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Final 'Star Wars' Caps Moneymaking Empire
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Hasbro Inc., which is licensed to sell "Star Wars" toys, has produced an entire line of "Sith" toys to augment its classic "Star Wars" toys. The company has even created a version of its popular Mr. Potato Head doll, called "Darth Tater."
Face it: No one is afraid of Darth Tater.
Allowing Darth to become warm and fuzzy may send Lucasfilm perilously near the Dark Side, warned one brand analyst.
"Sony remade 'Godzilla,' and it was a different and darker movie," said Mark Coopersmith, head of strategy at San Francisco brand shop Addis. "The merchandising did not do well. As a result, not only was the box office not what Sony expected, but you saw 'Godzilla' merchandise available at 75 percent off where you went.
"It is possible to over-merchandise or merchandise in the wrong way," he said.
Then there is the question of audience. Lucas has said that "Sith" is too violent for children and has discouraged parents from taking them to the film.
But he's marketing it to "pre-school children," said Linn, the psychologist. "Hasbro [has] . . . toys for children as young as four. It's hard to see it as anything but a little disingenuous." Lego sells "Star Wars" toys for children as young as seven.
"In many interviews, George has said this is a tragedy, and he wanted to give it the right tone and right amount of darkness it deserves," said Lucasfilm spokeswoman Lynn Fox. "Parents know that 'Star Wars' has been a positive influence on kids for generations. There are many children under the age of 13 who will enjoy this movie. We just feel it's up to the parents to decide."
