As most of you know, I am a huge Star Wars fan! I mean, my husband and I went to Star Wars Weekend for our honeymoon and had a blast! We love the series and are counting down the days for Episode VIII! Unless you live under a rock, you should know that this week marked Force Friday. On this amazing day a wave of Star Wars toys were released. And they were announced to the public in probably the coolest way I have ever seen – in unboxing videos on YouTube that were live streaming! Hot off the heels of this 18+ hour global live unboxing event on YouTube where highlights of the new product range were officially unveiled, the celebration continued as 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. Check out my favorite one – filmed in Mexico City, the Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe NERF Blaster from Hasbro – it looks incredible!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9d3awTJUE&list=PL148kCvXk8pAirxa-tYnAQ6soqS1rLYkw&index=11
After watching this video I was beyond excited for this toy! Both of my girls love NERF guns and pretty much anything from Hasbro so I knew this would be a great way to get them started on Star Wars. They are still a little young to watch “real people” movies as they call them, but we plan to start our 4 year old watching them soon. Now, I don’t understand a word they are saying but just seeing the toy itself, I can tell it is going to be a blast to play with! I love that is has a sight with it – how cool is that? This is truly going to be a NERF toy that I want for myself – watch out kids, you have been warned!
That wasn’t the only unboxing video – #ForceFriday started in Sydney and ending at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media hosted an epic 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 many toys unboxed by top digital stars from the Maker Studios network. Along with a few fellow Star Wars fanatic bloggers, we reviewed these videos and toys. Click through the list below to check them all out – and may the force be with you!
[Tweet “Check out what these #StarWars fanatics thought of the #ForceFriday #unboxing videos!”]
- Sydney: Star Wars BladeBuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber toy from Hasbro
- Tokyo: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Big Figs(31” and 48”) from JAKKS Pacific
- Hong Kong: Hot Wheels® Star Wars character car assortment and Escape from Jakku™ Starship playset from Mattel
- Seoul: LEGO Star WarsPoe’s X-Wing Fighter™
- Paris: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Lightsaber, a Disney Store exclusive
- Madrid: Star Wars Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer from Hasbro
- Berlin: LEGO Star WarsKylo Ren’s Command Shuttle™
- London: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Elite Series die-cast figure assortment, a Disney Store exclusive
- Rio de Janeiro:Star Wars Black Series 6” figure assortment from Hasbro
- ‘Good Morning America’ (New York): LEGO Star WarsMillennium Falcon™ and Star Wars BB-8 from Sphero
- Toronto: Star Wars Remote Controlled Millennium Falcon Quad and X-Wing Starfighter from Air Hogs, Spin Master
- Chicago: Star Wars: The Force AwakensRole Play for kids exclusive to Disney Store
- Mexico City: Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe NERF Blaster from Hasbro
- San Francisco: Star Wars Battle Action Millennium Falcon from Hasbro
- Los Angeles: Star Wars: The Force AwakensPoe Dameron’s X-Wing Vehicle from Hasbro
Additionally, fans tuning in to watch ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC were treated to a fun product reveal with Jimmy and his security guard sidekick Guillermo, showcasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens Voice Changing Masks exclusive to Disney Store. Beyond lightsabers, construction sets, figures and collectibles, fans can find products across a wide variety of categories, including apparel for all members of the family, home décor, lifestyle accessories, books and more. New Star Wars products can be found around the world at mass and specialty retailers, such as Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart, as well as Disney Store and disneystore.com.
Highlights from the merchandise line found in the U.S. include:
- A large collection of exclusive merchandise from Disney Store including role play items, talking action figures and figure play sets, along with themed apparel, tech accessories, mugs, journals and more
- J. Crew apparel for men, women and kids featuring the fan-favorite “Chewie, we’re home” scene of Chewbacca and Han Solo from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer
- A Star Wars collection of Rock & Republic® misses apparel and Mighty Fine juniors apparel offers female fans graphic tees, leggings, sweatshirts, hoodies and dresses available at Kohl’s
- The ultimate Millennium Falcon children’s bed from Pottery Barn Kids, looking like something seen from a galaxy far, far away
- A villainous take on home merchandise featuring new characters from the Dark Side, such as First Order Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren available at JCPenney
To preserve the integrity of key movie moments, an additional wave of products will be released closer to the film’s debut, when fans will be able to find additional items featuring the newest characters, including Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, BB-8 and more. On December 18, a Play Set based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, the latest installment of the best-selling “toys-to-life” video game from Disney Interactive.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS arrives in theaters everywhere on December 18th!
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