It’s the 35th Anniversary of ALIEN (!?!?!?!?!?!?!?), which summons a number of commemorative items to facehug our Geekitude and chest burst our pocketbooks.
Some of these releases - like the forthcoming ALIEN ISOLATION game - we’ve already heard about and covered to some degree already here on AICN. Other products presented on this list below are newly announced.
For example: there’s never been an Ellen Ripley action figure? This had never, ever crossed my mind...but...evidently...
Here’s a press release on some of the celebratory, ALIENverse goodies which lie in store for us in the year ahead.
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Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products Celebrates the 35th Anniversary of ALIEN and Releases First-Ever Action Figures of Ellen Ripley
NECA, SEGA, Sideshow Collectibles, Diamond Select, Super7 x Funko and 10 More Partners to Roll Out Exclusive Branded Toys and Collectible Merchandise Worldwide to Celebrate ALIEN Franchise
Los Angeles, CA – February 18, 2014 – 35 years later, fans are still “screaming” in space as Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products celebrates the 35thanniversary of the ground-breaking film ALIEN, one of the most enduring sci-fi horror franchises of all time, with multiple iconic partners for exclusive branded merchandise available worldwide.
National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA), an entertainment conglomerate and global leader in licensed consumer goods, in association with Fox Consumer Products, announces today the first-ever action figures of Lieutenant Ellen Ripley that feature the likeness of actress Sigourney Weaver, who was nominated for an Oscar® and Golden Globe® for ALIENS in 1987. The officially licensed Ripley action figures from NECA will span multiple movies within the ALIEN saga: initial plans include a figure of Ripley in her Nostromo jumpsuit from the original 1979 film, to be followed later by a Ripley figure based on the 1986 movie ALIENS, directed by James Cameron.
“As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of the most successful film franchises of all time, we are thrilled to introduce an array of commemorative products across different categories in partnership with iconic brands including NECA, SEGA and many more,” said Jeffrey Godsick, president of Fox Consumer Products. “In addition to the highly anticipated release of Alien: Isolation™, hardcore fans can finally add Lieutenant Ellen Ripley to their ALIEN collections as we welcome her NECA figures into the family of officially-licensed merchandise. Many other exciting first-time and limited edition products will also release to celebrate this exciting milestone this year.”
Prominent partners participating in the ALIEN global anniversary campaign include:
•Bandai - Bandai’s premium collectors label “Tamashii Nations” will release super-articulated S.H.MonsterArts figures featuring diecast material. S.H.MonsterArts ALIEN Big Chap will be available May 2014.
•Dark Horse Comics – A new comics program will debut later this year which includes Alien, Prometheus, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator.
•Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles – New collectibles including MiniMates block figures, vinyl banks, bottle openers and a reproduction of the original 18-inch Alien figure, available this summer/fall.
•Insight Editions will produce a highly-illustrated and a detailed guidebook to the Alien creature.
•NECA - Figures, board games, bobbleheads, plush and toys will hit major retail stores beginning in March 2014. Prototypes of the Ripley figures will debut later this summer at San Diego Comic-Con.
•SEGA – The highly-anticipated first person survival horror game Alien: Isolation will be available on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in late 2014.
•Sideshow Collectibles – High end, limited edition Alien franchise products, including an immense bust of the Big Chap Alien design, available for pre-order in April 2014! Check out www.SideshowCollectibles.com for Alien Franchise products, and more!
•Super7 x Funko – Glasses and retro ReAction Figures currently available online.
•Titan Books will release all-new canon fiction novels based on the film franchise, followed by a 35th anniversary retrospective called “ALIEN: Archives” which will be the most comprehensive book ever created about the ALIEN franchise with new exclusive interviews with Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver and content that has never been released.
Other partners include Hollywood Collectibles (here are digital sculpts in progress)...
...for highly-detailed prop replicas, Upper Deck for an all-new collectible card game...
...Hallmark for ornaments,Square Enix for Aliens: Colonial Marines Play Arts KAI action figures, Titan Merchandise for stylized mini vinyl figurines, Rizzoli for wall calendars and Rubie’s Costume Company for amazingly detailed Halloween costumes in addition to even more partners with apparel and additional collectible merchandise to be released throughout the year.
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Some lovely stuff here. The only thing missing is the chestburster Whac-A-Mole game I'm certain will someday be developed. I like those Kane and Bishop figures quite a bit, and here’s hoping the first Ripley figure is every bit as good as it oughta be…as it should be.
Stay tuned as we’ll have more on these, and other items, in the coming months.
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Glen Oliver
"Merrick"
