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September 4th marks “Force Friday,” the day Disney will make Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise available.
Various retailers are participating in midnight launches (you can check out Target details here), and now Disney has announced live unboxing events will be held across the globe and aired on YouTube.
You can also check out a teaser for Force Friday below.
Via StarWars.com:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens products are set to be unveiled in the world’s first ever global live toy unboxing event. Unfolding over 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries, the event will see highlights from the range of epic merchandise revealed in a rolling New Year’s Eve style celebration featuring top digital stars from the Maker Studios network.
“Star Wars toys have always played an important role in how our fans interact with the saga,” says Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “They’ve inspired multiple generations to relive the experience of the movies and to create new adventures all their own. These spectacular Star Wars: The Force Awakensproducts will continue that tradition.”
Kicking off in Sydney, Australia on the morning of September 3 and continuing through Asia, Europe, Canada, and North and South America, selections from the new toy line will debut to global fanfare leading up to retailers around the globe opening their doors at midnight.
Over the course of 18 hours, some of Maker Studios’ biggest stars will each be unboxing a new toy from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens product line in a different city around the world and sharing the experience live on YouTube,” said Leslie Ferraro, President, Disney Consumer Products. “We’ve seen tremendous excitement for these new products and can’t wait to see the global reaction from the Star Wars fan community.”
These “unboxing” videos will feature online personalities sharing the excitement of opening the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys. Unboxing videos have captivated millions of Internet viewers and continue to grow in popularity — 18 of the top 100 most viewed YouTube Channels worldwide are dedicated to toys and toy unboxings. These 18 channels accounted for 8.1 billion views in Q1 2015.
“We’re excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind initiative,” said Chris M. Williams, Chief Audience Officer, Maker Studios. “The unboxing world continues to expand rapidly as audiences around the world connect with digital creators who share their passions. This shared fandom helps attract billions of monthly views and consistently puts the genre at the top of the YouTube charts.”
The global event will incorporate traditional toy unboxers such as the popularEvanTubeHD, channels featuring families such as Bratayley, lifehack specialists such as ExpCaseros, gamers such as AlexBy11, and Star Wars fans from around the world like Chris Pirillo who bring with them a broad audience and appeal. The global lineup includes:
| 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
|
Several countries will join the live stream from YouTube Spaces (Berlin, Tokyo, London), with Star Wars commentators Anthony Carboni and Andi Gutierrez hosting the event from the YouTube Space, Los Angeles.
Fans can tune in to watch live unboxings at home or on mobile devices, and also enjoy the latest trailers on the upcoming movie, commentary from special guests, fun product videos and demos, and footage from recent Star Wars events.
The global celebration culminates at midnight local time, when many retailers around the world will open their doors to fans looking to purchase Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys, collectibles, books, apparel, and more. Additionally, select Disney Store locations around the world will take part. More details are available at the Disney Store website.
Fans are encouraged to document their experiences around the event on social media using the hashtag #ForceFriday.
Star Wars Force Friday Teaser:
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has a December 18, 2015 release directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer.
Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer:
