Four weeks into Star Wars: The Force Awakens's theatrical run, the hashtags #WheresRey and #WhereIsRey have flooded social media in light of the character's absence from toy store shelves. The fervor reached its crescendo when Hasbro neglected to include Daisy Ridley's desert scavenger in their new Star Wars Monopoly game. Director Paul Feig, the man behind this summer's Ghostbusters remake, wants to ensure fans that this won't happen with his horror comedy. You want female based toys and action figures? That's exactly what you're going to get.
Just as the big Star Wars Monopoly controversy was starting to break out, Paul Feig chimed in, promising that all of his female Ghostbusters would be strongly represent in retail stores across America when the franchise sequel finally hits theaters this July. He's coming through on his promise, too. Today, he has our first look at these new Ghostbusters toys. He's officially showing off the 6" action figure line from Mattel. You can see them below. He goes onto say this.
""Action figures of our Busters have already been in production for months. Several types & sold separately... Mattel, Funko, Diamond Select & others making over 20 figures in all sizes & styles... Fun stuff coming from LEGO too. Just FYI. Sorry, bank account."
Most upcoming movies do not feature too many female characters, and that is reflected heavily in any incoming toy line. Avengers: Age of Ultron came under heavy fire last summer when Black Widow was mostly left out of the consumer products being offered. But with a movie like Ghostbusters, it's impossible not to have a bevy of female related toys, as the main cast is made up of four leading ladies of comedy, including Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. Chris Hemsworth is one of the few male leads, but he plays the secretary. And while he gets to ride the Ecto-2 motorcycle into battle, secretary action figures just aren't that exciting, no matter what sex they may be.
Toys and action figures won't be the only Ghostbusters related products hitting store shelves this summer. Rumor has it that Hi-C is resurrecting the long-dead Ecto Cooler. Ecto Cooler is arguably the most popular Hi-C flavor ever introduced on the market. It began appearing in juice boxes across america in 1987. It was a tie-in to The Real Ghost Busters animated series. But sadly, it has not been sold in over a decade. Coca-Cola, owners of the Hi-C juice brand, have filed to renew their Ecto Cooler trademark. Most believe that this is a very strong indication that we won't just be getting an all-girl team of haint-hunting spook chasers in July.
The new Ghostbusters story centers on Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), who, years ago, wrote a book that posited ghosts do in fact exist. The plot picks up with Erin acquiring a teaching position at the prestigious Columbia University, but she is laughed out of academia once word of her book surfaces. At the same time, Abby is working with a new partner, Jillian Holtzman (Kate McKinnon), just as a new slew of ghosts begin to invade New York City. Erin ends up joining forces with Abby and Jillian, along with a new partner Patty (Leslie Jones), to save the Big Apple from these ghosts, who are rumored to be Dead criminals from all eras of New York's underbelly past. These ghost characters should provide some cool male-centric action figures. But here's out first look at the girls, suited up and ready to bust some plastic ghosts! What do you think? Will you be buying these?
