Today, merchandise inspired by the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens launched at retailers as Force Friday officially went underway. More than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. opened their doors at midnight for fans to be among the first to discover new Star Wars products.
“We’ve been working closely with the filmmakers to bring the characters and storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to life through an exciting array of products, and we’re thrilled to share them with fans around the world,” says Leslie Ferraro, co-chair, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, and president, Disney Consumer Products.
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media hosted a global live event to unveil key Star Wars: The Force Awakens products. Fans who tuned in to the Star Wars YouTube page were able to see numerous toys unboxed by digital stars from the Maker Studios network. The event started in Sydney and ended at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco.
The toys unboxed at various locations included:
• The Star Wars BladeBuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber, from Hasbro
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens Big Figs (31-inch and 48-inch), from Jakks Pacific
• The Hot Wheels Star Wars character car assortment and Escape from Jakku Starship playset, from Mattel
• The LEGO Star Wars Poe’s X-Wing Fighter
• The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Lightsaber, a Disney Store exclusive
• Star Wars BB-8, from Sphero
• Star Wars Remote Controlled Millennium Falcon Quad, from Air Hogs
• The X-Wing Starfighter, from Spin Master
A full list can be found at the official press release.
To preserve the integrity of key movie moments, an additional wave of toys and other products will be released closer to the film’s debut.