Ever since Disney began producing new Star Wars movies, the release of the films themselves wasn't the only exciting thing to look forward to. Months before each feature arrived in theaters, new toys and other assorted merchandise would hit store shelves simultaneously, on what was dubbed Force Friday.
Now, in anticipation of the December release of director J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode IX, Disney has announced that next Force Friday will fall on Oct. 4. But it won't just be your typical Force Friday event; this time, Disney is delivering a triple threat with Triple Force Friday.
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In addition to Episode IX, new toys will debut for Jon Favreau's upcoming Disney+ series The Mandalorian, as well as the new EA game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
"This is truly an epic moment for fans, families and retailers as products for two of the biggest-ever entertainment franchises hit shelves simultaneously," Ken Potrock, Disney's president of Consumer Products Commercialization, said in a statement. “We’ll be working with our partners to create suitably spectacular celebrations for each, in line with the excitement and anticipation of the legions of Star Wars and Frozen fans around the globe.”
The details for the event are still being kept under wraps, but more information will be available as Oct. 4 gets closer.
Here are the details from the official press release:
TRIPLE FORCE FRIDAY
Triple Force Friday will celebrate the launch of a whole range of brand-new products from a trio of original Star Wars entertainment events, including products inspired by:
- The highly anticipated, final installment of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode IX
- The first-ever Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, set to debut exclusively on the upcoming streaming service, Disney+.
- The latest title from EA and Respawn – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – a brand-new action adventure game releasing Holiday 2019
As Star Wars fans have come to anticipate, products spanning categories from toys to collectibles, housewares, books, apparel and more will go on sale beginning at 12:01 a.m. on October 4, 2019. Stores around the world will join the festivities with in-store events and midnight openings.
Commemorating merchandise introduced in advance of the episodic films, Triple Force Friday is an anticipated event for Star Wars fans around the world. Past iterations, including a live unboxing event that rolled through 15 cities worldwide in 2015 and a global in-store digital scavenger hunt using augmented reality technology in 2017, brought out millions of people who shared their experiences.
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Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: Episode IX stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Matt Smith, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film is scheduled to open on December 20. The Mandalorian, created by Jon Favreau, does not have a release date yet, although it's expected to drop sometime in 2019.