The Marketing Force Is With Disney: 'The Last Jedi' Trailer Kicks Off On ESPN 'MNF'
By Barry Janoff
October 8, 2017: A new trailer for the much-anticipated Star Wars: The Last Jedi is scheduled to break Monday night (Oct. 9) on ESPN during NFL Monday Night Football, and it’s not just Star Wars fans who are waiting for the force to be with them.
With the movie set to open Dec. 15, a Millennium Falcon filled with partners is also set to embark on a two-month countdown by unleashing the marketing power of the Star Wars galaxy.
Disney has untied the forces of its divisions for the promotion: LucasFilm teased the trailer with snippets that aired throughout Sunday (Oct. 8) on ESPN. (See trailer teaser here.)
The full trailer will air during halftime of the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears in Chicago. The brodacast is scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM (ET).
Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. is also part of the launch strategy, with the trailer scheduled to air on a giant screen outside AMC Downtown Disney 12 Theatres in the Downtown Disney District.
(A countdown is scheduled to begin at 5 PM PT, complete with a live DJ, games and giveaways, according to Disney.)
Among marketing partners that have or are ready to release The Last Jedi products are Walmart, Target, Toys ‘R Us, Hasbro, Lego, General Mills, Nissan, Verizon, Vizio, Campbell’s Soup, Royal Philips (special-edition shavers), Po-Zu footwear, Stance socks, Christian Louboutin (fashion), Gamestop, Apple, Electronic Arts, Zen Stiudios (video games and apps), State backpacks and LucasFilm Publishing.
Following the trailer launch Monday night, tickets to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi will go on sale via apps and at various online destinations, including Fandango and Atom Tickets.
Disney wants to replicate or better the success it had with a two-month ticket pre-sale lead time for The Force Awakens in 2015. More than $100 million in tickets were pre-sold for the film, released in December of that year, starting immediately after a trailer aired in mid-October, according to industry analysts.
Tickets for the most recent film in the Star Wars universe, last year’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, went on sale just a few weeks before its Dec. 16 release in theaters.
According to Disney, people who get their tickets to Star Wars: The Last Jedi via Fandango will receive a "cool gift with purchase: an exclusive film movie poster from Fandango FanShop, Fandango’s movie merchandise marketplace (while supplies last).”
Fandango said its FanShop is offering dozens of Star Wars collectibles to celebrate the tickets-on-sale date. (See site for details.)
People who purchase Star Wars: The Last Jedi tickets via the Atom Tickets app or Web site will be able to buy official Star Wars merchandise "in a single, seamless transaction and could have it shipped to their homes in time for the film’s opening weekend," according to Disney.
The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi was written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman. J.J. Abrams, Tom Karnowski and Jason McGatlin are executive producers.