TV, Toys, Video Games, Books and Online Media Showcase Enduring Appeal of the Star Wars Saga
A new era in Star Wars entertainment has begun: Following its record-breaking October 3rd premiere on Cartoon Network, a cumulative total of more than 27 million people have seen the first three episodes of Lucasfilm Animation's weekly Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, and Star Wars has become the biggest licensed toy property of the year.
In addition to watching the series on Cartoon Network, which offers a new Clone Wars episode at 9 p.m. every Friday, fans have flocked to StarWars.com and CartoonNetwork.com to watch episodes as streaming video, and to the iTunes store, where episodes are available for $1.99 each.
The popularity of Star Wars has continued in other media, as well. Since its September 16 release, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has become the fastest-selling Star Wars video game in history, while the official novelization of the game rocketed to the top spot of the New York Times Best Sellers list in its first week of sales.
Moreover, the NPD Group reported in September that Star Wars is the No. 1 boys' toy property of 2008, and the No. 1 license overall in toys -- outselling all other licensed toys for boys, girls and pre-school kids through the first eight months of the year. Early retailer reports also indicate that Star Wars characters will once again be among the top-selling kids' costumes this Halloween. In addition, five books based on Star Wars: The Clone Wars have entered the New York Times Best Sellers lists, continuing a remarkable string of success for Star Wars publishing.
StarWars.com remains a popular entertainment destination for fans of all ages, and has demonstrated its commitment to exploring new digital frontiers by offering streaming-video episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, exclusive video commentaries, and a series of online comics that can be found nowhere else.
"Bold new entertainment like The Clone Wars and The Force Unleashed clearly re-energize the Star Wars fan base and attract new audiences as well," said Howard Roffman, president of Lucas Licensing. "No other contemporary mythology has been able to create such a vibrant array of spin-off stories that so powerfully engage the audience. I think that's why, after more than 30 years, Star Wars remains one of the most popular and robust properties in entertainment."
