Star Wars Force Friday strikes back before 'The Last Jedi'
May the unboxings be with you when Disney unleashes a slew of new Star Wars products to feed the consumer fervor for "The Last Jedi."
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" opens in theaters in December. You know what that means: action figures, lightsabers, Lego sets, T-shirts, blaster replicas and even more action figures.
On Thursday, Disney and Lucasfilm announced "Force Friday II," a follow-up to 2015's product hype-fest designed to unveil new Star Wars-related merchandise. It will take place on September 1.
As with the previous Force Friday, which tied in with "The Force Awakens," stores will stay open until midnight to offer new products to fans. Expect livestreamed product unboxings online and massive social media discussions about the new toys and gear.
Apparently, it's too soon to tease us with actual product shots, so Disney just released an image of some potential packaging showing pilot Poe Dameron, heroine Rey and former Stormtrooper Finn on the top with generic text reading "Product name. Product description. Action callout." At least we get a good look at Poe's cool black-and-red flight helmet.
"Details of how fans can participate will be revealed closer to the event, but the worldwide launch will tap new technology and Star Wars mythology to create a unique experience for fans," Disney says.
The company plans to keep product information under wraps until the actual event to build excitement. The release does mention Sphero's BB-8 rolling droid toy as an example of the sort of technology some of the new products might build on.
Maybe I'll finally get that Millennium Falcon-shaped robotic vacuum cleaner I've always wanted. Smuggle my dust bunnies, Han Solo!
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