Join the Star Wars: The Force Awakens World Wide Event
StarWars.com has just announced Disney/Lucasfilm’s plan for the global launch of Force Friday, September 4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise will be unveiled in what is being hailed as “The world’s first ever global live toy unboxing event.” Running for 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries around the world, the event will have a New Year’s Eve style celebration.
Lucasfilm President and Star Wars: The Force Awakens producer — Kathleen Kennedy — had this to say:
"“Star Wars toys have always played an important role in how our fans interact with the saga. 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 Awakens products will continue that tradition.”"
The event will start in Sydney, Australia, on the morning of September 3 (next week), and will continue through:
- Asia
- Europe
- Canada
- North America
- South America
Speaking to StarWars.com, Disney Consumer Products President — Leslie Ferraro — expounded on the event’s details:
"“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. We’ve seen tremendous excitement for these new products and can’t wait to see the global reaction from the Star Wars fan community.”"
There will be a live-stream hosted on the Star Wars YouTube channel, which starts with the first toy unboxing in Sydney, Australia at 7:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, September 3rd, which is 5:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 2. The grand finale will be held at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8 a.m. PDT (11 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, September 3, with all 15 locations revealing new products inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The full schedule is also available at StarWars.com, and here’s a list of country, time, and YouTube personality who will be on hand for the event:
| 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 |
Fans can follow the events, and even take part, by using the Twitter hashtag — #ForceFriday — so that you can share your experiences with the rest of the world. This is an unprecedented event, and should be an amazing experience for everyone involved.
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