| The Force Awakens from Its Nap | |
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 Disney+ promotional poster | |
| Directed by | David Silverman |
| Written by | |
| Based on | The Simpsons byMatt Groening |
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Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Disney+ (Disney Platform Distribution) |
Release date |
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Running time | 3 minutes |
| Country | United States |
Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" is ananimated short film based on the television seriesThe Simpsons. The short was released on May 4, 2021, onDisney+ in celebration ofStar Wars Day.[1][2]
It is the third short film featuringMaggie Simpson, followingThe Longest Daycare (2012) andPlaydate with Destiny (2020). It is the firstSimpsons short film related toStar Wars, followed byRogue Not Quite One (2023; also featuring Maggie Simpson)[3] andMay the 12th Be with You (2024). The promotional short is the first of several fromThe Simpsons that Disney+ has released since 2021, to tie in with the service's marquee brands and titles.[2]
Marge drivesMaggie to The Ayn Rand School for Tots daycare, but Maggie refuses, so Marge takes her to theJabba's Hut Jedi Preschool, entering through the Sky toddlers door. In there, they see aJedi prepare sandwiches with the use of alightsaber and the force, whileAhsoka Tano puts a baby in carbonite for being bad.
Marge takes her toGeneral Grievous that was changing a kid's diaper next toR2-D2, using it as a trash bin. The cyborg takes the pacifier and throws it away. Maggie panics and is approached byBB-8, which wants to help her retrieve the pacifier, so Maggie gives it her bow tie.
BB-8 starts running toward the next room but finds itself trapped in the middle of many other BB-8s. Maggie tries to reach it but the other BB-8s attack and damage it. BB-8 manages to find and give Maggie the pacifier beforeBaby Gerald, dressed asDarth Maul, stabs it in the back.
Maggie and Gerald start fighting, Maggie using a prolonged pacifier, and when she reaches a "new improvedDeath Star guaranteed unexplodable" she hits it, making it explode on Gerald. However, he is not stopped and makes her lose the pacifier. Maggie retrieves it and makes him lose his diaper.
Gerald uses the Force to crush her under a wardrobe. BB-8, still alive, arrives at the scene, and Maggie emerges from the wardrobe, alive, withYoda ears. BB-8 wonders how she's alive and she shows it how in theStar Wars rules, beloved characters never really die. In the end, Maggie and a restored BB-8 watch the twin suns ofTatooine set.
The idea behind aStar Wars short starringMaggie Simpson came up in January 2021. AsThe Simpsons library ofDisney+ was well received, executive producerJames L. Brooks proposed to do a series of shorts where the show interacted with other franchises available in the streaming service. ShowrunnerAl Jean, a long-timeStar Wars fan,pitched the idea of making aStar Wars-centric short in which Maggie is sent to a Jedi preschool. Two shorts starring Maggie,The Longest Daycare andPlaydate with Destiny, had been previously produced in 2012 and 2020, respectively. BothLucasfilm and Disney+ showed enthusiasm for the idea, and asked theSimpsons crew to have the short ready for May 4, 2021, given how "Star Wars Day" is celebrated on that date.[4]
Jean wrote the script along withJoel Cohen andMike Price and theSimpsons directorDavid Silverman directed the short. The first draft for the short was ready by January 18. They worked closely with Lucasfilm throughout the short's development, providing suggestions and making sure that theSimpsons crew used the full universe of their characters. Among the characters included in the short was a "Darth Maul Baby" andBB-8, butGrogu (better known as "Baby Yoda") was only referenced yet not included, as Jean felt that the character is probably the most sought-after ofDisney, so they did not want him to be overexposed. The Lucasfilm team also helped them to transliterate the chalkboard writing to Aurebesh. The short was finished on April 30, four days before its release date.[5]
Rich Knight ofCinemaBlend rankedMaggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" third in their top ofThe Simpsons Short, acknowledged the references to theStar Wars franchise, and praised the humor and the gags of the animated short film, despite stating thatThe Force Awakens from Its Nap does not offer much of a story.[6] Eden Arnold ofBleeding Cool found the short film to be an endearing celebration ofStar Wars Day, while saying it shows off Disney's properties.[7] Raul Velasquez ofTheGamer.com complimented the humor of the short film, stating it manages to be a cheerful and carefree short that is funny enough to entertainStar Wars fans, and claimed that the crossover manages to capture the humor ofThe Simpsons franchise at the same time.[8]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Animated Program | James L. Brooks,Matt Groening,Matt Selman,Richard Sakai, Denise Sirkot,Richard Raynis, Tom Klein,Joel H. Cohen,Al Jean,Michael Price,David Silverman, Acacia Caputo, K.C. Johnson and Mike Frank Polcino | Nominated | [9] |
| Online Film & Television Association | Best Animated Program | The Force Awakens from Its Nap | Nominated | [10] |
In 2023, another short film was released with Maggie Simpson celebratingStar Wars Day calledRogue Not Quite One.[3]
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