The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) on Netflix
PG19781h 37mAdventureFamilySci-Fi
Chewbacca and Han Solo fly for Kashyyyk so Chewbacca can reach his family for Life Day. On the Wookiee homeworld, Malla, Itchy and Lumpy wait while Imperial forces search for Rebels.
- Netflix1.3/5
- IMDb2.2/1018,703 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes25%
Trailer
Plot summary
On Life Day, Chewbacca travels home to Kashyyyk with Han Solo, outrunning two Star Destroyers before jumping to hyperspace. On the planet, his wife Malla, his father Itchy and his son Lumpy get ready for his arrival. Malla scans for ships, contacts Luke Skywalker and sends word to the trader Saun Dann, who arrives with gifts. Han and Chewbacca come out of hyperspace, notice the heavier Imperial presence and set down in an unguarded area to the north. Stormtroopers and officers force their way into the family's home and search the rooms for Chewbacca, while Saun Dann and the others try to keep them occupied.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Boba Fett made his debut in the special's cartoon segment, with a look based on footage of the unpainted costume from The Empire Strikes Back; Nelvana co-founder Clive Smith said the studio's suggestion to scuff up his costume influenced the character's live-action appearance.
- The special went through two directors: David Acomba, a USC classmate of George Lucas, was unfamiliar with the multiple-camera setup, felt a divide with the producers and left after filming only a few scenes, including the cantina and Jefferson Starship; Steve Binder replaced him, his only contact with Lucasfilm a "Wookiee bible" on how the species should look and behave.
- Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2 in the films, was not involved in the special; the droid was performed entirely by a radio-controlled unit operated by Mick Garris, Lucas's receptionist, and was credited by announcer Art James as playing himself.
- The special marked the first time James Earl Jones was credited as the voice of Darth Vader, since he had gone uncredited in the original Star Wars.
- The special's animated segment, "The Faithful Wookiee", was the first official Star Wars cartoon; written by George Lucas, it was produced by Toronto's Nelvana, which later made the Droids and Ewoks Saturday-morning series in 1985.
- Writer Bruce Vilanch was worried about building the special around a species that grunts in a fictional language with no subtitles, but George Lucas would not budge on his vision.
- The music clip in the special marked Marty Balin's final appearance with Jefferson Starship; he had left the band in October 1978, a month before the special was broadcast, and rejoined in 1993.
- The special stayed inside Star Wars continuity even after Disney acquired Lucasfilm; J. J. Abrams confirmed in a 2015 interview that it was still "definitely canon", and Life Day was mentioned in the first episode of The Mandalorian in 2019.
