When it comes to Star Wars, it’s all about the merch. George Lucas didn’t build his empire on the movies alone (though it helped that he retained complete creative control), and the smartest decision he ever made was ensuring he controlled all merchandising rights to Star Wars and future sequels in his initial contract. Nowadays, the potential ancillary revenue from toys, shirts, lunchboxes, etc. is a major consideration for every studio when beginning to launch a potential franchise—Lucas was simply ahead of the curve.

But Star Wars is still the king when it comes to branded IP toys, and Disney knew exactly what it was getting when it purchased Lucasfilm in 2012. With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens finally upon us, the studio is about to begin a cycle of new merchandise releases that will continue in perpetuity, and they’re kicking things off in grand fashion.


star-wars-countdown-to-force-friday
Image via Disney

Disney announced today that they will be hosting a worldwide unboxing event ahead of Force Friday, during which all the new Star Wars toys from around the globe will be unveiled live on YouTube before going on sale at local retailers at midnight on September 4th. The event kicks off in Sydney, Australia at 7:45am local time September 3rd (which is 5:45pm EDT September 2nd), continuing through Asia, Europe, Canada, and North and South America until the final unveiling at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8am PDT on September 3rd.

Selections from the new toy line will be unveiled at each location in the vein of a rolling New Year’s Eve celebration, with one new product from Star Wars: The Force Awakens being featured at each of the 15 locations. Moreover, digital stars from the Maker Studios network will participate in the event.

Lucasfilm has been mostly tight-lipped about these toys since director J.J. Abrams hopes to keep as much of Force Awakens under wraps before release. Indeed, toy sets are usually how most giant blockbusters are spoiled, so it’ll be interesting to see what this first wave of toys entails. Check out the full calendar of events below. The entire event will be broadcast live on the Star Wars YouTube channel.

COUNTRY

CITY

MAKER TALENT

LOCAL TIME 9/3

EDT

Australia

Sydney

Bratayley

07:45

17:45 9/2

Japan

Tokyo

Einshine

11:00

22:00 9/2

Korea

Seoul

Dollastic

12:00

23:00 9/2

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Dante Basco

12:00

00:00 9/3

France

Paris

AyPierre

09:00

03:00 9/3

Spain

Madrid

AlexBy11

11:00

05:00 9/3

Germany

Berlin

Reyst

12:00

06:00 9/3

England

London

GamingBeaver

11:30

06:30 9/3

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

Malena010102

08:30

07:30 9/3

USA

New York

EvanTubeHD

08:30

08:30 9/3

Canada

Toronto

Quill18

09:00

09:00 9/3

USA

Chicago

HobbyKidsTV

08:30

09:30 9/3

Mexico

Mexico City

ExpCaseros

09:30

10:30 9/3

USA

San Francisco

Chris Pirillo

08:00

11:00 9/3


Star Wars Force Friday toy catalog.
Image via Hasbro
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