The Licensing Letter

Trade Shows: Spotlight on Sony Pictures at BLE

Sony Pictures Consumer Products to Highlight Licensing Opportunities for Major Hits, Including The Boys, Cobra Kai, Wheel of Time, Ghostbusters, and 10 Adaptations of Video Game Properties

By Allison Watkinson

TLL Reporter

Sony Pictures Consumer Products will be at Brand Licensing Europe to spotlight the studio’s entertainment franchises and key licensing collaborations.

The company has signed a variety of strategic partners to bring its properties to life through expansive consumer products portfolios. Additionally, PlayStation Productions has ten film and television adaptations in the works based on popular PlayStation titles.

“Our best-in-class slate of entertainment and growing game-to-screen business offer a wealth of opportunities to bolster audiences for our brands and deliver innovative new stories, products, and experiences to our fans,” said Jamie Stevens, EVP of Worldwide Consumer Products at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“We look forward to building on the massive fan excitement fueling our franchises and expanding our consumer products merchandise to global audiences.”

Sony Pictures Consumer Products has experienced a significant expansion across the UK/Europe and continues to strengthen its presence in the market with a comprehensive licensing portfolio.

PlayStation Productions:

Through PlayStation Productions, Sony is adapting several of its video game franchises for movies and television. Television projects are in development through a variety of streaming partners, including Netflix, Peacock, and HBO/HBOMax.

Upcoming film projects from Columbia Pictures include:

  1. A film adaptation of the popular racing game Gran Turismo, with a theatrical release date set for Aug. 11, 2023
  2. A full-length feature based on the action-adventure game Ghost of Tsushima, which is currently in development.

Confirmed television productions include:

  1. Twisted Metal, an action-comedy series currently in production for Peacock.
  2. Coming soon to HBO and HBOMax is The Last of Us, a new series inspired by the massively popular post-apocalyptic game franchise.
  3. A series based on the sci-fi adventure game Horizon Zero Dawn is currently in development for Netflix.

Sony Pictures Television:

Sony Pictures Consumer Products is bringing licensed product line-ups based on several of their award-winning television series. This year’s highlights include:

  1. The popular Cobra Kai brand has an expansive global merchandising program in the works across all major consumer products categories. New product offerings are coming from licensees including Vans, Hasbro, Harper Collins, GameMill Entertainment, Century Martial Arts, and more.
  2. Cobra Kai products can be found in hundreds of formats across the globe, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, and a significant expansion across the UK/Europe where more than a dozen licensing partners are engaging the Cobra Kai fanbase through retail programs and a dedicated ecommerce site.
  3. The historical-fantasy series, Outlander gears up for its seventh season of time-traveling drama with clothing, jewelry, accessories, collectibles, home décor and more available for purchase on uk.outlanderstore.com.
  4. Recently renewed for season four, Sony’s action-comedy series, The Boys, is receiving an extensive consumer products lineup including apparel via Ripple Junction, collectibles from Funko, action figures from NECA, and costumes from Rubie’s.
  5. Global licensees for The Boys include apparel, bags, and accessories from Fashion UK Ltd (UK, Europe), mugs, notebooks, and posters from Pyramid Posters Limited (UK, Europe), and apparel and accessories from SPRD.Net AG (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, UK).
  6. Sony Pictures Consumer Products partners additionally supported the launch of an animated spin-off series called The Boys Presents: Diabolical. The series debuted on Amazon Prime Video in March 2022, alongside an apparel and accessories collection from Ripple Junction. The Boys will expand further with a college spinoff, Gen V, coming to Amazon Prime Video in 2023.
  7. The fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, is receiving product lines including apparel from Ripple Junction, luxury watches from Tockr, and jewelry from Badali.

Ghostbusters:

The iconic Ghostbusters franchise will deliver new content to fans across several different platforms. The new content kicks off with the release of the Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed video game from IllFonic. The asymmetrical multiplayer game launches on Oct. 18 and is available now for pre-order.

The Ghostbusters franchise is supported with a year-round program including dozens of licensees that will expand fan experiences for both the classic property and the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife film. The consumer product collections will span apparel, sleepwear, bags, accessories, homewares, gifts, and more.

The Ghostbusters property continues to expand across the UK and Europe with several new launches including:

Sleepwear and underwear by Cooneen By Design Limited available at retailers across the UK.

  1. Fashion UK Ltd. grows its collection of Ghostbusters children’s daywear, available at leading retail sites in the UK and Europe including M&S and character.com
  2. Following a line of sustainably-made apparel and accessories that debuted this July, Itemlab GmbH will launch a new range of Ghostbusters products across Germany, Europe, and UK in early 2023. All products in the range adhere to Itemlab’s focus on sustainability, including organic cotton, fair production, GOTS-certified and recyclable materials.

Additionally, Sony Pictures Entertainment will expand on Ghostbusters history with forthcoming theatrical and animated content:

  1. Following the blockbuster success of the 2021 film, a Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is slated to hit theaters Dec. 20, 2023.
  2. The first-ever Ghostbusters animated movie from Sony Pictures Animation is currently in development.
  3. A Ghostbusters animated series is also in the works at Sony Pictures Animation for release on Netflix.

To learn more about current collaborations and upcoming opportunities, BLE attendees can visit Sony Pictures Consumer Products within the PlayStation booth which is located at stand #C211.

Sony Pictures Consumer Products is the licensing and merchandising division of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group and Sony Pictures Television for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a subsidiary of the Sony Group Corporation.