Before filmmaker Jon Favreau was ushering in a new era of Star Wars with The Mandalorian, the prolific multi-hyphenate was making the jump from being “the guy from Swingers” to being a sought-after director with bankable prospects. Before Iron Man, Chef, and The Jungle Book, there was Elf.
Nearly 20 years later, the film is a certified holiday classic and Buddy the Elf is synonymous with the simple joys of the festive season. Of course, if you like your holiday cheer with a little more chaos, filmmaker Joe Dante’s Gremlins should do just fine — and we’ll get to that in a minute.
To celebrate Christmas in July, Jakks Pacific, the Pop Insider, the Toy Insider, and the Toy Book are giving you a first look at three new seasonal products that are hitting stores this fall and Buddy and Gizmo are both in the mix!
Elf Talking Plush
The 12-inch scale Buddy the Elf talking plush figure recalls classic toys and comes complete with a pull-string to activate 15 popular phrases in actor Will Ferrell‘s voice. Buddy features a vinyl head sculpted in Ferrell’s likeness and can sit up straight to serve as a lookout for Santa or evildoers.
Elf Advent Calendar
You can count down the days until Christmas with an advent calendar that includes 24 days of Elf-themed surprises. The calendar includes 1-inch, stylized figures that represent characters that Buddy meets on his way from the North Pole to Manhattan. The box doubles as a pop-up environment perfect for use as a diorama for play and display. Includes Buddy, Papa Elf, Leon the Snowman, and more.
Gremlins Countdown Calendar
Is Gremlins a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? The answer is both, and with that in mind, the Gremlins Countdown Calendar is packed with 31 days of creepy surprises that you can discover in the days leading up to Halloween and New Year’s Eve. The box is also a pop-up environment designed to look like the movie theater in the film. The included 1-inch figures are inspired by both Gremlins and its sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Fan-favorite Gremlins and Mogwai include Stripe, Gizmo, and more.
Speaking of Gremlins in the movie theater, remember what happened when they interrupted Gremlins 2?
All of these new products from Jakks Pacific are created under license from Warner Bros. Consumer Products.