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SYFY WIRE Star Wars Holiday Special

WIRE Buzz: Jon Favreau doubles down on Star Wars holiday special; Marvel preps Incoming; more

By Christian Long
Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau is serious about bringing back the Star Wars Holiday Special. The creator of The Mandalorian, which just debuted this week alongside the launch of Disney+, is still interested in resurrecting one of Star Wars' strangest chapters. In an interview with Variety, Favreau said that "the ideas are ready," and that he already has someone in mind to star. 

"Oh, I would definitely be interested in doing a holiday special," Favreau said. "And I’m not going to say who I would be interested in, but one of the people is the member of [The Mandalorian] cast in an upcoming episode of the show. So we’ll leave it at that for now."

Favreau first teased he wanted to do a new Holiday Special back in September, and even worked in a reference to Life Day in the pilot episode of The Mandalorian. Sure, it was a throwaway line from Horatio Sanz's blue-skinned, fast-talking, bail-jumping Mythrol, but it marks the first time the events in the 1978 network special has been acknowledged by the larger Star Wars canon. 

The Star Wars Holiday Special aired the week before Thanksgiving back in 1978 on CBS. It featured most of the film's principal cast who travel to Chewbacca's homeworld of Kashyyk to celebrate Life Day (which Mythrol references) with his family. It was widely derided, and after the initial airing, has lived on exclusively in bootleg form. 

Should Favreau pull it off, however, there's a chance it could be welcomed back into Star Wars lore. And with the films on temporary hiatus, seems like the perfect time to give it a shot. 


Next up, Marvel Comics is preparing for Incoming!

The mega-crossover will bring together heroes and villains from all corners of the Marvel Universe as they try to figure out a murder mystery that could have galactic repercussions. Marvel released a new trailer, which is being hyped as the most Earth-shattering event for our heroes in the coming year. 

The first issue of Incoming! will be available for purchase starting Dec. 26. So, you can put some of that Christmas money to good use. 


Finally, the subversive take on superheroes, Archenemy, has started to round out its cast. 

Earlier this month it was announced that Jon Manganiello would star as Max, a superhero from another dimension who loses his powers when he crosses over into our world. Now we're learning that co-starring with the Deathstroke actor are It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton, who will play the ruthless drug dealer known simply as The Manager, and Pet Semetary's Amy Seimetz as Max's extra-dimensional nemesis.  

The film is produced by Spectrevision, the studio behind Mandy, as well as the fan-owned company Legion M. Adam Egypt Mortimer, who helmed the horror spectacle Daniel Isn't Real, will write and direct.