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THE FILMS ARE FINISHED, BUT THE SAGA OF SALES CONTINUES
A marketing force lives on
STEPHANIE KANG
Wall Street Journal
It took "Star Wars" creator George Lucas six feature films to tell the big-screen story of Darth Vader and his kin. But since the franchise began in 1977, Lucas has never told moviegoers what happened in the period between the films' trilogies.
Fans will get answers next year when Lucasfilm Ltd. releases a video game based on that unexploited time in the "Star Wars" continuum. With razzle-dazzle effects, the game will be the main platform for an accompanying line of action figures and vehicles from longtime "Star Wars" partner Hasbro Inc. A print and television advertising campaign will precede the game launch, piggybacking on the 30th anniversary of the franchise.
It's the kind of push usually reserved for a new "Star Wars" film. Lucas, of course, has said he won't make any more of those. He does, however, plan to keep the movie's merchandising empire rolling -- a strategy that is dependent on generating new stories and fresh approaches to the iconic characters and their world.
So the game is set in the period between "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope," during the rise of the rebellion against Darth Vader and the Empire. Jim Ward, president of LucasArts, the video game unit of Lucasfilm, says players will discover new pieces of the "Star Wars" story that help fill in the blanks.
Of course, the "Star Wars" universe has long been peppered with comics, novels and other ancillary products that riffed off Lucas' films. The stable of nonmovie storylines became so big that it spawned its own moniker: "expanded Star Wars universe," encompassing everything not directly mentioned in the movies. Lucasfilm says sales of "Star Wars" merchandise topped $12 billion since its inception in 1977, about three times the world-wide box office for all six movies combined.
Lucasfilm's blueprint for successfully managing an aging movie franchise is desirable for other studios to copy, but the strategy is difficult to replicate, says Charles Riotto, president of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association. "There aren't that many properties out there that have that kind of longevity" and necessary fan base, he says.
Experts say "Star Wars" goods have shown surprising strength this year despite the absence of a new movie -- even beating merchandise from summer flicks such as "Cars," "Superman Returns" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." "Star Wars" is the top seller so far this year of action figures and the biggest merchandiser for boys' toys, according to market-research firm NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y. Lucasfilm's head of licensing, Howard Roffman, says it is selling more than double its nearest movie-merchandise competitor this summer, "Cars."
Nonetheless, the sales engine is starting to slow. Last month, Hasbro said sales of "Star Wars" merchandise dropped $84.8 million in its second quarter from the year-earlier period, when the last installment of the "Star Wars" franchise opened in theaters. Lucasfilm says it licenses 10,000 products but is trimming back the assortment in categories such as apparel, backpacks and bed linens.
Toy retailers such as Toys "R" Us continue to push the brand, timing marketing efforts around big video game or DVD releases.
Still, it is clear that Lucasfilm faces challenges without a future new film driving fan interest. Industry observers say that fan interest waned during the nearly 20-year period between the first and second trilogies, something that Lucasfilm and its partners hope to avoid this time around.
To keep interest going, the company is creating a children's television animated series set during the heyday of the Jedi world, between "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." In 2008, the company will launch an accompanying toy line linked to the new characters of the series.
Then there's a nine-novel series that follows Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and other main characters 25 years after "Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi." The first book, "Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Betrayal," was released in May and spent about a month on The New York Times best-seller list.
Hasbro and other licensees such as Master Replicas Inc. have expanded their line of collector merchandise, which Lucasfilm says appeals to a broader range of fans -- from children watching the series for the first time to adults who have been "Star Wars" junkies for decades.
The future success of Lucasfilm's strategy will depend on hooking young fans such as Layton Malmstrom. The 8-year-old became obsessed with "Star Wars" after watching "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope" a few years ago. His recent birthday party in Phoenix featured a "Star Wars" theme and his presents included toys such as the new Star Wars Transformers and the latest Millennium Falcon vehicle set.
"I just decided to find out what `Star Wars' was like," Layton says. "I just loved it so much and then I got every single episode."
He's since added video games to his menagerie of more than 100 different "Star Wars" toys. He's a fan club member and an avid reader of "Star Wars" fan magazines. "I wanted to go to the next step," he says.
you know that video that lucas arts asked to remove could be this
A marketing force lives on
STEPHANIE KANG
Wall Street Journal
It took "Star Wars" creator George Lucas six feature films to tell the big-screen story of Darth Vader and his kin. But since the franchise began in 1977, Lucas has never told moviegoers what happened in the period between the films' trilogies.
Fans will get answers next year when Lucasfilm Ltd. releases a video game based on that unexploited time in the "Star Wars" continuum. With razzle-dazzle effects, the game will be the main platform for an accompanying line of action figures and vehicles from longtime "Star Wars" partner Hasbro Inc. A print and television advertising campaign will precede the game launch, piggybacking on the 30th anniversary of the franchise.
It's the kind of push usually reserved for a new "Star Wars" film. Lucas, of course, has said he won't make any more of those. He does, however, plan to keep the movie's merchandising empire rolling -- a strategy that is dependent on generating new stories and fresh approaches to the iconic characters and their world.
So the game is set in the period between "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope," during the rise of the rebellion against Darth Vader and the Empire. Jim Ward, president of LucasArts, the video game unit of Lucasfilm, says players will discover new pieces of the "Star Wars" story that help fill in the blanks.
Of course, the "Star Wars" universe has long been peppered with comics, novels and other ancillary products that riffed off Lucas' films. The stable of nonmovie storylines became so big that it spawned its own moniker: "expanded Star Wars universe," encompassing everything not directly mentioned in the movies. Lucasfilm says sales of "Star Wars" merchandise topped $12 billion since its inception in 1977, about three times the world-wide box office for all six movies combined.
Lucasfilm's blueprint for successfully managing an aging movie franchise is desirable for other studios to copy, but the strategy is difficult to replicate, says Charles Riotto, president of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association. "There aren't that many properties out there that have that kind of longevity" and necessary fan base, he says.
Experts say "Star Wars" goods have shown surprising strength this year despite the absence of a new movie -- even beating merchandise from summer flicks such as "Cars," "Superman Returns" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." "Star Wars" is the top seller so far this year of action figures and the biggest merchandiser for boys' toys, according to market-research firm NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y. Lucasfilm's head of licensing, Howard Roffman, says it is selling more than double its nearest movie-merchandise competitor this summer, "Cars."
Nonetheless, the sales engine is starting to slow. Last month, Hasbro said sales of "Star Wars" merchandise dropped $84.8 million in its second quarter from the year-earlier period, when the last installment of the "Star Wars" franchise opened in theaters. Lucasfilm says it licenses 10,000 products but is trimming back the assortment in categories such as apparel, backpacks and bed linens.
Toy retailers such as Toys "R" Us continue to push the brand, timing marketing efforts around big video game or DVD releases.
Still, it is clear that Lucasfilm faces challenges without a future new film driving fan interest. Industry observers say that fan interest waned during the nearly 20-year period between the first and second trilogies, something that Lucasfilm and its partners hope to avoid this time around.
To keep interest going, the company is creating a children's television animated series set during the heyday of the Jedi world, between "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." In 2008, the company will launch an accompanying toy line linked to the new characters of the series.
Then there's a nine-novel series that follows Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and other main characters 25 years after "Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi." The first book, "Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Betrayal," was released in May and spent about a month on The New York Times best-seller list.
Hasbro and other licensees such as Master Replicas Inc. have expanded their line of collector merchandise, which Lucasfilm says appeals to a broader range of fans -- from children watching the series for the first time to adults who have been "Star Wars" junkies for decades.
The future success of Lucasfilm's strategy will depend on hooking young fans such as Layton Malmstrom. The 8-year-old became obsessed with "Star Wars" after watching "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope" a few years ago. His recent birthday party in Phoenix featured a "Star Wars" theme and his presents included toys such as the new Star Wars Transformers and the latest Millennium Falcon vehicle set.
"I just decided to find out what `Star Wars' was like," Layton says. "I just loved it so much and then I got every single episode."
He's since added video games to his menagerie of more than 100 different "Star Wars" toys. He's a fan club member and an avid reader of "Star Wars" fan magazines. "I wanted to go to the next step," he says.
you know that video that lucas arts asked to remove could be this