News Digest

‘The Force Awakens’ skips May the 4th for 'Force Friday,’ Sept. 4

May the 4th is upon us, but the traditional day celebrating all things Star Wars will be notable for what’s missing: anything related to the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. You can mine Etsy and similar maker sites for crafty wares based on the J.J. Abrams franchise relauncher. But in terms of official products—toys, books, clothes—nada. For that, we’ll have to wait exactly four months to Sept. 4, for what Disney is calling Force Friday. To avoid spoilers, build anticipation, and maximize hype, the Mouse House and its Lucasfilm division and all their licensing partners will flood the zone beginning with the “#ForceFriday #MidnightMadness” event at 12:01 on September 4.

This global event is a celebration of those stories. We’re excited to be part of the countdown to this enormous movie moment.

Josh Silverman, executive vice president of Disney Consumer Products

The timing of the announcement will likely stir mixed emotion for Star Wars fans. While having a target date gives them something to wait for ahead of The Force Awakens Dec. 18 release, they’ll have to make do with backward-looking swag for May 4. Among the highlights: Mattel’s news series of die-cast starships based on previous films and TV series.