his unique charisma, the kinds of atypical characters he’s been drawn to and what he can bring to them is so special and rare,” artistic director Mitch Davis told Variety.

“Audiences lose their minds when he goes to these energetically extreme places: ‘Vampire’s Kiss’ was my first experience with that and I was absolutely floored. But they are also transfixed by the quiet, textured qualities he brings to more somber characters. He’s a one-of-a-kind treasure in American film.”

Throughout the years, Cage has been embracing genre cinema, admitted Davis. And it has embraced him back.

“He’s someone who sincerely loves cinema and has always embraced genre storytelling. I wish he could have been in the...

The force is strong with this one…Peter Quill may be best known for his mixtapes, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have time for movies. Sure, we know the leader of the Guardians loves Footloose (and Earth’s “great hero” Kevin Bacon), but it’s probably less surprising to know he really digs Star Wars and Han Solo.

Asked by a fan whether or not Guardian’s Peter Quill would be a Star Wars fan, Pratt replied, “Of course he would have been…His entire life is based on emulating his pop culture icons and, of course, he would have been a huge fan of Star Wars. And I think Han Solo in particular would have been a large influence on who he ends up being. So yes, there’s certainly a lot of Han Solo in the character of Star-Lord.” Now there’s the crossover we need!

The Battle of Geonosis in "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" featured the most Jedi anyone had seen in one single frame up to that point. It's the special effects centerpiece of the film, a chance for George Lucas to cram as many robes and lightsabers into one giant set piece so he could excitedly show how badass these once-mysterious warrior monks actually are. There are tons of minor characters who briefly pop up and then reappear in future media like Kit Fisto and Ki-Adi-Mundi, but the real shocker is that the boy band Nsync almost became a part of the "Star Wars" extended universe.

Ok, so maybe the members of Nsync would have never gone on to become Glup Shittos, but some of them did almost appear in a cameo during the scene. "Star Wars" has had its fair share of special celebrity cameos, mostly in the post-Disney acquisition era,...

Austin, TX – The best film I saw at SXSW 2023 was “A Disturbance in the Force,” a new documentary about one of the most infamous TV programs in the medium’s history … “The Star Wars Holiday Special.” In a precise narrative with celebrity commentary, the history and mystery of this CBS-TV holiday event is unspooled.

In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. Movies would never be the same again. A year later, neither would television. In 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” during the week of Thanksgiving and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever air on TV.

Seth Green in ‘A Disturbance in the Force’

Photo credit: SXSW.com

Capsule Review: Just check out the video below to understand...

Something curious happened between the release of George Lucas' "Star Wars" in 1977 and Irvin Kershner's "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, and I'm not just talking about "The Star Wars Holiday Special."

In the original "Star Wars," the evil Empire was represented by the cold-eyed general Grand Moff Tarkin, played by one of the film's bigger celebrities, Peter Cushing. One of Tarkin's more threatening lieutenants was a masked, black-clad wizard in a cape named Darth Vader. Darth Vader, while serving the Empire, seemed to operate by his own rules. He wielded a laser sword, something no other Imperial officers did, and he had mysterious psychic powers that give him the ability to choke a man from across the room. Why did he wear that mask? He was very mysterious.

"Star Wars" was an enormous hit, and when it came time to make a sequel, it seemed that Darth Vader's role in the story suddenly expanded.

The Article Below Contains Spoilers For Season 3 Episode 4 Of The Mandalorian —

Chapter 20: The Foundling

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The team of F&f — Favreau and Filoni really love incorporating obscure deep cuts into The Mandalorian series. It’s actually a clever, subtle way to marry all the elements from the established universe in Star Wars. All the way back to the pilot episode, in almost a test of memory and fandom, Favreau added a creature only known from the Ewok spin-off movies from the 80s. The surprise references range from minute details, like a rifle that appeared in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, to an all-out appearance of a main character, like bringing Return of the Jedi-era Luke Skywalker back in the second season’s finale or the live-action debut of the popular character, Ahsoka.

Entertainment Weekly reports on an unlikely return of a former actor from the past Star Wars movies.