Star Wars Episode VIII - The Last Jedi *spoilers from Post 2857*

Theboinkmaster

david75 wrote: »

So a few weeks ago I read this supposed leak of the storyline for TLJ and thought it was nonsense and too mental.
Now this toy set appears and it kinda hints that the leak might actually be the real deal.

Can you please avoid embedding spoiler pictures please.

Tony EH

conorhal wrote: »

Disney it appears are minting it from licencing, but the toy manufacturers and retailers however aren't too happy.
Many licensees seem to have over paid for licencing and the projected sales never met targets. The boyancy of the 2015 market doesn't seem to have been maintained.
There are reports of a LOT of merch sitting on the shelves (and in the discount bins where you rarely saw Starwars product before). Part of this is down to competition, Starwars is hardly the only merchandising game in town these days, but there was also an excess of licences for stuff that didn't sell. Lego appears to have done well but the action figures and other merch haven't moved as anticipated. There have alos been complaints about the quality and collectors are not buying the premium merch either.
There seems to be a serious 'brand decline' experienced by retailers regards the Starwars universe, but I'm not sure what that says about the Starwars brand as a whole, though apathy towards the toy lines could be a canary in the coal mines that Disney's approach isn't winning hearts and minds so much as pumping out product.

There's some truth to this, but I'm not too sure it's quite so doom and gloom.

For some reason, I've started looking into the action figure side of things and there's a whole world of collecting that I wasn't really aware of that much. People really get into that stuff on an epic level.

Anyway, it appears from stuff I've read online that the likes of Hasbro have made obscene money from their 'Black Series' alone, but still experience so-called "peg warmers" every now and again. Finn being a great example, who can still be found in Walmarts all over America since 2015. Other Black Series figures sell out in a matter of minutes. The fan requested Darth Revan (I've no idea who that is really) was nowhere to be found about a week after release. Boba Fett was snapped up in quick time too and his secondary market today reaches about $90.

Thing is, the likes of Hasbro don't see the loss. They get the money for their run because they've already sold the toys. But the retailers may be stuck with plastic they can't shift, even when they knock the price down from the RRP od 19.99 to 7.99. This may have a knockback on Hasbro, of course, when shops say "Don't send us any more Finn figures please".

In any case, the likes of Bandai, Hasbro and Lego are doing great out of Star Wars toys and model kits. I don't know whether that can be said for every toy/merch manufacturer. But, the problem is is that there are too many of them out there today. I think Disney themselves have had to cancel (or at least rein in) their own line of die cast figures, becasue they couldn't shift them. But, from what I read, those were brought in to a.) compete with Hasbro's 6 inch Black Series line, which wasn't a good idea. And b.) they were rubbish.

I think Disney just over estimated the merchandise market when they pumped out stuff for 'The Force Awakens' and have, perhaps, been taught a harsh lesson. That's not to say they're in the red. They just haven't got as much out of it as they thought they would.

In any case, I think the strong, aforementioned, performers will continue to do well. But I'm not sure that the same can be said for eveyone who sticks a Star Wars logo on something.

david75

Tony EH wrote: »

There's some truth to this, but I'm not too sure it's quite so doom and gloom.

For some reason, I've started looking into the action figure side of things and there's a whole world of collecting that I wasn't really aware of that much. People really get into that stuff on an epic level.

Anyway, it appears from stuff I've read online that the likes of Hasbro have made obscene money from their 'Black Series' alone, but still experience so-called "peg warmers" every now and again. Finn being a great example, who can still be found in Walmarts all over America since 2015. Other Black Series figures sell out in a matter of minutes. The fan requested Darth Revan (I've no idea who that is really) was nowhere to be found about a week after release. Boba Fett was snapped up in quick time too and his secondary market today reaches about $90.

Thing is, the likes of Hasbro don't see the loss. They get the money for their run because they've already sold the toys. But the retailers may be stuck with plastic they can't shift, even when they knock the price down from the RRP od 19.99 to 7.99. This may have a knockback on Hasbro, of course, when shops say "Don't send us any more Finn figures please".

In any case, the likes of Bandai, Hasbro and Lego are doing great out of Star Wars toys and model kits. I don't know whether that can be said for every toy/merch manufacturer. But, the problem is is that there are too many of them out there today. I think Disney themselves have had to cancel (or at least rein in) their own line of die cast figures, becasue they couldn't shift them. But, from what I read, those were brought in to a.) compete with Hasbro's 6 inch Black Series line, which wasn't a good idea. And b.) they were rubbish.

I think Disney just over estimated the merchandise market when they pumped out stuff for 'The Force Awakens' and have, perhaps, been taught a harsh lesson. That's not to say they're in the red. They just haven't got as much out of it as they thought they would.

In any case, I think the strong, aforementioned, performers will continue to do well. But I'm not sure that the same can be said for eveyone who sticks a Star Wars logo on something.

This is already happening though and has been since Disney took over.
Prior to that they'd put Star Wars on literally anything and everything willy nilly with no thought whatsoever. There's an entire museum called rancho obi wan dedicated to amassing all that stuff and they have a colossal Collection and they still don't have everything.

Disney stepped in and immediately stopped their own cross branding (myriad mickey mouse as darth Vader / Donald Duck as Yoda etc etc etc ) they called halt to the whole thing as it cheapened the Star Wars brand and just began to carefully and gingerly grant licences, the same way they've been ultra protective of their own original properties.


The quality of the official toy line and merchandise has become top tier and the numbers available have become painfully limited. Ask any collector. They are not flooding the market by no means.

I'd love a Luke X Wing fatigues Star Wars celebration special. Currently going for $300 on eBay/secondary market. They know severe lack of supply drives up the market value like crazy.

So any accusation they're flooding the various markets is wrong. It's worth more to them as a brand down to the last action figure if it has an attached rarity.

Cantona's Collars

https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/722429181167054850

After the above pic started rumours of cameos,John Boyega gave some info on who might be making surprise appearances.

Boyega appeared on BBC Radio 4 today (August 18) to talk about new movie Detroit, but of course talk turned to Star Wars and he was asked if the Princes had lines during their cameos. "I think they took that scene out," he joked (via ScreenDaily).

"I've had enough with those secrets. They came on set. They were there. I'm sick of hiding it. I think it was leaked, anyway. There were images. Every time I get asked, I have to dodge it. I'm tired of dodging it. They were there. So was Tom Hardy."

http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/star-wars/news/a835931/star-wars-the-last-jedi-tom-hardy-cameo-john-boyega-confirms/

david75

Fvcking brits comin into our galaxy and ruining our film

J Mysterio

Ah, the British Empire strike again.

py2006

Sigh...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU7UcttzZzA

Tony EH

"Begun...the Porg sales have..."

david75

It's somehow news to you that there would be toys from the upcoming Star Wars film?
Betcha you lads are gonna love the porgs. Wait n see

py2006

david75 wrote: »

It's somehow news to you that there would be toys from the upcoming Star Wars film?
Betcha you lads are gonna love the porgs. Wait n see

News that there would be toys??

In fairness I didn't hate Ewoks as much as the rest

El Duda

OMG

I can't believe they are making toys for kids, based on a Star Wars film. This is a disgrace. The old films weren't like this...

py2006

Wow, way to miss the point...

brianregan09

So no actual news about the film then , just childish discussion and arguing about selling a child's toy........... same people were probably chasing around after there remote controlled BB8 Christmas before last

py2006

Eh, ok let me clarify!

Based on earlier discussion, these new creatures to some of us appear pretty lame and very disney and hopefully not an omen for things to come...

david75

py2006 wrote: »

Wow, way to miss the point...

What was the point again? Only point I saw being made was this film is going to be terrible based solely on a poorly informed assumption that some little bird alien was being put it in it purely to sell toys.

When in fact the puffins of skellig were interfering with every shot filmed by being in the background, the crew weren't allowed touch them, it's a protected environment and they are too and they kept flying by in the background, so the director just decided to incorporate them and adjust them to fit the story.

But they made toys!!! Waaaah! Star Wars is ruined!!!

Tony EH

david75 wrote: »

What was the point again? Only point I saw being made was this film is going to be terrible based solely on a poorly informed assumption that some little bird alien was being put it in it purely to sell toys.

Absolutely nobody has said that.

Now, stop yer messin, or Princess Leia will be around to smack yer arse.

david75

Tony EH wrote: »

Absolutely nobody has said that.

Now, stop yer messin, or Princess Leia will be around to smack yer arse.

I have powerful friends. You're going to regret that.

david75

Tony EH wrote: »

Absolutely nobody has said that.

Now, stop yer messin, or Princess Leia will be around to smack yer arse.

Ps there's what, 2 or 3 pages of people complaining about porgs/Disney want to sell toys.

Tony EH

You're missing the point David. People aren't saying that Pffft, Disney want to sell toys, or that it'll ruin the picture.

However, it's the obvious "toy first" aspect of the Porg that folk are rolling their eyes at.

david75

Tony EH wrote: »

You're missing the point David. People aren't saying that Pffft, Disney want to sell toys, or that it'll ruin the picture.

However, it's the obvious "toy first" aspect of the Porg that folk are rolling their eyes at.

Star Wars and toys aren't symbotic despite appearances. The vast majority of people who see Star Wars don't own any toys. A great many people do get into it. That's grand. But we're not being made to buy the toys nor is the films narrative or success dependent on the toys being sold nor the story being told dependent on them to make its point.

This is like the jj/ lensflare thing. People use that one tick to write him off and define him. Star Wars isn't just toys. If that all people choose to see they're also choosing not to pay even a bit of attention to the story and what's going on in the story and that's really unfair to everyone making these films.

david75

Ok. So they're already garden gnomes. I'm out.

brianregan09

david75 wrote: »

Ok. So they're already garden gnomes. I'm out.

See ya opening night :rolleyes::rolleyes:

pauldla

david75 wrote: »

I have powerful friends. You're going to regret that.

Don't frighten us with your sorcerers ways....

david75

I find your lack of faith disturbing

Falthyron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ793fo6jxo

Really? I mean, really? The Force Awakens struggles to ditch the 'soft reboot' label and now The Last Jedi will have newer versions of the AT-AT (which first appeared in Empire) and, what effectively looks like, a Super Star Destroyer (which also first appeared in Empire). Rey training with a Jedi Master on a remote, obscure planet, the Resistance fighting to survive against the loss of numerous key planets, and a mysterious mission to a city that could be seen as, at the very least, an homage to Bespin, all allude to similar tropes and contain a strong familiarity with Empire. To top it all off, we are going to find out the parentage of the main character too...

This is becoming a little concerning.

david75

Meh. That's background stuff. Ships and locations. The story has to take place somewhere. They have to use ships to get there/ tell the story. They're pushing the message hard that this isnt what we expect and will shock us. Least your concern is legitimate and you're not freaking out about a porg

People are going to say this is a rip of Empire regardless of how different(or not?) it is.

Tony EH

Falthyron wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ793fo6jxo

Really? I mean, really? The Force Awakens struggles to ditch the 'soft reboot' label and now The Last Jedi will have newer versions of the AT-AT (which first appeared in Empire) and, what effectively looks like, a Super Star Destroyer (which also first appeared in Empire). Rey training with a Jedi Master on a remote, obscure planet, the Resistance fighting to survive against the loss of numerous key planets, and a mysterious mission to a city that could be seen as, at the very least, an homage to Bespin, all allude to similar tropes and contain a strong familiarity with Empire. To top it all off, we are going to find out the parentage of the main character too...

This is becoming a little concerning.

It's as people expected really.

There was 0 creativity or originality on display in 'The Force Awakens'. Absolutely 0. 'The Last Jedi' could very well go down the same route, but I don't think Disney will get a free pass like the last time.

'The Force Awakens' gave us TIE fighters and X-Wings with a new paint job. 'The Last Jedi' is going to give us rejigged AT-AT's and a battle with smaller craft on a white planet - a la the Battle of Hoth.

A child could come up with more original creations.

It really is like they just couldn't be arsed.

Dont be at yourself

The original Star Wars also recycled a load of tropes -- they jut happened to be cribbed from samurai films and 1953s matinees, and WWII movies.

Wedwood

Lucas said previously his two trilogies 'rhymed', so it's likely this trilogy will as well. Phantom menace had similar plot points to Star Wars throughout - e.g. desert planet early in the film, climatic space battle with a Death Star type of ship, followed by celebratory parade with the heroes at the top of steps. Similar 'rhymes' in both 'Clones' and 'Sith'.

david75

A tank in the modern day warfare setting doesn't look all that different from a tank from World War Two. Star Wars has a very defined design language across all its assets including or maybe especially ships and vehicles. That's not lack of creativity. That's sticking to the established aesthetic.