The hype around 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is kicking into high gear — here's what Disney just announced (DIS, MSFT, AAPL, GOOG, GOOGL)
Disney
We're still a few months out from the December 15th premiere of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." But the hype begins now.
On Friday, September 1st, Disney will hold "Force Friday II," the official kickoff for the wave of "The Last Jedi" merchandise and marketing that will carry us through the holiday season. The original "Force Friday," held for 2015's "The Force Awakens," was just one day; this second go-around will last from September 1st to the 3rd.
First off, Disney is doing some very nifty things with augmented reality — the technology for combining digital imagery with the real world — to bring the "Star Wars" universe to life all over the world.
Second, prepare for a deluge of new "Star Wars" action figures, droids, drones, and other goodies. That includes a $199 augmented reality headset, developed by Disney and Lenovo, that serves as an amazing example of what Apple thinks could be the next big thing in computing.
But enough talk. You want to hear more about "Star Wars." Here we go.
On Friday, September 1st, Disney is kicking off "Force Friday II," officially marking the beginning of the hype cycle for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." To celebrate, you'll be able to use the "Star Wars" app to see Imperial Star Destroyers hovering over world-famous landmarks. Check it out.
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I'm just gonna start with my favorite thing. This is "Jedi Challenges," a $199 headset that Disney developed in conjunction with Lenovo. It projects the world of "Star Wars" all around you, using what Silicon Valley types call "augmented reality."
Matt Weinberger/Business Insider
In the demo I tried, it let you challenge Kylo Ren to a lightsaber duel, using the controller to block his blade and strike back. The battle is projected over the real world, giving the illusion that Kylo is in the room with you. It's neat, and it works well, apart from a few glitches where the system lost track of where I was holding my saber.
Disney
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