New Star Wars Product To Launch At Toys R Us With Midnight Opening Events

The Force hasn't awoken just yet, but Toy R Us is getting ready to stir the sleeping giant with new updates for Force Friday.

Force Friday, which hits on September 4, is when Toy R Us retailers around the galaxy (or U.S.) will release a Star Destroyer's worth of toys and products for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Every participating Toys R Us will open at the stroke of midnight, letting diehard Star Wars fans grab the new merchandise at the first chance they get.

Toys R Us' flagship store in Times Square, New York, is where the event's real rebel base is at, however. The massive store will jump-start the fanfare on Thursday, September 3, with a day's worth of Star Wars events and activities before the toys hit shelves. The newly-updated list is below

·A book signing and meet and greet with Steve Sansweet, Chief Executive Officer and President of Rancho Obi-Wan, Inc., storied Star Wars author and former Head of Fan Relations and Director of Content Management at Lucasfilm Ltd.
·An art class and meet and greet with fan-favorite Star Wars and science fiction artist, Jeff Carlisle.
·Star Wars product demonstrations and activations throughout the store, including Star Wars-themed 3-D action figure creation with 3D Plus Me, video gaming on Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars kiosks and experiencing intergalactic sound on Star Wars-themed headphones powered by SMS Audio.
·A LEGO Star Wars make and take for rebels looking to build their toy empire brick by brick.
·A Light Saber Academy with members of New York Jedi, a community of cosplayers, martial artists and teachers who share practical stage combat techniques oriented toward Light Sabers.
· Photo opportunities with costumed characters, including Furbacca, a character versioned after the Hasbro® toy that makes wookiee sounds like CHEWBACCA, Geoffrey the Giraffe and more.
· Ice cream flavors inspired by the Star Wars Saga from Scoops"R"Us™, the flagship store's in-house ice cream shop located on the Lower Level.
·Star Wars-themed cookie decorating at a "Wookiee" Cookie Party on Level 1.
·Special giveaways for the first fans in line, including a Collector's Edition LEGO Star Wars Commemorative Brick, an exclusive, limited edition Star Wars poster and a Star Wars Character Flashlight from JAKKS Pacific.***
·Star Wars trivia, a costume contest and a galaxy of excitement and prizes, while supplies last, for those fanatics waiting in line.
· A panel discussion with Steve Sansweet and Jeff Carlisle for select lucky fans, which will also be livestreamed via Periscope @Toysrus on Twitter.
·The ultimate unveiling of the official Toys"R"Us Times Square Star Wars feature shop at 12:01am on Force Friday, September 4.

But before that even starst, Toys R Us will open a specially-curated exhibition of history's greatest Star Wars Toys and collectibles on August 26. The exhibition is curated by Rancho Obi-Wan, Inc., a non-profit museum that houses the Guinness World Record-certified largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia.

With that Stars Wars product and celebration in tow, the wait for December should be a little less painful. Will you attend Force Friday? Let us know in the comments!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18.