Perhaps the most infamous piece of Star Wars content ever produced is The Star Wars Holiday Special, a 1978 made-for-TV special that was widely panned but has since become a point of fascination amongst the fan base. Even though the full special has never been officially released on home media, it’s become more accessible to viewers over the years thanks to bootleg copies and the internet. As more people have become familiar with The Star Wars Holiday Special, some have wondered if Lucasfilm will ever attempt something like this again (in live-action, anyway). Those hoping for a Mandalorian-themed holiday special shouldn’t hold their breath.
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In an interview with ComicBook to promote the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, Jon Favreau, director of the Christmas classic Elf, detailed discussions he had about doing some kind of holiday special. “In the first season, we were talking about it… There is something there,” he said. “I don’t know how you would do it without Peli Moto, by the way, that’s the only thing I’ll say… with Amy Sedaris.”
Favreau continued, “But we did bat an idea around. This is very early on, but before the show even aired. I know this is gonna be a headline – it’s been discussed – but there’s no plans to have a Holiday Special, but it was something we jokingly talked about.”
Could A Mandalorian Holiday Special Work Now?
2020 saw the release of The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, a non-canon animated special about characters from the sequel trilogy coming together to celebrate Life Day. While it wasn’t considered an all-time classic, the general consensus was that the special was an entertaining ride that featured plenty of amusing Easter eggs and the classic LEGO sense of humor. It was fun to see Lucasfilm team up with LEGO to make a new holiday special (one that was much better-received than its predecessor), but there hasn’t been anything on the live-action front for decades.
There is a precedent for a modern, live-action Christmas special set in a major franchise. In 2022, Marvel released The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which actually tells a canon story that helps bridge the gap between Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Its success proved something like this could work. A Mandalorian Holiday Special wouldn’t even necessarily have to be canon to the Star Wars timeline. As long as it found a nice way to blend heart and humor into a well-meaning package, it could be a satisfying one-off to add to the family’s rotation every holiday season.
As cute as it would be to see Grogu take part in some holiday hijinks, fans shouldn’t hold their breath for The Mandalorian Holiday Special. With Disney seemingly scaling back on output and Lucasfilm pivoting back to theatrical features, it seems unlikely the studios would sign off on the resources needed to make a live-action special like this. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special shot during production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, allowing James Gunn to keep costs in check during a time when the main cast and crew were already together. It was a case of right place, right time. If Jon Favreau came up with an interesting idea, there would still be logistical hurdles.
Lucasfilm isn’t completely abandoning TV (Maul – Shadow Lord has a second season on the way), but it doesn’t appear to be a priority the way it was over the first half of this decade, when several new Star Wars shows were produced. Perhaps the best way to revisit the Holiday Special concept is to make another one with LEGO down the line, integrating storylines and characters who have appeared over the past six years and more. Din Djarin and Grogu make a silent cameo in The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, so maybe there could be a follow-up that focuses on them. In some ways, that dynamic duo has become the face of Star Wars the past handful of years, so it would be fitting if they got an animated special.
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