While there have been leaks on Star Wars fan sites showing what will be available to buy on Force Friday, Sept. 4, Lucasfilm and Disney will not officially show off The Force Awakens products until a marathon 18-hour “global unboxing event” that starts on Thursday, Sept. 3.
The event was announced today and will begin in Sydney that morning. As the event crosses through 15 cities in 12 countries, it will get closer and closer to Force Friday, when all The Force Awakens products will be available in stores. The final live unboxing will take place at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco at 8 a.m. PDT (11 a.m. EDT).
“Star Wars toys have always played an important role in how our fans interact with the saga,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said today. “They’ve inspired multiple generations to relive the experience of the movies and to create new adventures all their own. These spectacular Star Wars: The Force Awakens products will continue that tradition.”
Each unboxing event will feature a popular member of the Maker Studios network, including EvanTubeHD (New York), Bratayley (Sydney), ExpCaseros (Mexico City), AlexBy11 (Madrid) and Chris Pirillo (San Francisco).
Here’s a preview video for the event:
The Force Awakens opens on Dec. 18.