License everything! I don't think NECA has a motto, but that may well be it. Over the years they've done some amazing things like reissue the original Tron toys, kick off a line of iffy Beetlejuice figures, and crank out astonishingly, bewilderingly huge Predator toys that would be a bargain at twice the price. They've always got something fun to show off, and this year is no exception. With Valve we're seeing expansions into Portal, Half-Life, and Team Fortress adding to their already robust video game ranks. Figures and collectibles for Bioshock Infinite were joined by more Gears of War and Assassin's Creed goodies, proving they can squeeze a lot out of an already great license. Borderlands will also continue to expand with more new characters.
On the movie front, Prometheus is being expanded beyond the engineers to include David, the Trilobite, Holloway, the Deacon (the ALIEN thing), and even more engineers. Predator has more new entries including one based on the short fan film Batman: Dead End that made the rounds on the convention circuit a few years ago, in which creatures and heroes from numerous films squared off in an unlicensed effects bonanza. The red armor Predator will appear in Predators-branded packaging. More of the aforementioned 1:4 scale Predator figures are coming, as is a figure of Dutch. Since the days of Kenner there have been whispers of Arnold Schwarzenegger getting his own Predator action figure, and here we are.
Arnold will also see more Terminator releases, the most exciting of which is Michael Biehn's own Kyle Reese. Biehn is also going to be part of the ALIENS line as Hicks, but only Hudson (Bill Paxton) was shown. The good news is that he was spectacular, and I overheard the figure was approved over the course of the show. This is a good thing, as it's a good figure. More Xenomorphs are said to be en route as well.
There's too much to write about, so scroll down for Gremlins, E.T., Rocky, Avengers, and more in the gallery below.
--Adam Pawlus
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