StarWars.com look back three years to the super fun LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, which landed on Life Day 2020 on Disney Plus. Dan Brooks chats with James Waugh, SVP, franchise content and strategy at Lucasfilm about how the project came about.
The tale follows Rey post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with the young Jedi experiencing some growing pains in her new role as teacher to Finn. But the surprise discovery of a mystical Jedi artifact opens a portal, sending Rey hurtling through time and space; she takes a trip through the biggest moments of the Star Wars saga and encounters classic characters and locales — all the while learning some important lessons as she tries to get back home for Life Day. It’s a heartwarming story and simply fun to watch, and one that has become a holiday favorite among fans. “I think the hope was that it would always become a classic perennial like Rudolph or Frosty or Charlie Brown, any of those holiday specials. And I think we’re seeing that. It’s always great to see it among the holiday collections on Disney+,” says Josh Rimes, VP of animation development and production at Lucasfilm. “We still hear from families and friends that have made it part of their rotation. I think that’s what we set out to do.”
“That was always the hope,” adds Waugh. “I mean, honestly, that really was the goal from day one as lofty as that sounds. One holiday special that could last years and years and years, and be something that you find on Disney+ every year, and it brings people together and you remember the moments and you laugh about them, and they become that enchanting touchstone that makes that holiday time of year feel familiar.”
Back in 2020 we were invited to sit in on the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Virtual Press Conference with Anthony Daniels, which you can watch below.
