“Beltway Banthas” podcast host Stephen Kent discusses Disney’s failure to produce baby Yoda products in time for Christmas and the lack of success of the company’s Star Wars attractions.
Star Wars fans’ will soon be able to build their own version of the tiny, green wide-eyed character that captured hearts nationwide in “The Mandalorian.”
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After emerging as an internet sensation, the Child, referred to more often as “baby Yoda,” will be available to purchase at Build-A-Bear workshops this spring, Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon Price John announced at an investment conference on Tuesday.
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“I’m excited to share that we’ll be one of the first companies to be able provide the new digital and internet phenomenon who is trending higher than all of the presidential candidates combined,” John said. “We now will have The Child, also known as Baby Yoda.”
The latest character to join the “Star Wars” universe surged in popularity since it’s November debut in “The Mandalorian” on Disney+.
Throughout November, searches for “Baby Yoda” surged throughout the month by more than 7,000 percent, according to the e-commerce service company. In early December, the character was so popular, it was out-trending some of the 2020 presidential candidates, according to Forbes.
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The character’s tremendous popularity even surprised Disney CEO Bob Iger who has said it surpassed expectations “by a wide margin,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | WALT DISNEY COMPANY | 144.32 | -0.88 | -0.61% |
| BBW | BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP INC | 4.49 | +0.56 | +14.25% |
“Well, look, the scale of the reaction is probably beyond my expectations by a wide margin,” Iger told the Reporter. “That said, the moment I laid eyes on the character, I had a strong feeling the character was going to connect with audiences. It’s just so cute, so interesting, so compelling, in many respects so familiar and yet so new.”
Build-a-Bear didn’t specify when the product would hit workshops but John teased that they are looking forward to launching it “in the next couple of months.”
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“I think that it shows our nimbleness and our ability to recognize trends,” John added.
An 11–inch plush toy version of the character became available for pre-order in December, roughly a month after the first live-action Star Wars television series premiered.
