LEGO Is Creating Its Own Star Wars Holiday Special

In 1978, CBS aired The Star Wars Holiday Special, a goofy, musical program featuring the film cast, Chewbacca’s entire family, and several frankly puzzling cameos (Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship among them). The special, meant to keep the Star Wars craze alive and strong between films, wasn’t exactly a hit. But it’s definitely become an unforgettable part of the franchise’s history.

This year, Disney+ is debuting a new kind of Star Wars Holiday Special—specifically, a LEGO one. Executive producer Josh Rimes told USA TODAY that the program will “give a wink and a nod to the original” with LEGO versions of certain characters and a celebration of “Life Day,” the Wookiee holiday at the center of the 1978 special.

We’ll also get to see plenty of favorites from the latest trilogy, including Rey, Finn, Poe, Rose Tico, and BB-8. As Nerdist reports, the story focuses on Rey, who gets tossed back in time after stumbling into a Jedi Temple. On her journey, she encounters heroes and villains from all the Star Wars films—like Yoda, Darth Vader, and even an inexperienced young Luke Skywalker.

“It becomes a much different take on a teacher and apprentice with the more seasoned Rey and a younger Luke,” Rimes said. “A lot of characters will be interacting with different characters and perhaps even different versions of themselves at different ages.”

According to a Disney+ press release, Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), and a number of voice actors from the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars will reprise their roles. With inspirations ranging from 1946's It’s a Wonderful Life and 1987's Planes, Trains and Automobiles to Burl Ives’s classic Christmas music, the 45-minute program promises to be a festive addition to the holiday season and a cheeky tribute to the first Star Wars Holiday Special. You can stream it on Disney+ starting November 17. If you don't have a subscription, head here.