For the first time ever, a character from the Star Wars universe will be featured as a balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade… with a Funko twist.
A balloon featuring The Mandalorian‘s Grogu will appear at this year’s parade, which steps off through the streets of New York City on November 25th. The 41-feet high, 29-feet long, and 37-feet wide balloon was inspired by Funko’s unique POP! design and was designed by Funko art director Reis O’Brien. O’Brien discussed the balloon in an interview with StarWars.com:
“We’re no strangers to the thrill of translating Star Wars characters into the Pop! form,” O’Brien told StarWars.com. “Thanks to the strong creative relationship with Lucasfilm, we knew we could develop a fun, charming and iconic moment. After a crash course in how the Macy’s balloons are constructed, we started the creative process inspired by everyone’s love for Grogu. His giant ears were an unexpected challenge of their own, but once we finally got a peek at the final result we knew that all of our hard work and collaboration had paid off. There’s going to be a whole lot of cuteness floating above the streets of New York City come Thanksgiving morning.”
Senior manager of production design at Lucasfilm, Brian Merten, added, “it’s always fun working with Funko and bringing Star Wars to fans, but this time, the fun and the unique challenges were supersized. Bringing Grogu to life as a 37-foot-wide balloon was no small feat and took close collaboration with the Funko design team, as well as the balloon designers from Macy’s. I am very happy with the result and can’t wait to see it in the parade!”
And it wouldn’t be Funko without some exclusive merchandise for the occasion! A pair of POP! bobbleheads, as well as keychains and apparel will be available at Funko.com, with select Funko items appearing at Macy’s Herald Square location later this fall.
Funko and Lucasfilm have revealed a first look at the merchandise, which like the balloon, features Grogu with a control knob.
Will you be watching Thanksgiving morning to see the Grogu balloon in action? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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