A documentary on the making of the Star Wars Holiday Special will screen later this year

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A Disturbance in the Force is coming to SXSW

Star Wars Holiday Special
(Image credit: CBS/20th Century Television)

The much-maligned Star Wars Holiday Special – often regarded as one of the lowest moments in Star Wars’ storied history – is getting a special documentary that’s due to screen later this year.

A Disturbance in the Force, which doesn’t have any official involvement from Lucasfilm or Disney, is set to premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Festival, which kicks off on March 10 (H/T ComicBook.com). A wider release hasn’t yet been confirmed.

As per A Disturbance in the Force’s description, the documentary will chart the odd curio that is the Star Wars Holiday Special, which starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher – and introduced the world to bounty hunter Boba Fett.

"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."

The documentary will also feature a host of famous faces, including Seth Green, ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic, and the late Gilbert Gottfried.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.