Disney's Star Wars will see a new film trilogy from The Last Jedi frontman Rian Johnson, separate from the episodic Skywalker saga. The media giant is also planning a new live-action Star Wars TV series for its SVOD service to launch in 2019. Also headed to SVOD are original TV series adaptations of Pixar’s Monsters Inc., Disney Channel’s High School Musical franchise, and … [Read more...] about Entertainment/Character Roundup
Toys and Games
Toycos Detail Q3 Declines
Toys 'R' Us' bankruptcy is one reason for the hiccup to bottom lines of major toy companies, but they're also reporting soft interest in licensed products. Hasbro's revenue rose by 7% to reach $1.8 billion in Q3 2017. The toyco adjusted its projection for Q4 2017, lowering expectations to 4–7% growth over the same period last year. Despite an increase in gaming and franchise … [Read more...] about Toycos Detail Q3 Declines
Around the World—10/30/2017
Epic Rights and Pan Inc. will develop music artist and celebrity merchandising and branding opportunities in Japan together. Epic executives Lisa Streff and Dan Levin will manage the day-to-day business with Pan Inc. American eSports organization Cloud9 has raised $25 million in Series A financing from companies and parties including WWE, the Beverly Hills Sports Council, … [Read more...] about Around the World—10/30/2017
Experiential & Social Activations
Hasbro and Cityneon bring interactive exhibition Transformers Autobot Alliance to China in December 2017. The launch follows years of R&D—the walk-through exhibit is the first of its kind to showcase the larger-than-life robots, as well as special effects, reflex tests, virtual reality, motion sensing, and other features surrounding the Transformers brand. It will debut in … [Read more...] about Experiential & Social Activations
New Content Generation & Experiential News
Hasbro opens a new film studio, Allspark Pictures, to be led by Greg Mooradian. Mooradian will begin overseeing the division's film and television production in January. Italian prodco Rainbow acquires a majority stake in entertainment media group Iven. The first collaboration is an untitled young adult TV series based on a graphic novel; the second a theatrical adaptation of … [Read more...] about New Content Generation & Experiential News
M&A & Other Business
Ravensburger acquires ThinkFun, a U.S. developer of logic and STEM-based games. ThinkFun will continue to operate independently as a subsidiary of Ravensburger North America. Co-founder Bill Ritchie remains as CCO, as well as all directors and staff. Universal is in talks to sell its stake in Oriental DreamWorks, the China-based joint venture animation company, according to … [Read more...] about M&A & Other Business
Spotlight: Kids’ Tech Toys
We had the chance to attend the Kids’ & Family Tech Expo in New York, where attendees showed off the latest in tech innovations to hit the toy shelves. The name of the game is STREAM, and to be more specific, programming and engineering. But while many toys were meant for a younger set, the price point was relatively high—targeting the pure-play offerings topping … [Read more...] about Spotlight: Kids’ Tech Toys
Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The top toy lists from Toys 'R' Us, Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Kohl's are out! Just over one-third of the top toys of the holiday season are licensed offerings. This year, we've identified which toys are licensed, their respective manufacturer, and which are exclusive to the retailer. See the complete list below. In 2016, … [Read more...] about Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season
TRU’s Debt & Other Toy/Game News
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com In the face of a $400 million debt due in 2018, Toys 'R' Us has retained a law firm to help restructure its financial obligations. The toy retailer has not ruled out bankruptcy as part of its plan, and is also looking at obtaining additional financing. TRU is also continuing to work with financial advisory firm Lazard, which … [Read more...] about TRU’s Debt & Other Toy/Game News
Toy Roundup: Top News & Trends
Retail sales of licensed toys and games grew 7.0% to reach $8.06 billion in the U.S./Canada in 2016, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Here are some of the latest developments in toy trends expected to impact the holiday season. Sales of hobby games in the U.S./Canada reached $1.44 billion in 2016, according to ICv2—growing 21% thanks to growth of … [Read more...] about Toy Roundup: Top News & Trends