More Star Trek Movie Toys Available For Pre-order [UPDATED]

While most fan attention this week is on the upcoming Star Trek movie trailer, there is big news regarding movie toys which should put collector fans into apoplexy. Today, the first pre-sale listings for Playmates mass-market 3.75” inch action figures based on the movie have shown up online, and again the toys reveal points about the film (and raise some questions).

 

First 3 3/4" Figure set
The first listings are at Entertainment Earth. They are selling a ‘set’ of 10 3.75" figures. The specific figures listed for pre-order (no photos) are:

  • Kirk in Enterprise outfit
  • Sulu in Enterprise outfit
  • Uhura in Enterprise outfit
  • Pike in Enterprise outfit
  • Spock in Enterprise outfit
  • Scotty in Enterprise outfit
  • Nero in Enterprise outfit
  • Prime Spock in Enterprise outfit
  • McCoy in cadet outfit
  • Chekov in cadet outfit

This set is available now for pre-order at EE for $62.89 (which works out to the bargain price of $6.29 per figure). Each figure will come wrapped separately on its own card.

April!
Also exciting is that the release date is April 2009, which means fans will get toys before the film and the toys can help promote the film to wider audiences.

These 3.75” action figures (similar in size to Star Wars versions) join the already announced 12” versions of Kirk, Prime Spock, and McCoy in Enterprise outfits, and Scotty in Frozen Planet outfit. These smaller figures are the ones you are likely to see at most mass market toy stores and other retail outlets. As reported recently, Playmates Toys will be releasing an Enterprise playset sized for these 3.75” figures.

Some questions
Again, we see mention of the toys as listing “Prime Spock” and “Spock," As reported last week, the script for the film describes Nimoy’s Spock as ‘Spock Prime’ to distinguish him, but it is not clear yet if that terminology is also used on the toys (it may be the other way around). It is also uncertain why Prime Spock or Nero would be featured in an “Enterprise outfit” and this may be a listing error, or perhaps it could be based on scenes in the film we are unaware of yet.

UPDATE: EE responds
Entertainment Earth has confirmed the above descriptions are the ones provided by Playmates, however EE’s Toy Evangelist (yes that is his title) Adam notes that descriptions for toys often change between ‘solicitations’ and the final product, and he cited Star Wars film toys as examples of this in the past. He also stated that EE plan to carry the full Playmates line and should have more updates coming.

More to come
The list from Entertainment Earth also bodes well for the fact that there will probably be more than one wave of action figures. It is likely that McCoy and Chekov will be offered in their Enterprise outfits later in 2009, and other characters shown in their cadet uniforms. It is customary for there to be more than one wave of toys for big motion pictures, one before the film, and at least one more at either the holiday season or with the DVD release.

Star Trek toys are back
It may surprise some fans to learn that some Star Trek motion pictures did not get action figures during the year of their initial run in theaters (Star Trek II, Star Trek IV, and Star Trek VI). The most ever small sized action figure offerings were for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (which had 12 different 3.75” action figures from MEGO), Star Trek: Generations (with 15 4” action figures from Playmates Toys), and Star Trek: First Contact (which had 11 6” action figures from Playmates Toys). It good news indeed to learn that there will be so many toys, and that some will be available at stores before the film. Nice going Paramount and Playmates Toys. To quote the Guardian of Forever, “All is as it was before.” Star Trek is back!

 

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Are these the same action figures that Dark Helmet was caught playing with?

I wanted to get the Enterprise toy, but after I’ve seen the picture of the ship today… no thanks.
“If you’re going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you’re going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?”
That must be the worst joke in movie history.
I like the Uniforms and the Bridge, though!
Now let’s see the equipment…

Cool!

Spock Prime is obviously Spock + Optimus Prime.

I hope they bring back the Enterprise E and Voyager models. Anyone hear more about the Akira model that was supposed to come soon?

Anthony,

What can you tell us re: Phaser, Communicator and Tricorder toys?

Or the availability of costumes from Rubies?

Martin

Sorry, I meant John ;-)

Spocktimus Prime? awesome… He transforms into a tourbus.

Interesting that Playmates is shrinking the size of the figures slightly from the standard 4″ ones that were released throughout the 90s. Still, looking forward to seeing these in April!

Hopefully, these figures will have the same points of articulation that Star Wars or the 25th anniversary G.I. Joe figures have…I fear articulation and sculpt like the DC Infinite Heroes figures…. Come to think of it, has Playmates ever ventured into this scale of figure? Most toy companies are shifting to this scale…I don’t mind, it’s very nostalgic and at the same time with the economic crunch, in theory this should be better for the toy companies smaller scale = less plastic = lower cost….
I’m looking forward to getting these and the playsets and mixing them up with Star Wars, G.I.Joe, Hellboy, DC and any other 3.75 figures I have burried in my room….

Good lord, I am so tired of the constant negative banging of the drum. #2, you’ve seen, how many pictues of the Enterprise? 1! One damn picture, and your already going to call it quits. It’s obvious that you have been looking for a reason to hate the new movie and now that you find something you don’t like you feel vindicated. It’ unfortunate that you don’t realise how you and people like you, look to the majority of fans. It is not a flattering picture.

I am sorry if this post is out of line, but no one makes you come here and look at the pictures. I will be willing to bet that I have been a Trekker longer than you have, and have probably invested more time, emotion and money into this show than you have, and I am looking forward to the new movie. Trek Canon is a DISASTER as it is, I don’t really care if it’s a revamp or a reboot. Just let Trek come back to life.

And my birthday is in April…

#6

Thanks for the question.

It is very likely that Playmates Toys will release a phaser and a communicator (especially with a promise by them of “role playing toys” in press releases).

The Electronic Tricorder from the film is available for preorder now from some UK online retailers (such as Play.com), although they have a release date of June 2009 for the toys.

Rubies should have the costumes ready for next Halloween, especially considering that they had their Indy costumes this year.

Hey Anthony – do you have a Twitter account set up? Just wondering.

Vic

I want to be referred to from now on as Shatner_Fan_Prime.

Nice to see playmates back in on the action, I was a big fan of their figures in the 90’s

True – Art Asylum’s figures that succeeded them are possibly more accurate, (except for some recent head sculpts which are appauling!! they can’t do Kirk to save their lives….is that the “Diamond” influence??) or “serious” – by that I mean that the orginal playmates figures were ever so slighty “galactic heroes-y” – but that’s what I liked about them, they had character without being characatures, if you know what I mean.

Art Asylum should stick to the electronic ship models – which they are great at making, and are far superior to the ones Playmates produced in the past – I just would like them to do some new ones we’ve never had before (or ones they haven’t done – Defiant, Voyager, DS9 station, Reliant, Bird of Prey etc) and knock them out a bit faster perhaps.

My biggest wish would be a U.S.S Reliant that could “interact” with the TWOK Enterprise (albiet it would have to be yet another new version of this) so they could “battle” each other with the effects, lights, sounds, dialogue etc – with today’s wireless tech this could be done easily – yes, at a price – but I’d pay it!!

Plus I prefer the smaller scale (more room to display!). The Art Asylum figures tend to be a bit stoic……can’t wait to see the images on these!!

Nero in Enterprise outfit? Eh?

I love the 3 3/4″ renaissance we are current;y experiencing. Just the best scale for figure to vehicle ratio while still getting good sculpt. Something I think all Trek figures since Mego (TMP included) have lacked is playability. Maybe I’m not reflective of the current standard toy collector, but one of my main criteria for action figures is the fact they are… well, action figures. I hate sculpts that are meant to hold a particular pose for display.

Also, I can pray to the Great Bird that perhaps Playmates will do “Classic Likeness” versions of the characters!

Of course I am getting a new Enterprise when it comes out, even though I’m not crazy about the design. I collect the things. But remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion. And not liking it doesn’t make you a hater. It makes you someone with a differing opinion.

Good move Playmates for having some things available before the release of the movie.

And I sure wish that AA had more to do with this new movie. I recently got an e-mail from them thanking me for being such a loyal customer and offering to send me something for free as a show of appreciation. I’ll bet I wasn’t the only one they did that for. That’s customer service.

I can’t wait to find out how these one-line toy descriptions violate canon… ;)

Ok we do need to have a RELIANT for gods sake, enough with the Enterprise beautiful as she is the other ships need some loving too. the Reliant would be a sell out

#21

Unless there is a USS Reliant in the movie, fans will not get a Reliant from Playmates Toys as their license is limited to the feature film. However, Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys could offer a Reliant for fans. Be sure to submit your request to the Art Asylum website, especially their Q&A column.

Only 3.75 huh? Hopefully the quality is more like the SW figures, and less like the awful Indy figures…

Come on, $50 for s&h to Germany??? On the other hand, it may be available in stores over here, too. Hey, when was the last time any of you went out to a store – and I mean a real one, not some corner-store comic-book insider thing.

“Spock Prime is obviously Spock + Optimus Prime.”

Yup, and he converts into the USS SPOCK’S TIME SHIP.

BTW, I’d like to be the first to propose the official TLA (Three Letter Acronym) to follow JJ’s STAR TREK. We have TOS, TNG, VOY, DS9, and ENT; JJ’s will henceforth be known as WTF.

:-)

None of the naysayers remember that they said the same thing when TMP came out…

Spock Prime huh?

Absolutely wild speculation here- *possible spoilers* (unlikely – just thinking ahead and extrapolating here)

Maybe “Prime” refers to the timeline here. Spock “Prime” manages to travel to the new – “Alpha” (?) timeline with Nero — through some convenient and brilliantly written plot arc (thanks to Orci & Kurtzman) and sets out to save himself/his friends from certain doom at the hands of the Romulans.

This would follow the rumors of time travel and support the idea that the “Alpha” timeline is the one we are seeing presented in this movie and that the “Alpha” timeline takes the place of the “Prime” timeline (which is what we are familiar with with 1960’s ship, the Shat, et. all).

If this is true – I wouldn’t be surprised to start hearing the 60’s show/occurrences/events referred to as “Star Trek Prime”

This allows “Alpha” to have it’s own, brand new and shiny canon – complete with prime directive violations and technology/knowledge from the “Prime” future that changes certain elements of “Alpha” – like the ship, bridge, equipment etc.

okay I’m done speculating, bring on the equipment!

I wonder how long before a Star Trek comic book does a crossover story with the crews of both timelines interacting? Old and new, together?

This is the first announcement about the new film that might actually worry me, if I were superstitious…

Per John Tenuto: “It may surprise some fans to learn that some Star Trek motion pictures did not get action figures during the year of their initial run in theaters (Star Trek II, Star Trek IV, and Star Trek VI). ”

So, the films that DIDN’T have toys were the films I *liked* best. And the new film HAS toys. Hmmm…

But II and VI got their own figures within the Playmates line. I have them all here… :-)

I was hoping the new Enterprise Bridge Playset would be able to hold the figures that Playmates made in the 1990’s, but I guess not. I remember seeing a TOS Bridge Playset that Playmates made at the end of the their 1st Star Trek run. It was shown at Toy Fair but it was never entered market for some reason. Probably due to lack of interest in the Star Trek line at that time.
Hopefully if the new movie does well; Playmates will produce a new Star Trek Line of figures based on the original actors in the 3.75″ size.

…What the hell is Nero doing in an Enterprise uniform?

He’s going undercover!

Maybe. First, he shaved his head so Spocktimus Prime confused him with his buddy Jean-Luc and told him how to pull off the sun-maneuvre time ravel thing, then he had Clifton Collins chewing off his ears to infiltrate the Enterprise and place a Tribble with a nuclear bomb inside the captain’s chair. Sadly, Nero didn’t have his Star Trek Chronology with him and didn’t know that Kirky was not yet Captain of the Enterprise. It was Bruce Greenwood being blown up by placing his butt on the Tribble, ending up in a beeping wheelchair. And poor Kirky was exposed to deadly teryon radiation, making his hair fall out and causing him to grow fat, thus resotring the original TOS timeline. The Shat-man will cameo in the end as post-radiation Kirk, replacing Kirky Bruce-Banner-style.

Serious canon violation: these cost more than the toys did in the 60s.

It will be fun to see pictures of these things when they get into distribution.

I am so tired of the negativity with some of these pseudo-fans. If you can’t accept this movie with an open mind, seriously, just go away so us TRUE fans can enjoy the blog.

#37:
I will give this movie a chance. Maybe I’ll like it. Maybe I’ll hate it, or maybe I’ll find it to be kind of okay, but I will give it a chance.

#38
Hell’s yeah!

Agreed wholeheartedly #37. Your time has passed naysayers and the fans who love Star Trek in whatever incarnation it may be will rise up and love what the new chapter will bring us. Nothing great has ever been created by a negative attitude and it’s time to stop looking backwards and instead look towards the brave new world the new Supreme Court has created for us.

“I want to be referred to from now on as Shatner_Fan_Prime.”

Funny!

I think 3.75 is good cause they’ll be in scale with star wars and gi joes and the smaller size is better for vehicles and playsets

I hope they would all be available in HK. Shipping can often cost more than the toy itself…

Well, having seen the ‘E’ I can honestly say I wont be buying any renditions of it.

11.
Who made you teh proctor of who is a bigger fan. Ive been a fan since day 1. I want this movie to succeed so the franchise doesnt die. You havent been a fan longer then I have and I can up you one as I have actually WORKED on teh franchise so save your posturing. I guess you have more invested then Rick Sternback too? Right now YOURE the blowhard in thinking that somehow your opinion trumps other and typically anyone who disagrees with you must be wrong. I dont NEED to see other pics of this ship as i can plainly see the lines in the pic released and it is UGLY. And guess what? All of my friends and associates who have worked on Trek through teh years arent real thrilled either because we all have a REAL investment, much more so then you I dare say, so why dont you keep your opinions of who qualifies as a real fan to yourself.

I just laugh and laugh when someone who has been posting here for the last three minutes proclaim themselves as the “True” fans and tell the rest of us who don’t agree with them to go away.

Classic idiocy.

27. Andrew

I love you.

I’m from now on defending the Prime and Alpha timelines as both canon, and encouraging my friends who write fanfics to write a crossover betwen both.

When you deal with time travel, time is no longer lineal nor a line. Both timelines can coexist into the same canon.

#1. “Are these the same action figures that Dark Helmet was caught playing with?”

That made me laugh soo hard. xDD Spaceballs was a fantastic movie.

(Had to say that. ;P )

I’m definately getting the Enterprise toy. The thing looks awesome.

I can see a ST/SW action figure fanfilm crossover coming out of this. Han, Chewie, Luke, Leia, Lando, R2-D2, & C-3PO encounter Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc.

C-3PO(to McCoy):
Hello, sir. I am C-3PO. Human/cyborg relations and this is my counterpart, R2-D2.

McCOY:
Droids? Almost as bad as Vulcans.

SPOCK(looking at Luke’s lightsaber & Chewbaca):
Illogical.

Kirk tries to make a pass at Princess Leia.