Global entertainment giant Disney, in collaboration with retailers such as Walmart and Toys R Us and licensees including Lego, launched an array of products – including figures, toys, models of space craft, clothing, accessories and even home furniture – related to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens film.
The product range was unveiled in Sydney at the midnight on September 5 with stores opening especially to sell Star Wars merchandise, followed by similar openings across the globe. The global Star Wars merchandising event dubbed as ‘Force Friday’ finished in San Francisco 18 hours later.
Disney stores worldwide were the focal point of Force Friday, designed to build up anticipation ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18.
In 2012 Disney bought Lucasfilms, the studio behind the Star Wars series and The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars movie to be released after that acquisition.