Star Wars returns: May the sales force be with you

Juliet Ross, 3 1/2, is unsure of the Star Wars Legionnaire as she waits at the Aotea Centre box office with her mother, Kirsty. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Some people can get by without owning a Chewbacca with wookiee rage action and a bowcaster for killing the enemies of Kashyyyk.

But for fans of the Force - the young and eternally young - this month's premiere of the final of the six Star Wars movies has sent them scuttling to the toy shops.

This is the last time that fans can dip their toes into the lucrative pool of film merchandising, so the shelves offer everything from jigsaw puzzles to light sabres that do everything bar slice the enemy in half.

Hasbro, which has the merchandising licence until 2018, launched the range, which includes Star Wars versions of Chess and Risk, on April 2 and already shops have had to order more of the more popular items.

Newmarket Toyworld manager AJ Bhai said his first lot of about 72 light sabres sold out in two weeks.

"At the moment it's just collectors buying. When the movies come out, it will get a lot busier and we will get the children in looking for things."

Also popular were the $15 action figures of Darth Vader and R2D2, and the talking Yoda, for about $100.

Darth Tater, the Star Wars version of Mr Potato Head, had sold out at $25 a head in two days.

"We only had 12, and there weren't many in New Zealand, only about 400, so we've all had to order more in."

The biggest set of Star Wars Lego, for the traditionalist, was on sale for $200. Some merchandise could not be found in New Zealand.

In the United States, chainstores such as Wal-Mart and Target have exclusive deals to sell some toys, such as Target's "lava reflection" Darth Vader action figure.

But New Zealand-based internet toy store arisesirtoy.com had done its best by importing collectible limited-edition figurines and costumes not available in most local shops.

New Zealand's time zone means it will be the first country to show Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which tracks Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side of the Force and the final fate of the Old Republic.

The children's charity Variety has a special fundraiser public screening in Auckland on Monday, May 16, with a laser light show, appearances by actors Keisha Castle-Hughes and Jay Laga'aia, and entertainment from the New Zealand branch of the 501st Legion of Imperial Stormtroopers.

The film will be released worldwide on May 19, with midnight screenings.

The Observer estimates that Star Wars is the most hyped merchandising event ever, earning about 1.57 billion for its creator, George Lucas, since 1977.

In the United States, the launch of Revenge of the Sith toys prompted one fan to declare that "being a Star Wars fan is all about lining up for something".

The Observer reported in London that it took just 4 1/2 minutes for the 1330 tickets to the first public showing at the UCI Empire to sell out, and some fans had queued for 70 hours.

Tickets went on sale nationally at the beginning of April and there were still seats for the midnight screenings at most cinemas.

Although Episode III may just mean a few hours in a dark theatre for some, for others the launch of a new movie becomes a fulltime job.

Matt Glasgow, founder of the fan website www.swnz.co.nz, has just returned from the biggest-ever Star Wars convention in Indianapolis, where he spoke on international Star Wars collectibles.

He estimates he spends about 15 hours a week updating the website, and more time working on publicity.

There is a certain sadness for him in Episode III.

"It's going to be a strange atmosphere afterwards. It's been with us for so long now and this is the last movie. Who knows what will happen now?"

Tickets for the Variety fundraiser, screening at Newmarket's Village SkyCity Cinema, are on sale at Ticketek for $49.

BIG DRAW

* Star Wars is the second-highest-grossing film series of all time (behind James Bond), generating nearly US$3.4 billion ($4.7 billion) in global box-office revenue and an estimated US$9 billion in retail sales.

* The original film in 1977 was the first to make US$300 million at the US box office.