STAR WARS was always going to be expanded under the control of Disney. If anyone thought we weren’t going to see a huge influx of products emblazoned with George Lucas‘ iconic franchise, they were dead wrong. STAR WARS: EPISODE VII is going to be a huge event across every type of merchandising, moreso than anything we have seen to date. With the new cartoon REBELS coming and other shows and spin-offs in the pipeline, it should not be a shock to know Disney already has some projects lined up to hit screens and stores very soon.
Jedi News UK has revealed a scan from a recent Disney brochure handed out at the European Brand Licensing Show that reveals not only are we getting REBELS and other LEGO STAR WARS items, but there are some Darth Vader themed specials coming to Disney XD. The plurality of specials makes me think that these will be something akin to the YODA CHRONICLES cartoons recently airing on the network. We don’t have any way of knowing if these specials are animated or live action, but the focus being on Darth Vader is news.
In the same brochure is the listing of STAR WARS: EPISODE VII with a release date of Spring/Summer 2015. We have heard everything from the traditional May release that the other films in the series have shared all the way to a potential Christmas push to allow J.J. Abrams more time to get the movie ready. Could the inclusion of Spring here mean that STAR WARS: EPISODE VII may be coming in April? That would allow enough of a cushion before the release of THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and likely give Disney up to eight straight weeks of box office dominance.
Whichever the case may be, it is cool to see how much STAR WARS is coming our way. Are you as excited as I am?