Last January Trekmovie.com broke the news that Playmates Toys would be returning to the world of Star Trek toys for the next Star Trek feature film. Since their official announcement in February, Playmates has been quiet about their plans. But this week they have started to reveal the slightest details about their plans for toys the Star Trek movie.
Playmates Toys "Gives the Word"
To promote their wares at the Toy Industry Association’s "Fall Toy Preview" conference in Dallas, earlier this week, Playmates Toys released a PR statement which offers the first details about the Star Trek playsets that will be available this Spring. In a press release titled "Powerhouse Entertainment Franchises Headline Playmates Toys Slate for 2009" the company lists Star Trek first (rightly so, I might add!) among other properties such as Terminator Salvation. The press release states:
In anticipation of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming feature film, the J.J. Abrams-directed STAR TREK debuting May 8, 2009, Playmates Toys beams up a collectible line-up of all new STAR TREK toys. Capturing the cutting-edge look and feel of the new adventure, the company has designed life-like articulated figures, iconic vehicles, intricately detailed playsets and exciting role-play toys to extend the movie’s magic beyond the silver screen. Kids will boldly go where no one has gone before, re-creating their very own Enterprise Transporter Room and Bridge playsets, featuring real working parts and accessories packed out with figures that allow them to create brand new STAR TREK adventures.
This is the first official confirmation that the line will include both the USS Enterprise transporter room and bridge as playsets. The only other past Trek film to do a bridge playset scaled to action figures was Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 (other bridge playsets of the past include the 1975 MEGO TV show playset, the 1993 Playmates TNG version, and a 2001 Art Asylum NX-01 deluxe set).
1979 TMP Playset
A big line for a big movie
Based on official releases from Playmates the following items are confirmed for 2009:
- 3.75" action figures with accessories
- Enterprise Transporter Room playset (compatible with the 3.75" action figures)
- Bridge playset (compatible with the 3.75 action figures)
- 12" scale collector figures with accessories
- USS Enterprise toy replica with "realistic features and details"
- Role playing toys (rumored to include a "utility belt" styled role playing kit)
TrekMovie has also received reports that the role playing toys include a phaser, tricorder, communicator and a utility belt, but Playmates will not confirm this at this time. Retailers also expect a 6" figure line, but Playmates will not confirm this either. Earlier this year there was also a report from the German Toyfair that mentioned there would be an ‘alien’ ship, which is likely Nero’s Romulan ship.
When will fans see the toys?
Playmates Toys has been careful not to show the toys to anyone except those in the industry (retailers and others who need to know in order to place orders for the toys in the Spring). When will fans get their first look at the toys? The most likely public reveal will be at the February 2009 New York Toy Fair, although this is speculation. It is also possible that there may be images in ordering catalogs such as Previews (which are obtained from comic book stores) around the same time.
One of the main reasons to date to keep the toys under wraps has been that they would have revealed unseen elements of the movie. However now that the world has seen the uniforms and the bridge of the Enterprise, this element is diminished. It will be even more diminished by November when the trailer is released.
Trek back to big retailers
The good news is that Playmates Toys has a presence in major retail stores such as Toys R Us, and this means that once again, in April and May of 2009, fans will be able to see Star Trek toys lining the shelves of their local stores. TrekMovie has already received unconfirmed reports that Toys R Us is already planning their Star Trek plans for 2009 with Playmates, Mattel and more. It is going to be great to see Trek back at these retailers.
Toys R US Ad for Star Trek from 1975
Thanks to Plaid Stallions and the MEGO Museum online () for images
Missed out on many of those as a kid so looking forward to what they come out with.
*SPOILER* Omg there is a transporter room in the new movie!
I have 2 kids that will help me justify buying toys to the wife.
My 2 year-old daughter loves Spock and “The Captain”.
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Sadly, it’s always been a dream of mine to collect all of the Playmates action figures of old… and all of the Art Asylum ones as well… not to mention the Mego… Okay, fine, I’m insane and want every Star Trek action figure ever made. Sigh.
Unfortunately, the Mego and Art Asylum action figures don’t look anything like the Playmates action figures, and as such are NOT CANON!
;-P
Just what I need. More “Kirks.” Thanks, Playmates…
;)
wonderful! that will bring me back to the excitement of going christmas shopping and seeing a phaser or tricorder in the toy aisle lol…great news
Please…please sell that toy phaser that changes color from stun to kill : )
As long as they make electronic replicas of the starships!
I already have TOS action figures from TOS in both playmates and art asylum and the art asylum ones are cool
Toys!
There are times when I can’t get over the fact that Trek toys still excite me.
48 and getting younger…. :)
but if I understood it, they will be the size of star wars figures but not old figurines playmates 90s? oh! no!!
not that I go for the figures (though I do have a signed Scotty from generations) I want the Phasers and tricorders, and give me the ships too.
I hope the new Playmates products will match in quality to that of Art Asylum. For example, compare the Playmates version of the Enterprise-E with Art Asylum’s version… they’re worlds apart.
I’m pretty excited to see some new phasers!
Cool – I want an Enterprise that makes retro phaser noises!
6-“Just what I need. More “Kirks.” Thanks, Playmates…”
I can see it now, Academy uniform Kirk, black shirt Kirk, gold shirt Kirk, injured Kirk (from the recently released pics), cold weather gear Kirk w/ escape pod(?) and don’t forget choking Kirk! I’m sure they’ll think of more!
Anyway can’t wait for the Phasers, Comm, etc… and definitely can’t wait for the ship(s)! I hope they make the “fans” in the nacelles spin, I’d buy it just for that!
14-“I hope the new Playmates products will match in quality to that of Art Asylum”
I think that it will. And if they get it wrong, they’ll have millions of fans calling, sending letters/e-mails telling them how to get it right!
Excellent! I knew it was a good idea to start stashing money away as soon as I found out there’d be a new movie :]
“…Enterprise Transporter Room and Bridge playsets, featuring real working parts…”
Suitable for VERY short range transport? Or jettisoning really small sensor pods?
in your view some new playmates will be the same size as the old 90s or 3.75 “as they said, so the same size as the star wars … thank you to answer me … a big fan of French star trek
14: Chad N: “””I hope the new Playmates products will match in quality to that of Art Asylum. For example, compare the Playmates version of the Enterprise-E with Art Asylum’s version… they’re worlds apart.
I’m pretty excited to see some new phasers!”””
Chad, how accurate is the Art Asylum toy to the Koji’s movie model made for Digital Domain? The Enterprise-E is my favorite Enterprise and I’m still holding out for someone to make a Scimitar model.
Awesome news on the toys. Real working parts, lol. We could only wish.
Weird, based on the photo(s) at first I thought the bridge set is the *new* bridge – seems there are quite a few similiarities.
I love the fact that when I was a kid I had some Star Trek toys and now about 35 years later my own kids (who will be around the same age as I was way back in the early to mid 70s) will be doing the same next year.
Wait, who’s that playing Spock in the Toy R Us ad? That’s not Nimoy or Quinto!
Looks like fun, as always. EnsignR will reap the rewards! Oh, and my desk at work may get a few dozen new toys. hehehe.
In the1979 TMP Bridge Playset, Scotty is facing backwards! Details like that bothered me as a kid. Funny!
holy s**t! i would have KILLED for that bridge playset…i had some of the TMP figures but never knew they did the bridge…..no really i would have killed to have it!
id have probably used the star trek III action figuers on it and had it as a TWOK bridge set…
i still have TOS model kit bridge set from 1991 which is cool – shame they never did one for the movies…
Canonfornicarion — you mean you never saw the Patrouille Du Cosmos set? They were everywhere…
IN FRANCE!
#21 Vulcan Soul
So did I for a second there!
I never did like that re-design for TMP from the series look….and am not enthused about what I’ve seen of this latest re-imagined Bridge either….
#14 – “I hope the new Playmates products will match in quality to that of Art Asylum”
I don’t know about that. Unless quality control had changed at Playmates, they will probably still be “toy quality.”
This is great news indeed! I remember back just after graduating high school when the new TMNT cartoon was on trying to get my geek on buying the figures at Toys ‘R Us. That ended up not happening for both practical and financial reasons. But now that this news has come about, since I’m a gazillion times more a Trek fan than a TMNT fan, I won’t make the same mistake again and will now start saving my moolah (now that I’m making a helluva lot more) and geek myself out to the max!
So there will be role-playing toys, eh? That’s cool for kids anyway. What about the supposed new costumes by Rubies? I only hope they make a TOS Klingon costume.
Of course, the one downside to all this is it reduces my chances of getting a date from infinitesimal to “forget it”, but whatever…
TREK ON!
And Art Asylum to ???
“La Patrouille du Cosmos”
ROFLMAO
That’s what they called it in french??
The Cosmos Patrol!
ahahahahahah
I hope the new 12″ figures are better made than their previous effort a decade ago. The old heads were fine, but the bodies and costuming were terrible then.
I actually just purchased a MIB Mego TMP Bridge set! I’ve been looking for one for years! Great looking playset!
Phasers, phasers, phasers!!
And they better be 1:1, but I won’t count on it.
Keep the figures. I can’t give all those old ones away.
I always liked Playmates better than Art Asylum. Art Asylum has nice detailing, but they feel less like toys, and I don’t think they look as nice when displayed.
#34
Honestly, that’s just crazy. To me, Playmates needs to really step up it’s game to be as good as Art Asylum. I don’t know what you could mean by them not feeling like a toy. When I was a kid, the more real, the better. No sky blue phasers. Didn’t care too much for the half scale exploration set from AMT, even though I built several and played with them all.
Playmates did do some good Trek toys, but some things were just poor. DS9 station=good. TOS tricorder=bad. TNG tricorder=good (for the money). Enterprises (all)=very bad.
Art Asylum’s stuff is good enough to be used on screen. That is saying something. The company’s not perfect, but they do a great job for the price.
Yeah, Playmates needs to step it up from what I’ve seen of things like TMNT.
Haha still can’t get over that, “Cosmos Patrollers”.
I have to admit that I went down the toy aisle the other day and missed seeing any Trek stuff. I rejoice in the fact there will be some soon. Although how I’ll justify them, I don’t know. Heh.
#4 – Anthony,
Not to get off topic but referring to ur comment- I love reading all the posts on all the different stories on Trekmovie but knowing u go though every thread and remove all the comments u think are “pointless” just ruins it and makes the whole site “pointless”
its starting to feel like watching Fox News…
Oh- love the new playmates toys btw.
I see the French title for The Motion Picture was suitably snappy.
Lets see some pictures!
Now this is what I’ve been waiting for ! Another ship to add to my fleet and another line of figures to add to my plastic exploration army! Life is good!
I myself look forward to any new klingon products , electronic ship of the revised D7 battle criuser anyone?
The adventure continues ………….
Qa’Pla!
I sure hope the new Playmates figures actually can sit at their stations. I LOVED the details of the 90s Playmates figures, but I hated how strange Picard and Data looked when they sat on the Bridge — All spread-eagled.
Yay, toys! Let’s play Star Trek… bzzzzt!
Great to see a new set of mainstream Trek toys.
I’ll hold judgement for now. Playmates kind of slacked off last time it had Trek. Hope they’ll make up for that with these.
Still not happy about the bridge.
In that TRU ad… WTF is up with the Enterprise saucer? o_O
In the 1979 Enterprise bridge playset, why are Kirk, helm and navigation facing the back of the bridge? (I don’t remember the main viewscreen having a control console under it, nor a turbolift door beside it…)
It’s a mirror universe bridge!
I really hope if Playmates is getting back into making toys for TREK, that they make all of the TOS crew in Wrath of Khan uniforms (I assume they will be making toys down the road outside of just the new movie). I was upset during their first run that we never got pock, Sulu, and Uhura in those uniforms (…but got Janeway(!) in one!!)
I remember those early toys. I think I would have killed to have the products that are available through today’s technology back when I was a kid.
I had a set of those communicators, unfortunately they were poorly manufactured and had to be returned the day after Christmas. I remember going to Korvette’s in Nanuet and seeing a pile of these communicators on the Returns Counter.
One word: Awesome!
-cs™