With the 109th annual Toy Fair International in New York just around the corner, toy companies like Mattel, Hasbro, Diamond Select, Lego, Funko, and Sideshow/Hot Toys are starting to highlight some of the movie-related action figures and vehicles set to come out in the next few months.
Of course, the hotly anticipated Marvel superhero extravaganza "The Avengers" is kicking off the summer movie season on May 4, and Marvel has just released official photos of some the Avengers team, including a helmetless Captain America (Chris Evans), a helmeted Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Expect the toys in late February.
Of course, "The Avengers" isn't the only superhero movie on the block this year -- writer director Christopher Nolan's Batman (Christian Bale) is back with "The Dark Knight Rises," due in theaters July 20. Mattel has just released some photos of its smaller-scale action figures and vehicles, while Funko Toys is giving its first peek into super-deformed vinyl figures of Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Bane (Tom Hardy).
On the collector's front, high-end merchandise company Sideshow Collectibles is already teasing an upcoming Bane figure, which it is distributing stateside for Hot Toys. The company also recently released photos of Hot Toys 1:6 scale (12-inch) Batmobile Tumbler from "The Dark Knight," which is set roll out sometime in the second quarter.
If you can't wait that long to get your next Batman fix, Sideshow/Hot Toys will be releasing 1:6 scale Hot Toys DX figures of the 1989 versions of Batman (Michael Keaton) and The Joker (Jack Nicholson) in February and March, respectively.
Another collector's figure on tap from Sideshow/Toys include a 1:6 scale figure of the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) from "Captain America: The First Avenger," which is due out in the second quarter. Sideshow/Hot Toys has already released is a 1:6 figure of Captain America (Chris Evans) from the film.
In what seems an eternity since the blockbuster success of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy from 2001-2003, fantasy fans are finally getting their chance to return to Middle Earth Dec. 13 with "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" -- the first of writer-director Peter Jackson's two "Rings" prequels.
Lego, which is producing mini-figures from both the "Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit" films, just released product photos of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and company from "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," which will be released in June. Also due at that time are mini-figures of some of the villians from the film, including the precious Gollum (Andy Serkis).
Toy Fair 2012 is set to take place Feb. 12-15. Check back for more previews of the coolest movie toys coming out this year.
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