In 1978 the cultural phenomenon of Star Wars led to the
airing of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special on CBS during
Thanksgiving. A series of sketches and musical numbers featuring
Star Wars cast members and guest stars from the world of
popular entertainment, along with an animated segment that introduced fan
favourite Boba Fett, George Lucas considered it such an
embarrassment that he never allowed it to be aired again.
Written and directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak,
A Disturbance in the Force is a new documentary that takes a
deep dive into the making of the special and the pop culture milieu of the
late 1970s.
A Disturbance in the Force will receive its world premiere
at the SXSW Film Festival on March 11th.
Check out the first trailer below.
The official synopsis reads:
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.
While some fans of the franchise are aware of this dark secret, this bizarre two hours of television still remains relatively unknown among the general public. Simply put, we will answer how and why did the "Holiday Special" get made.
