Development
In December 2020, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, a television special featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy to be written and directed by James Gunn, the writer and director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films. The Holiday Special was the first piece of content Marvel Studios planned to create for Disney+ and was originally conceived by Gunn during the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017); at that time, it was being developed for ABC following Vol. 2 release. Gunn stated that the special would be live-action and canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and noted that he had been a fan of the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) and animated Christmas specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) as a child.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is 44 minutes long, and is the second Special Presentation in the MCU, marketed as a "Marvel Studios Special Presentation". Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum, Sara Smith, and Simon Hatt serve as executive producers, alongside Gunn.
Writing
Gunn called the Holiday Special "one of my favorite stories ever", with a story "as crazy and fun as can be" that he had "bugged [Feige] endlessly about over the years". Gunn finished the script in April 2021, after initially writing the treatment "years ago". It took Gunn a few hours to write the script, and he noted featuring Kevin Bacon was a quick inclusion once he had figured out the story for the special.
The main cast members of the Guardians films are featured, focusing on Drax the Destroyer and Mantis. Gunn decided to focus on the Drax and Mantis relationship in the special because he felt those characters had been "sidelined" in their appearances outside of the Guardians of the Galaxy films between Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). He described the two of them as "kind of like Abbott and Costello, but both are Costellos", adding, "They do not have any of the values that human beings normally have, so they don't have the same boundaries that we have. They're like following an unattended fire hose around." Mantis actress Pom Klementieff called the Holiday Special "very goofy and very funny and cute" while "also very rooted in something much, much deeper and more beautiful and heartfelt".
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set between Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn noted there were parts of the special that would help set up material in Vol. 3, calling the Holiday Special a "Trojan Horse" that allowed him to introduce important elements to Vol. 3 that he then would not need to explain at the beginning of that film. Some of this material includes filling in the Guardians recent history, such as how they now operate out of Knowhere, have a new ship called the Bowie, Cosmo the Spacedog is now a member of the Guardians, and "a couple of bigger pieces of spoiler-y lore".
Casting
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special sees Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and Sean Gunn all reprising their MCU roles as Guardians of the Galaxy members Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Rocket, Nebula, Mantis, and Kraglin Obfonteri, respectively, along with Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta. Kevin Bacon was revealed to be starring in the special as a fictionalized version of himself in October 2022, along with Maria Bakalova voicing Cosmo the Spacedog ahead of her role in Vol. 3. Bakalova also provides additional motion capture for Cosmo, who is physically portrayed by dog actor Slate, replacing dog actor Fred from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Vol. 2. The band the Old 97's also appear in the special as the alien band Bzermikitokolok and the Knowheremen, while Bacon's wife Kyra Sedgwick has a voice cameo appearance.
Filming and animation
Filming for the special had begun by February 2022, at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, under the working title Pop Tart. It occurred during the later portion of production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which lasted from November 2021 until May 2022, and used the same sets as that film. Henry Braham served as cinematographer, after doing so for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Vol. 3. Gunn enjoyed being able to switch to filming the special after doing scenes for Vol. 3, given the tonal difference between the two with Vol. 3 being more "emotional", and called the Holiday Special shoot easier than Vol. 3.
The special was originally supposed to be shot during Vol. 3 initial production time in 2019, before several production delays. A day of filming in Los Angeles for the special had been expected by early January 2022, but did not occur due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The Old 97's filmed their roles in March 2022. Filming occurred around the Atlanta Country Club in late March, with various Christmas-themed decorations being used, and at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on April 28, with Bautista and Klementieff. The set featured various Christmas-themed decorations and posters of Kumail Nanjiani's character Kingo from the MCU film Eternals (2021). Filming of the special wrapped by the end of April.
Rooker and Luke Klein filmed the material for the flashback sequences, which was animated by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios through rotoscoping in the style of Ralph Bakshi
Music
John Murphy, the composer of Vol. 3, was confirmed to score the Holiday Special in January 2022. The special's soundtrack, consisting of Murphy's score and two original songs, was released digitally by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on November 23, 2022.
Gunn chose the music for the Holiday Special "very early". He wrote the lyrics to the opening song, "I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)", and approached Rhett Miller from the group the Old 97's to help him compose it. "Here It Is Christmastime", an existing song of the Old 97's, was also used and re-recorded with Bacon for the end of the special. In addition to "I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)" and "Here It Is Christmastime", other songs featured in the special include: "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, "Dead by X-Mas" by Hanoi Rocks, "Christmas Treat" by Julian Casablancas, "Is This Christmas?" by the Wombats, "Just Like Christmas" by Low, "I Want an Alien for Christmas" by Fountains of Wayne, "Christmastime" by the Smashing Pumpkins, "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses, and "Mrs. Claus" by Little Jackie.
