[Susan Foreman]

‘Star Wars’ Documentary About Infamous 1978 Holiday Special Sets Release Date / Variety

"'A Disturbance in the Force,' a comical behind-the-scenes documentary about the ill-fated 1978 'Star Wars Holiday Special,' will arrive from a galaxy far, far away in December.

After its premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, “A Disturbance in the Force” will be released on digital and Blu-Ray on Dec. 5. This announcement comes on Life Day, a canonically Wookie holiday in the Star Wars universe.

The movie will also play in select theaters across the U.S., U.K. and Australia ahead of its home entertainment launch. September Club produced 'A Disturbance in the Force' with Giant Pictures handling digital and Blu-ray distribution. Adam F. Goldberg served as executive producer.

'A Disturbance in the Force' chronicles the making of the bizarre 'Star Wars Holiday Special' that aired 45 years ago and never surfaced again. For some context: 'Star Wars' was released in theaters in 1977 and became a cultural phenomenon. A year later, filmmaker George Lucas was talked into cashing in on the craze by producing a holiday-themed variety special. Plenty of people (approximately 13 million) tuned in when CBS aired 'Star Wars Holiday Special' during the week of Thanksgiving. The only problem? It became a famously terrible two hours of television, never to be shown again.

Directors Jeremy Coons and Steve Kozak are attempting to inform the masses on the campy mess and ask the question that’s been plaguing Jedis and Siths alike for decades: "Can you believe this actually happened?"

In Variety’s review, Joe Leydon praised the documentary film as "amusing and exhaustive." He added that 'you don’t have to be a
'Star Wars' diehard to value the documentary for its tea-spilling and gossip-mongering.""