Hot Toys Interview with Howard Chan 2017 Edition

[Johnny Utah]

Yeah I've unfollowed Mark Chuah on everything. He hyped this for nothing. All this time and there's no rhyme or reason to HT to this day.

 

[Sidewinder]

The answers are way too vague. Basically we "could" be seeing a whole bunch of stuff, but nothing is a definite. Even Catwoman will be before Penguin......in 20 years time lmao.

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[Lee in MI]

I never understood this cat and mouse game they play with adult collectors...we aren't kids, most of us anyway. Do they really think keeping guys in suspense is gonna spur more sales

I do appreciate the surprise here and there, I prefer mine as con exclusives, but this cloak and dagger thing is really annoying. Just tell me what's coming so I can properly budget for it.

Here I am with $700 in reward points waiting for an official answer on the '66 Batmobile for almost 3 years!!!! I could have used those points for other things since they aren't making it now. Oh well

 

[**16k**]

I don't think it's cloak and dagger. I just think they don't even know themselves...

It's probably difficult for them to grasp any concept beyond Iron Man and Star Wars. It's just that way when all the hobby spirit has left place for a money machine.

 

[slikkerias]

They just don't wanna promise anything. If they do, and not end up doing it for god knows what reason (tons of stuff can go wrong in production, copyright issues and so forth), the collectors will crucify them. If the collectors were more forgiving I'm sure we would get more info. Just to point out that the other side might not just be a bunch of morons.

 

[moose]

They just don't wanna promise anything. If they do, and not end up doing it for god knows what reason (tons of stuff can go wrong in production, copyright issues and so forth), the collectors will crucify them. If the collectors were more forgiving I'm sure we would get more info. Just to point out that the other side might not just be a bunch of morons.

Well they only have themselves to blame on that why show case a product and then we have to dig the info out of them as to whether or not we are actually getting it. I am not if this is how they test the market to see if there is any demand for a product but its really backfires when they quietly telly you it got canceled the Batmoblie 66 was always going to be a niche group of collectors so demand was always going to be less then for lets say the tumbler or something. In any case they consistently have a habit of doing this showing a product then we are left to pester them for updates. Why bother spending all that time developing a product only to cancel it.

So running total of cancellations or no shows which is basically the same thing are no 1/4 scale terminator, no yellow jacket , no Loki thor movie, no robo cain, no Batmoblie JL no x men first class , no green lantern movie no rhino no spiderman peter parket in civilian outfit , no Lone Ranger. Let me know if I missed any.

 

[slikkerias]

Well they only have themselves to blame on that why show case a product and then we have to dig the info out of them as to whether or not we are actually getting it. I am not if this is how they test the market to see if there is any demand for a product but its really backfires when they quietly telly you it got canceled the Batmoblie 66 was always going to be a niche group of collectors so demand was always going to be less then for lets say the tumbler or something. In any case they consistently have a habit of doing this showing a product then we are left to pester them for updates. Why bother spending all that time developing a product only to cancel it.

So running total of cancellations or no shows which is basically the same thing are no 1/4 scale terminator, no yellow jacket , no Loki thor movie, no robo cain, no Batmoblie JL no x men first class , no green lantern movie no rhino no spiderman peter parket in civilian outfit , no Lone Ranger. Let me know if I missed any.

You have the right to be upset, but having released 400 figures in the mms series alone, the 10 figures/vehicles you mention, 7 of them being mms, is not very extreme in my opinion.

 

[moose]

They do a good job that's true I just don't see the point in showcasing or previewing a product before it's ready it's not like the are really facing stiff competition.

They can announce that such and such figure is not going to made, but when they constantly show off the product and then you are left scratching your head it's silly

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[slikkerias]

With a 'not released' in the mms series of about 2% it just can't piss me off. There can be several reasons for obstacles coming late in production - and yes, no company will produce anything that they will loose money on, so guess that's as valid an obstacle/excuse as any.

 

[a-dev]

Rhino - did they ever take preorders for that? I remember seeing a full series of official prototype pics - as in what seemed to be actual solicitation images (not just pictures of an incomplete item sitting on a desk)

 

[moose]

Rhino - did they ever take preorders for that? I remember seeing a full series of official prototype pics - as in what seemed to be actual solicitation images (not just pictures of an incomplete item sitting on a desk)

No they never did it was just showcased it don't understand why it never made it in to production , they had to have know how difficult it would be when they built the proto type, maybe hype for the movie was not as high as they wished so they feared no one would buy it, but that thing looked amazing

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[Lee in MI]

They just don't wanna promise anything. If they do, and not end up doing it for god knows what reason (tons of stuff can go wrong in production, copyright issues and so forth), the collectors will crucify them. If the collectors were more forgiving I'm sure we would get more info. Just to point out that the other side might not just be a bunch of morons.

Your logic is a bit flawed. If the point is not to bring the wrath of the collectors, then don't show it at all if it doesn't have a green light.

 

[holtrax]

No they never did it was just showcased it don't understand why it never made it in to production , they had to have know how difficult it would be when they built the proto type, maybe hype for the movie was not as high as they wished so they feared no one would buy it, but that thing looked amazing

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Yeah i agree the Rhino looked the business. To be honest this is where Hot Toys disappoints the most. They constantly show prototypes at trade shows as if they were gonna put them up for preorder then never release them. I'm thinking the following: Millenium falcon cockpit, Rhino from amazing spider man, BVS Batmobile, 66 Batmobile, Star wars tie fighter, Delorean Hover version. Some of the items in that list are items i was most looking forward to only to find out they will never be released. Obviously if they put them at trade shows its common logic that people will deduce they will be produced for sale at some point so i think the above posters message is right, why put them up for display at all if you don't have the green light to go ahead and mass produce them?

 

[screamingmetal]

So running total of cancellations or no shows which is basically the same thing are no 1/4 scale terminator, no yellow jacket , no Loki thor movie, no robo cain, no Batmoblie JL no x men first class , no green lantern movie no rhino no spiderman peter parket in civilian outfit , no Lone Ranger. Let me know if I missed any.

Missed Prometheus Elizabeth Shaw.

 

[Tom Day]

Seems like a pretty good interview to me - all he's doing is giving out the most accurate information he can given that market forces and unexpected events cause things to change (e.g. a movie flops, a line tanks).

Logan's a maybe, new Ledger Joker is coming, they're looking seriously at doing Matrix figures especially given a potential reboot, Linda Carter WW is coming, Crossbones, Yellow Jacket, Ripley Power Loader, Cain and 66 Batmobile you have two hopes - no hope, and Bob Hope - Joker 66 will be slipped out when they have some kind of window like they released BR Batman - ditto Catwoman (because Joker and dominatrix figures have a fanbase of their own) - BR Penguin is dead - there'll be one or two Alien and Predator figures from the new movies, NH&BH for anything else - CWDC figures are coming - Rocky & Rambo, NH&BH, also any kind of Snyderverse Batmobile - new DX of Jack Sparrow and another of JL Batman - DEFINITELY NO PREQUEL FIGURES EVER (he couldn't be clearer about that - he says 'more of them to come' when we've never had any Prequel figures, i.e. he's referring only to OT figures - but there'll probably be a Haydn Christiansen Anakin (Jedi Spirit - virtually no R&D required just dig out the Obi-Wan outfit pattern) - and as for his message to fans 'exciting new films to come' that couldn't be clearer too - unless you like OT Star Wars there'll be little or no nostalgia from HT this year.

 

[greatlakes6]

I think it's pretty simple. Howard goes in whatever direction the Dollar blows!

 

[Autumn Thunder]

Rambo and Rocky on hold wtf?

 

[Mike86]

Honestly I don't blame him for the non answers. If he says one way or the other something definitely is or isn't happening people will just hold Hot Toys to making those figures. The answers we got are good enough for me. Also I think some people don't grasp that not every display piece is something that will be mass produced. Hot Toys isn't the only company that does this at trade shows/conventions. Some things aren't feasible or don't make financial sense to mass produce. I mean people are really complaining that Rhino wasn't made? A bit character from a film that most agree wasn't great and you expect Hot Toys to really mass produce and make a profit? That's the definition of something that if it were made people would complain about the price, not buy, and inevitably it would end up sitting in the warehouses of Sideshow and other distributors until being clearanced out.

 

[jacerc130]

I was just happy to hear a Wolf Predator is in the works and they have plans to make an Anakin. My customs will do for now, but definitely will be picking those up when they come out. It sounded like we may see announcements/PO's go up for them sometime this year.

Perhaps May 4th will be the Anakin. Undoubtedly there will be some sort of Star Wars figure release.
And if they stay in line with when they did the AVP Elder 2.0 last year then the Wolf will be announced in July. Fingers Crossed!!!!!!!

 

[a-dev]

Honestly I don't blame him for the non answers. If he says one way or the other something definitely is or isn't happening people will just hold Hot Toys to making those figures. The answers we got are good enough for me. Also I think some people don't grasp that not every display piece is something that will be mass produced. Hot Toys isn't the only company that does this at trade shows/conventions. Some things aren't feasible or don't make financial sense to mass produce. I mean people are really complaining that Rhino wasn't made? A bit character from a film that most agree wasn't great and you expect Hot Toys to really mass produce and make a profit? That's the definition of something that if it were made people would complain about the price, not buy, and inevitably it would end up sitting in the warehouses of Sideshow and other distributors until being clearanced out.

While that is fair enough about the likes of Rhino - why the hell did they cancel the 1:4 scale Police Station Assault T-800? That would have sold very well I'd wager.