When I was a young girl, my now late brother Brandon and I dressed up as Luke and Leia not once, but twice. A few years ago, I dressed my son up as Luke for Halloween. It was bittersweet; he looked a lot like my brother did when he was dressed up as Luke. When I was his age I knew that I wanted an Ewok as a pet, and I wanted to grow up to be as pretty as Princess Leia. I’m so excited about STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, and its release to theaters on December 18th: just 3 days after what would have been Brandon’s 34th birthday. I have lots of fond Star Wars Memories, including my brother pretending to be a Dark Sith Lord and whacking me in the head with a tomato stake playing “light sabers.” Has the Force awakened any memories for you? Today is Force Friday, and some fantastically fun Star Wars merchandise has hit retailers’ shelves. You can read more about it in the press release below.

Didn’t Gabe make the cutest Luke Skywalker? He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to be Luke again this year. Leia, Yoda, and a Stormtrooper might also make a family appearance.

Fans Awaken for ‘Force Friday’

More than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. open at midnight to celebrate new ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ products

Glendale, Calif. (September 4, 2015) – Today, merchandise inspired by the highly anticipated new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens launched at retailers around the globe as ‘Force Friday’ officially got underway. Hot off the heels of the 18+ hour global live unboxing event on YouTube where highlights of the new product range were officially unveiled, the celebration continued as more than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. opened their doors at midnight for fans to be among the first to discover new Star Wars products.

“We’ve been working closely with the filmmakers to bring the characters and storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to life through an exciting array of products, and we’re thrilled to share them with fans around the world,” said Leslie Ferraro, Co-Chair, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and President, Disney Consumer Products.

Starting in Sydney and ending at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media hosted an epic global live event to unveil key Star Wars: The Force Awakens products. Fans who tuned in to theStar Wars YouTube page were able to see the following toys unboxed by top digital stars from the Maker Studios network:

· Sydney: Star Wars BladeBuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber toy from Hasbro

· Tokyo: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Big Figs(31″ and 48″) from JAKKS Pacific

· Hong Kong: Hot Wheels® Star Wars character car assortment and Escape from Jakku™ Starship playset

from Mattel

· Seoul: LEGO Star Wars Poe’s X-Wing Fighter™

· Paris: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Lightsaber, a Disney Store exclusive

· Madrid: Star Wars Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer from Hasbro

· Berlin: LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle™

· London: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Elite Series die-cast figure assortment, a Disney Store exclusive

· Rio de Janeiro: Star Wars Black Series 6″ figure assortment from Hasbro

· ‘Good Morning America’ (New York): LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon™ and Star Wars BB-8 from

Sphero

· Toronto: Star Wars Remote Controlled Millennium Falcon Quad and X-Wing Starfighter from Air Hogs,

Spin Master

· Chicago: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Role Play for kids exclusive to Disney Store

· Mexico City: Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe NERF Blaster from Hasbro

· San Francisco: Star Wars Battle Action Millennium Falcon from Hasbro

· Los Angeles: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poe Dameron’s X-Wing Vehicle from Hasbro

Additionally, fans tuning in to watch ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC were treated to a fun product reveal with Jimmy and his security guard sidekick Guillermo, showcasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens Voice Changing Masks exclusive to Disney Store.

Beyond lightsabers, construction sets, figures and collectibles, fans can find products across a wide variety of categories, including apparel for all members of the family, home décor, lifestyle accessories, books and more. New Star Wars products can be found around the world at mass and specialty retailers, such as Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart, as well as Disney Store and disneystore.com.

Highlights from the merchandise line found in the U.S. include:

– A large collection of exclusive merchandise from Disney Store including role play items, talking action figures and figure play sets, along with themed apparel, tech accessories, mugs, journals and more

– J. Crew apparel for men, women and kids featuring the fan-favorite “Chewie, we’re home” scene of Chewbacca and Han Solo from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer

– A Star Wars collection of Rock & Republic® misses apparel and Mighty Fine juniors apparel offers female fans graphic tees, leggings, sweatshirts, hoodies and dresses available at Kohl’s

– The ultimate Millennium Falcon children’s bed from Pottery Barn Kids, looking like something seen from a galaxy far, far away

– A villainous take on home merchandise featuring new characters from the Dark Side, such as First Order Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren available at JCPenney

Have you purchased any Star Wars merchandise yet?

To preserve the integrity of key movie moments, an additional wave of products will be released closer to the film’s debut, when fans will be able to find additional items featuring the newest characters, including Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, BB-8 and more. On December 18, a Play Set based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, the latest installment of the best-selling “toys-to-life” video game from Disney Interactive.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

About Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media

Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that brings our company’s stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps and console games. DCPI comprises two main lines of business: Disney Consumer Products (DCP), and Disney Interactive (DI). The combined segment is home to world class teams of app and game developers, licensing and retail experts, a leading retail business (Disney Store), artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.

Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company’s activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

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STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS arrives in theaters everywhere on December 18th!