Toy Fair 2015

[Jeff]

I'll kick off this thread with some news sent to us by Hasbro today...

Hasbro will be exhibiting a variety of fun and exciting Star Wars products from across its portfolio of brands, including Star Wars action figures, Star Wars Galactic Heroes and more. There will be no toys based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Star Wars Episode VII) shown at Toy Fair this year.

No Ep7 stuff.  Probably not a big surprise since it's so early... and it gives them something exciting to tease at Celebration in April with a bigger Ep7 reveal at SDCC.

[Jesse James]

Yeah, prototypes make you think that they're focusing that way with the line, and I doubt there's much exciting news between now and then...  Toy Fair suffers, or at least the Star Wars end of TF suffers.  I'd wager other lines from other properties dominate it and Star Wars is the footnote.  Ironic, given the year's end has a film, but not terribly surprising either.

[Nicklab]

Gotta love something like this.  I can almost see someone like John Cleese coming out in a Monty Python sketch to say something like:

"We formally announce that the announcement that you are hoping we are prepared to announce will not be announced at all.  At a later point in time we will then make an announcement to announce to you that there will be an announcement."

That being said, I can't say that I'm surprised.  The timeframe for the toy line (as we know it) for THE FORCE AWAKENS has been thrown off by the Christmas release date.  We used to see a movie line about 3 months before the film release (that was the lead time from Toy Fair to the theatrical release of REVENGE OF THE SITH).  But this lead time between Toy Fair and the theatrical release of TFA is more than 10 months.  This announcement that no TFA product is going to be shown makes sense.  What will we see?  I think Toy Fair is going to be dedicated to Rebels/Saga Legends and the remained of The Black Series.  So what will Hasbro show from those lines?  I'm hoping for a Ghost vehicle for the 3.75" system as well as some ROTJ themed TBS figures.  But beyond that?  Who knows. 

As for the line for THE FORCE AWAKENS?  I think we'll start seeing something at Celebration in Anaheim.  That's in April.  I think Hasbro will show off a preview wave that will probably hit retail around August.  After that?  Just looking at the calender...
-Star Wars Weekends - May 15 – June 14, 2015
-San Diego Comic Con - July 9 - 15, 2015
-New York Comic Con - October 8 - 11, 2015

Do any of those events work with how Disney/Lucasfilm and Hasbro want to roll out the licensed merchandise?  There's also the matter of how does the toy line roll out work in conjunction with the holiday shopping season.  Product will probably need to be initially offered at the end of October or in early November.

Given that time frame?  I think Hasbro will reveal the line either at San Diego Comic Con or at some standalone press event in August or September.  Comic Con has basically served as a mid-year Toy Fair, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the TFA line revealed at that time.

[Dave]

I wonder with JJ Abrams leading this film if we'll even see much previewed or pre-released merchandise like we've seen in the past from a Lucas led company. 

[Nicklab]

That's got to be a point of great debate.  Not just with JJ Abrams, but with Bob Iger (head of Disney), Kathleen Kennedy (head of Lucasfilm) as well as Hasbro, other licensees and all of the retailers.

You get the sense that the filmmakers want to preserve some sense of surprise.  That seems to be a mantra that has been coming from a lot of the cast.  And that's a different stance from what we saw during the PT era of films.  But there's also A LOT of money on the table when it comes to the licensed merchandise.

I think Hasbro and the other licensees are going to strike a balance.  The initial releases will probably be tailored in such a way that there will be some release that takes advantage of the holiday shopping season, while keeping things spoiler free.

[Jeff]

I wonder with JJ Abrams leading this film if we'll even see much previewed or pre-released merchandise like we've seen in the past from a Lucas led company.

The initial releases will probably be tailored in such a way that there will be some release that takes advantage of the holiday shopping season, while keeping things spoiler free.

I think those 6" prototypes are a pretty good indicator.   I think a preview wave with stuff form the teaser trailer  - chrome/black stormtrooper, BB-8 ball droid, masked Kylo Ren, etc - would be fine and wouldn't give away anything we haven't already seen...

[Darby]

I expect a preview wave(s) as well. It's clear from Bob Iger's comments there is some debate on showing/not showing as he pushed for the trailer and JJ Abrams apparently was reluctant. As Iger said, it's a movie with an enormous investment riding on it ($4 Billion) and once a proper trailer drops in May or so, we'll be awash from that point forward in media awareness. I expect quite a bit of product in advance of the movie, September, October at the latest as I can't see them holding until right before the release date and missing out on most of the Christmas shopping season.

[Darby]

Seems like September it is: http://jedinews.co.uk/news/news.aspx?newsID=20100. Also seeming confirmation of digital releases of previous films.

[Nicklab]

Wow.  A full 2 1/2 months before the theatrical release?  I guess the licensing dollars are being given the greater consideration, and Igers comments that this is a $4 billion movie are going to hold sway on the direction for the franchise.

[Greg]

Wow.  A full 2 1/2 months before the theatrical release?  I guess the licensing dollars are being given the greater consideration, and Igers comments that this is a $4 billion movie are going to hold sway on the direction for the franchise.

If the timing is true it is new for Star Wars toy launches (but then so is the movie release date), but it's similar to how Marvel has been handled over the past few years. Avengers Age of Ultron stuff is trickling into stores now, and I believe will be widely available in February. Avengers 1 and Iron Man 3 toys were released in a similar fashion. I think the increased lead time for merchandise makes even more sense for Force Awakens since it is a Christmas movie; gotta make sure stuff is available and give the holiday shoppers time to plan and buy!

[Matt_Fury]

I know this is the TBS section, but I'm hoping to see a BMF version of the Ghost from Rebels.  My oldest really likes that cartoon and Santa brought him most of the toys.

If they are ever going to do it...I think this year has the best shot at it.

[Darth_Anton]

The irony is, there's probably lots to show from the new film. On the onset of production (of the toys) they were aiming for the summer 2015 release of the film.

[Nicklab]

JEDI NEWS IS REPORTING that representatives for major retailers came out of closed meetings with Hasbro at the UK Toy Fair holding bags emblazoned with THE FORCE AWAKENS logo.  Despite the reports from Hasbro's PR firm it does seem that Hasbro is showing some of the offerings for THE FORCE AWAKENS to retail buyers, while holding back that product for a later reveal to the media.  Jedi News also mentioned that they had to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to check out the Hasbro offerings.

[McMetal]

I would love to have been a fly on the wall at those closed door meetings with Hasbro.

TRU: "We'll take 100,000,000 units of any SW exclusive you have to offer, as long as you can guarantee all of the figures have already been released. And we can mark it up at least 15%..."

Target: "We'll take all the Command sets and role plays stuff you guys can trawl out. But we only need about 750 figures for 2015 to split up between all of our 1000+ stores."

Walmart: "What are these Star Wars toys you speak of? We don't want any new product on our shelves thank you, the junk that has been pegwarming the past 5 years is perfectly satisfactory."

 

[Jeff]

Jedi News also mentioned that they had to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to check out the Hasbro offerings.

I think that's a pretty common thing for them though, in order to keep them from spoiling US Toy Fair.  They've had to sign one the past few years and they usually get a token reveal or two to make up for it.

I guess I wouldn't be surprised that retailers may get to see The Force Awakens stuff the general media doesn't at Toy Fair.  There are always "retail only" areas where Hasbro has potential exclusives for them to check out and show off other "not quite ready for the media" in-development things.  Would make sense that Target/TRU will get to see TFA prototypes or preview figures that we won't get to see until April/Celebration or later.