Macaroni and cheese in the shape of Darth Vader, Yoda and R2-D2? Check. Action figures? Check. A Jedi robe for your dog? You can have that, too.
Disney is pulling out all the stops ahead of the hotly anticipated release of the next film in the blockbuster Star Wars series with a massive merchandising blitz expected to reap billions of dollars.
The push to drive up excitement for the film began in earnest in September – more than three months before Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – which was partly shot in the Abu Dhabi desert last year – hits screens worldwide on December 18.
Disney tapped into the growing toy unboxing phenomenon during its Force Friday event, and the hype has been mounting ever since, with ecstatic fans snapping up advance tickets and products related to the film’s beloved characters.
“They have done a remarkable and effective job in getting people into such a state of anticipation,” said Tom Nunan, a film producer and lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
“And Disney knows that many of the items they are selling will never be opened and will be kept like an artefact or jewel that someone might sell some day.”
Experts predict that products tied to the film could bring in up to US $5 billion (Dh18.3b) in revenue for Walt Disney Company, which paid $4 billion for Star Wars creator George Lucas's Lucasfilm in 2012.
Many stores that have stocked up on Star Wars merchandise say the products are selling quickly, with interest expected to peak on the eve of the film's release in US theatres on December 18 and during the holiday gift-giving season.
"We have two aisles of Star Wars merchandise in the store, which is pretty crazy," said Jenn Scott, a sales rep at Meltdown Comics and Collectibles in Los Angeles.
“A lot of the people who are buying stuff are totally adults,” she added, pointing to the displays of action figures, baseball cards, puzzles and comics.
“We got the Funko Pop figures for the new movie as soon as they came out and we sold out immediately.”
At the entrance of the store also sits a life-size figure of Yoda, the iconic Jedi master, which is selling for $900.
Several store customers said they had already purchased tickets for the movie and were mulling which collectables to buy.
"We have watched all six Star Wars movies and we are going to see the latest one at 9.30 on the morning of December 19," said Adam Duncan, 30, as he and his pregnant wife Jennyfer debated which action figures to purchase.
They ended up buying two – Captain Phasma and Chewbacca. “She’ll definitely also watch all the movies – she has to,” added Adam, pointing to his wife’s belly.
Even pets are getting in on the craze, with owners decking their pooches and cats in Star Wars outfits, headbands and hoodies.
“The Chewbacca costumes, the Yoda costumes, the Darth Vader costumes – these are flying off the shelves right now,” said Ebony Patton, manager at a Petco store in Los Angeles.
The chain retailer Target said it had stocked up on 600 Star Wars products ranging from toys and apparel to groceries and housewares in anticipation of the holiday season.
"Star Wars was huge for us earlier this year," said Lee Henderson, a spokesman for the company. "And we expect another uptick in sales when the movie is released."
He said one of the most popular items was the BB-8 droid – new in the latest film – which is expected to be high on Christmas lists.
Experts said one added advantage for Disney was the fact that the series appeals to fans of all ages.
"Star Wars comes with a strong baseline," said Steve Pasierb, chief executive of the US Toy Industry Association, a trade organisation.
“This is a multi-generational product, so it appeals to dads and sons, mothers and daughters, families, grandparents and grandkids.”
He said Disney had done a superb job at using this loyal fan base to orchestrate its Star Wars campaign and to roll out products linked to the film at a steady pace.
“They have done it in a way that hasn’t annoyed the public,” said Pasierb. “Normally when there is a marketing blitz like that, the public will wear out. But the public has not pushed back and they have been able to do it with just the right level to peak people’s interest and keep it there.”
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Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
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Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Company%20profile
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Victims%20of%20the%202018%20Parkland%20school%20shooting
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
The%20Mother%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%C2%A0specs%20
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India cancels school-leaving examinations
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
