Skeleton Crew Creators Break Down That Bizarre Star Wars Holiday Special Callback

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As a lifelong Star Wars fan who has watched every single spin-off, sequel, and even the infamous Holiday Special, I must say that the Easter egg in Skeleton Crew was a delightful throwback for those of us who remember the circus hologram from Chewbacca’s son’s viewing experience. The fact that the creators went to such great lengths to recreate the footage, costumes, and music shows a level of dedication that I appreciate as a fellow fan.

In the new series “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”, there’s not a lot of connections to other Star Wars productions. However, one significant Easter egg was spotted in the first episode that linked back to the most debated part of Star Wars lore. During the premiere, which debuted on Monday on Disney+, viewers picked up on Neel’s family watching a hologram of the same peculiar space circus that Chewbacca’s son, Lumpy, watched in the 1978 controversial “Star Wars Holiday Special“.

In the easily identifiable nod to the much-criticized Star Wars Holiday Special, longtime fans likely chuckled during the episode. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford explained their reasoning for incorporating the hologram in Skeleton Crew, sharing their motivations behind its inclusion.

Watts expressed that one of his favorite scenes from the entire series is particularly noteworthy. He’s pleased it’s included in the first episode, as it allows for immediate enjoyment. Since day one, he’s been captivated by that peculiar circus-themed hologram.

In their subsequent analysis, Watts and Ford determined that the clips from the circus in their film “Skeleton Crew” were not identical to those in the “Holiday Special“, instead they discovered it was a reenactment created by the production team.

Watts stated that we remade it. Originally, we hoped to obtain the original video, but unfortunately, it’s of poor quality since it was a television special.

Ford pointed out that it was restrictive since only a single angle could be employed. What they required, however, was shooting it from various perspectives.

Watts, responsible for directing the initial episode of “Skeleton Crew“, shared with “EW” that the team made every effort to remain true to the original hologram from the “Holiday Special” as closely as feasible. Despite it being a re-creation, they aimed for authenticity.

He shared that they delved into the archives, securing the initial costume concepts and sketches from the production, which they then recreated. Interestingly, their stunt coordinator was once a performer with Cirque du Soleil, taking on the lead dance role and designing an entirely new routine inspired by the Holiday Special.

Apart from creating the music for the video, the team behind “Skeleton Crew” had the additional task of producing a fresh rendition of the circus hologram’s sounds. This is due to the fact that the “Star Wars Holiday Special” is only available in low-quality formats.

Watts explained that the music needed to be re-created as it wasn’t available in any other form beyond YouTube. Since nobody knew the specific instruments used or the arrangement, their composer had to compose the music anew and record it again from the ground up.

He went on to say that we put in countless hours and resources to replicate it extensively, all for a tiny comedic moment. Yet, it brings me immense joy and I can’t help but ponder about the antics of that circus troupe.

New episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew arrive Monday nights on Disney+.

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2024-12-03 20:09