So what does this mean for Hasbro?
It means a huge loss. Battleship may have sold some more board games but GI Joe Retaliation was their one two punch along with GI Joe Renegades. My last time in the toy aisle, looking for the GI Joe Retaliation toys, I found only a mere speck of GI Joe Renegade figures. Even then it was four of the same guy. If the movie was a success this summer, Hasbro would have released multiple waves of toys from July through the end of the year. Now, they’ll have to store tons of product for a film that already has fanboys turning their noses up at it.
So what does this mean for the Toy Maniac?
Hasbro’s GI Joe Retaliation Comic Con Exclusives were not on my must-pick-up list but now that Shockwave/ Hiss tank might be (top right). I was all about getting both the new Firefly and Cobra Commander figures as the characters were always personal favorites. Though the biggest bummer about the delay is that the Arashikage Clan gear won’t be available (bottom).
This summer just got a little less fun for the Toy Maniac. Hopefully, Hasbro will release more of these products. With all the rumors circulating the internet about reshoots for Channing Tatum’s character I doubt it. Mix those with the 3D conversion excuse it’s hard to have that “fools hope” for the film now. Personally, I would have taken the film as is. More Tatum and 3D might look good for box office numbers but they aren’t for this fanboy. They are just excuses to fix a movie and rob me of my toys.
Robert Trate writes three weekly columns for Mania: the DVD Shopping Bag, the Toy Maniac, and The Geek Life. Follow Robert on Twitter for his for Geek ramblings, Cosplay photos and film criticisms.
Yes indeed....damm 3D.
I'd really like to know the real reasons for this one. Why in this day and age can't people be honest enough to say the real thing: ''we need to seshoot more scenes, we need to re-write some scenes, etc...''.
Just say it, don't use an excuse like 3D crap.
If I was the Hasbro president, I'd fire a few peopel over this fiasco.
Someone obviously didn't think through all the ramifications of making this move. G.I. Joe isn't just another movie, it is obviously connected to toys and merchandise that someone was counting on selling. I agree with Jedi, I think some heads are going to roll over this.
On an unrelated note, the school I work at was having their talent show the other day. Several parents where there, and the dad sitting on the row in front of me had that Arashikage logo as a tatoo on his arm.
I have seen Cobra Commander and the Rock as Roadblock but not much else at stores. I think they were better off just releasing the movie and let the chips fall where they may.
@jedibanner- Given the movie is being done by Paramount Hasbro may have little to no say over the delay depending on how the contract was written and what rights they retained, and even then if Paramount can make the excuse that they are doing this to benefit the film (which they may be from what I've heard from those who have been test audience members as they say it was less inspiring than Rise of Cobra) then even with some Hasbro provision they may have an out.
Maybe what they should have done was make sure they got a solid writer/writing team and a director known for more than the Step Up and Justin Bieber movies to direct.
They will take the Roadblock figures off the shelves to touch them up and add a voice box.
Press on the chest and he says "Who wants a body massage?"
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Does Hasbro have a choice? They need some presence in the toy isle lest they be forgotten. The real problem for Hasbro going forward may lay with retailers who clearanced out all the Renegades stuff in anticipation of the incoming movie waves to fill space on their shelves- whose layout is planned well in advance by retailers whose plans are now scuttled and who may wind up losing money because of this and who may carry a sizeable grudge going into the Christmas season- and to cover for the loses they may have incurred prepairing the shelves for the movie toys.
Given this was probably Hasbro’s big Christmas hope for sales this may be a two-for which hurts them both in the short term with no immediate sales and with lowered orders from retailers who have read the tea leaves and believe this movie may turn out to be a dog and not worth investing heavily in supporting.
In either case, this is definitely a major loss for Hasbro stock holders.