From the classic lightsabers to the newest Porg and Baby Yoda merch, Star Wars merchandise has taken the world by storm. But have you ever wondered how Hasbro decides which toys to make, and why it sometimes takes forever for them to hit the shelves?
Hasbro, the world’s largest toy maker, is in charge of creating all the Star Wars toys and action figures that have become standard holiday gifts for millions of children around the world. Getting the toys ready for launch requires an epic creative journey that starts far before a figure ever reaches the shelves.
The processes starts with meetings between Hasbro and top executives in the Lucasfilm Story Group. During the brainstorm sessions, Hasbro’s “Star Wars Brand Team” works with Lucasfilm to fill out longlists of characters and vehicles from across the entire Star Wars canon, from the original trilogy onward.
The “longlist” is then narrowed down by a voting process before a “shortlist” is created that includes the characters and vehicles that Hasbro will consider for production. Things like the character’s importance in the story line, fan interest, marketing considerations, and the potential play opportunities for the figures are all taken into consideration.
Once the “shortlist” of characters and vehicles is decided, Hasbro’s “Development Group” begins to work with Lucasfilm and The Joe Johnston Creature Shops to create the design and styling of the figures and vehicles. This process includes reviewing and approving the 3D computer models used to create the figures, as well as selecting the colors and materials used for each product. During this stage, Lucasfilm also works with Hasbro to determine the features and details of figures, accessories, and vehicles that the consumer will eventually find in stores.
The designs are then prototyped and tested to make sure all of the kinks are worked out and approved by both Hasbro and Lucasfilm. This makes sure that the final toys look and feel like Star Wars characters to the fans.
Finally, after months and sometimes years of hard work and collaboration between Hasbro, Lucasfilm, and The Joe Johnston Creature Shops, the new batch of Star Wars toys is ready to hit store shelves.
If you’ve ever wondered why it takes so long for new Star Wars toys to come out, you can now rest easy knowing that the journey behind each toy is a lengthy but detailed process, and that Hasbro stands for excellence in toy-making.
