On Saturday at Star Trek Las Vegas, comic book legend Todd McFarlane laid out some of his plans for McFarlane Toys’ recently acquired license for Star Trek. He said they hope to provide figures and toys in a wide range of prices and scales across the Star Trek franchise. Both McFarlane and his brand manager, who joined him on the panel, made a point that both were hardcore Star Trek fans and both very excited to have the license, with the brand manager noting:
We are not just making action figures, we are curating them as well. We are making them for you because it is very important to us.
Todd McFarlane at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017
Starting with Picard and Kirk
McFarlane unveiled prototypes of their first two Star Trek products, which will be 7″ articulated figures for Captain Kirk and Captain Picard. Both are coming in the Spring of 2018 and will be priced at $19.99. They noted that they chose that price because “we’re trying to put these into your hands at prices that aren’t intimidating.”
Picard 7″ McFarlane figure
They also gave some more details on the the 16 points of articulation for the figures saying they can stand, sit and kneel.
Articulation for 7″Kirk figure
Discovery figures and role-play too
For the first time, McFarlane announced their plans for Star Trek: Discovery, which will start out with two 7″ figures: Michael Burnham and T’Kuvma, also priced at $19.99. These will be released in the Fall of 2018.
Burnham and T’Kuvma will be first Discovery figures from McFarlane
The McFarlane guys acknowledged that the Discovery costumes are quite detailed and they were working on getting them right, with Todd saying sarcastically “it’s going to be fun” but he promised “all that texture we can get and you will get.”
They are also planning on doing Discovery role play. The first toy planned is a phaser for $39.99. They noted that they are also working from 3D scans of the props to make sure they are accurate.
McFarlane Toys to make Discovery phaser
Deluxe figures
McFarlane also announced they will be doing 10″ deluxe Star Trek figures, starting with a recreation of the “Trouble with Tribbles” scene with Kirk buried in tribbles. These deluxe figures will be priced at $34.99. They noted that they will cater to both those who like to keep figures in the package and those who like to take figures out of the packaging. The package will have the figures set as they were seen in the episode but outside they will still be articulated and can be posed as you see fit.
Deluxe Kirk with tribbles figure coming from McFarlane
Getting it right
McFarlane made it clear that they spend a lot of time and effort in getting things right with their figures, noting:
The entire role of our company is to get it right. I will have done my job only if we get the likeness right, but then all the subtleties that come with each of the uniforms…
He admitted though that the key is the likenesses and even if you get everything else right, fans really want the faces to match what they know.
In the case of Star Trek: Discovery, they have already been on the set to do 3D scans of Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham) and Chris Obi in full T’Kuvma makeup and costume. They plan to bring in more actors for full body scans in various poses and detailed face scans, noting how they even try to get them in various “emotional states.”
As for the other Star Trek shows where the actor has aged, they will use film clips and “hundreds and hundreds” of photos. He also showed off the sculpt models they had done for William Shatner’s Kirk and Patrick Stewart’s Picard (below).
MacFarlane Toys sculpt for Kirk shown at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017
McFarlane Toys sculpt for Picard shown at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017
Prototypes for McFarlane Kirk and Picard figure shown at STLV 2017
They want to do ‘everything’
Todd noted that they have a license to make products from all of of the Prime Universe Star Trek series – essentially everything except the J.J Abrams-produced Kelvin movies. The McFarlane brand manager said they “want to do everything” with the license, and (perhaps jokingly) gave examples:
I want to do the President of the Federation with his pompadour and his Fu Manchu. I want to make Wesley Crusher with his little game. I want to make Porthos. I want to make everything for you guys.
Todd noted what they do going forward “all depends on what happens with the first stuff.” So if their initial wave of Star Trek products do well, they will keep going.
McFarlane Star Trek license covers all the Prime Star Trek universe
More Star Trek Las Vegas Coverage
Star Trek Film Academy at Original Series Set Tour Announcement
Patrick Stewart talks about Gene Roddenberry opposing his casting as Picard and more
Denise Crosby talks about her plan for ‘Trekkies 3’
Full videos from ‘Discovery’ actors and writers panels
Star Trek Online announces LeVar Burton to reprise his role as Geordi LaForge for game
Panel: Details and covers for first ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ novel and comic revealed
Interview: Sam Vartholomeos and Wilson Cruz
Interview: Mary Chieffo And Kenneth Mitchell
Panel: Writers Talk Technobabble, Timelines And How ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Is Telling Our War Story
Stay tuned for additional coverage coming all week long.
Shatter is damn hard to nail down in action figure format. The phaser is also too big. Better than the usual Trek tat though.
@James — I have to say Kirk’s digital scan makes him look a little like a Romulan with that forehead.
I thought the same thing, but now I can’t un-see it when I see Shatner. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/160729193810-star-trek-william-shatner-780×439.jpg
Two more of his people are hosting a chat today about the future of the line. Can you report on that too?
Want a line of TMP and TUC main cast figures. How about a to scale partial bridge playset?
A Valeris doll? Or Azetbur?
Must.Have.Phaser.
I hope this isnt the ONLY screen accurate replicas for props they are going to make. I would love a VOY/ DS9 Type 2 Phaser, a Phaser rifle and Pulsed phaser rifle.
As much as I’d like to see it, I doubt they’ll get much more beyond the initial wave. There hasn’t been a successful Trek toy line since Playmates. I doubt anything will overtake that massiveness and success.
McFarlane Toys makes some pretty good items given the pricepoint they sell at. If they manage to deliver these in a timelier fashion that DST/Art Asylum (which shouldn’t be too hard) I’ll definitely look into them. Especially curious how that phaser turns out.
It sure has been a long time since DST had this kind of enthusiasm for making Trek products! I hope McFarlane will do ships one day too.
Does this mean that Diamond Select/Art Asylum can’t make any more role play toys? Do they still have a license or is this MacFarlane license an exclusive one?
Really love that phaser!! I gotta say, I’m incredibly happy with DSC’s props as both homages to and upgrades from the 50 year old TOS props. They look so old school Trek yet modern at the same time. I gotta say though seeing TNG Picard with a phaser in hand looks a little out of place. How many times did we actually see that? I can understand movie Picard having a gun in his hand because he was all Bruce Willis action man in the films, but in his TNG uniform it looks weird.
The phaser with the Kirk figure is way too large. Scale is wrong.
Well, we’re still a year out, so I’m sure they will look even better come spring of 2018! The Shatner likeness beats all the other figures I’ve owned easily. I would totally buy an Archer and Porthos set if the line makes it that far. I’m really excited to buy Trek toys again! That price point should really help, especially with DC Collectibles going from $28-40+ !
Would the Porthos figure include both his original pituitary gland and the the lizard one Phlox put in? Or would that cost extra?
I really like those sculpts. They don’t appear exactly like Shatner and Stewart, but instead as how the characters themselves should appear…. slightly off from the actors.
How much star trek merchandise is made in sweatshops?