Phil Roberts 
Co-creators Jon Watts and Chris Ford discuss paying homage to the Star Wars Holiday Special-inspired sequence in Skeleton Crew.
After its debut on Disney Plus this week, Skeleton Crew has become a favorite of Star Wars fans. It has become rare to see any Star Wars project received so warmly, but Jon Watts and Christopher Ford have successfully captured lightning in a bottle and delivered a genuine crowd-pleaser. One of the coolest surprises was when the dance crew from the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special showed up. In the season kickoff, they pop up as holograms in Neel’s house on At-Attin, putting on a show for Jobo, Jorko, and Tuloo.
The moment brought back memories for legions of Star Wars fans who remember the jaw-dropping debut in 1978. But how did Jon Watts and Chris Ford pull off this hilarious cameo? StarWars.com has all the answers we need!
RECREATING THE TROUPE
While Watts and Ford hoped they could simply use the hologram elements from the 1978 original, they quickly discovered that wouldn’t be an option.
“It was shot such a long time ago and the angles were all wrong,” explains Watts. “So we went and got the original wardrobe sketches and rebuilt all of the costumes from scratch.”
“The amazing thing about recreating that moment was how much work it took,” adds Ford.
The costumes, originally created by fashion designer Bob Mackie, were reconstructed down to the finest detail by Skeleton Crew costume designer Louise Mingenbach using reference material found at Skywalker Ranch.
Finally, the music from the original performance needed to be recreated from scratch as well, since no copy of the original recording could be found in a quality high enough or a length long enough. No written records could be located either.
“We couldn’t find a copy of the written score so we had to give it to our composer [Mick Giacchino], who then had to transcribe it, figure out what instruments they were playing, and then re-record that,” explains Watts.
“And then we also did that with a full orchestra,” adds Ford, who found the contrast between Giacchino’s symphonic score and the tinny circus music amusing. “I think the musicians got a kick out of it.”
REVIEWS
We loved the opening episodes of this new series. In his FOUR STAR review, Thomas Storai said: “Skeleton Crew is a series that puts the fun back into Star Wars. It brings a refreshing perspective, expanding this universe in exciting new ways. This series has compelling characters and Jude Law fits just right in. At its heart, it’s a love letter to children’s adventure films from the ’80s.”
In my FOUR STAR review, I said: “I had a blast with Skeleton Crew. Jon Watts has crafted a fun, adventurous love letter to the kid-centric Amblin movies of yesteryear and expanded the sandbox of the galaxy far, far away without treading on the toes of the established lore. But unlike other entries in the saga, this show isn’t reliant on anything we’ve seen or heard before. It truly stands on its own feet and proudly forges a new pathway into the lore of the franchise to deliver something new and fresh.”
RELEASE
We’re thrilled that our team isn’t the only one who loves this new series! You, our cherished readers, are enjoying every moment of this kid-focused adventure. Plus, it’s clear that director Jon Watts and writer Christopher Ford are just as passionate about the franchise. In fact, they can’t wait to take us on this exciting journey. You can watch our exclusive interview with the cast and crew of the series here.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew continues on Disney Plus on December 10th in the US and December 11th in the UK. David Lowery directed the third episode.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
