J.J. Abrams tried to shut down all Star Trek: TOS merch

[johnmiic]

A friend on FB showed me this. So maybe he does want to control SW merch too:

http://www.blastr.com/2013-5-16/apparently-jj-abrams-tried-shut-down-all-star-trek-tos-merch

"It seems Bad Robot did some market research and found that the merchandise being produced to promote its rebooted Star Trek universe was actually the victim of brand confusion with the merchandise CBS was (and is) still producing to promote the original Star Trek series. In an effort to better push the new stuff (and probably raise awareness that they wanted to make more toys/comics/TV shows and other such goodies), Bad Robot went to CBS and asked them to cease production on original series products so consumers wouldn't have to choose between buying something with William Shatner's face on it and something with Chris Pine's face on it. But CBS wasn't about to give up the $20 million it earns from Trek merch every year, and in response Bad Robot put many of its transmedia plans on hold."

[Mikey]

People might love the new movie but the classic series will always be the merchandise cash-cow

Nobody wants Chris Pines face on anything

[HardyGirl]

See? This is what happens when you try to re-invent the wheel.

[thunderbolt]

See? This is what happens when you try to re-invent the wheel.

what is Paramount supposed to do, let that old bloated walrus Shatner run the Enterprise? If they want to use the TOS characters they had to recast.

[Gorn Captain]

I think the main problem was that most of the new Trek merch was downright terrible.
That is why it wasn't selling, J.J.

[Nostalgiabuff]

what they really need to do is get someone other than Plahymates to make action figures. those toys from the 2009 movie were garbage and looked like it

[MIB41]

Sounds like Abrams is working hard to become a Lucas clone. Movies typically sell merchandise, not the other way around. Is Abrams going to feel threatened by vintage Star Wars characters now? Sheesh. This guy needs to know his place and move forward.

[ctc]

>Movies typically sell merchandise, not the other way around.

Not since the 90's.

>Is Abrams going to feel threatened by vintage Star Wars characters now?

That's.... er.... I gotta go buy a safe now....

Don C.

[johnmiic]

If the "new Star Trek" were really any good it would attract people who wanted to buy the merchandise. As Gorn Capt. stated most Playmates movie related merchandise was really bad. That is very surprising for a company, that in the 1990's, released nearly everything a fan could ever want as a toy. If Abrams would like to figure out why his Trek didn't sell toys he needs to admit to these 2 failures. Hollywood people rarely see the problem when it's right in front of them.

[Captain_Mego]

I think if they made the new movies stuff as remegos they would do well. But they always put crap figures out. They just don't get the fact that their toys suck. I have to say I like the new movies and the actors seem ok. You have to use younger actors to make them. No way around it unless you go total cgi. I would be interested in that as well to bring back old to new. But that's not going to happen. So for now I'm pretty happy with the new actors for the most part. Bring me remegos of the new actors and bring me old actors as remegos too. I will buy both. Also I want A NEW BRIDGE that looks like the old bridge but for real. thanks I'm done now.

[jimsmegos]

First Superman looses his shorts and now Captain Kirk hasn't aged or picked up a hair piece. All to attract the younger folks who really don't care all that much about the toys. Honestly to expect them too is a pretty far stretch considering (sounding old here) when we had our tie in products we didn't have mind blowing, visually stunning, interactive video games and the like. Creating your own adventures in the backyard with dirt mounds just isn't the same as in climate controlled room with the virtual universe at your finger tips.

[torgospizza]

I think the main problem was that most of the new Trek merch was downright terrible.
That is why it wasn't selling, J.J.

Exactly. I think if Art Asylum or NECA made the figures instead of Playmates, they would have done much better. And why is it so hard to get a 1/6 company interested in this franchise? Joy and Tom Studios already have awesome TOS head sculpts--someone needs to get with them and get busy. They would do a great job with the new actors.

[Gorn Captain]

Those TOS sculpts are actually quite good.
I'd buy those...

[rchatlin]

Sculpts do look nice, but the costumes are rather clunky.

r
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[HardyGirl]

No, but I don't think a remake should have been done at all. (I know that's just my opinion, and not many share it, but that's OK). But if someone really must do a remake, than do what they did on Star Trek Continues. At least that was staying true to the classic Trek. But I saw enough previews from that last fiasco, (I wasn't gonna waste time of money seeing the film), to see that you basically could have called that movie anything but Trek, and it wouldn't have mattered. Just a space adventure. But not Trek, not to me, not ever.

what is Paramount supposed to do, let that old bloated walrus Shatner run the Enterprise? If they want to use the TOS characters they had to recast.