April 6, 2018
Tentpole films
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
(December 2012) and
Man of Steel
(June 2013) are accompanied by new content for classics like Batman, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo.
“This is a very special year for WBCP as the combination of fresh deals, master toy partnerships and new content puts our classic animation properties right at the top of the agenda for anyone wanting must-have brands to drive their business,” says Pilar Zulueta, executive vice president and general manager, Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA. “Adding the tentpole films,
Man of Steel
and
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
, positions Warner Bros. Consumer Products as Europe’s go-to licensor replete with a powerful portfolio that offers long-term commercial growth for retail, licensing and promotional partners.”
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
releases in December,
the first of a trilogy of films. Co-master toy partner for The Hobbit trilogy is Vivid Group, along with The Bridge Direct, with LEGO planning a range of build-and-play construction sets, Ravensburger on board for puzzles and card games, Rubie’s developing a dress-up line and Eaglemoss' The Hobbit chess set launching worldwide early next year.WBCP will support
Man of Steel
with a retail launch across Europe beginning spring 2013. EMEA apparel licensee TV Mania and children’s nightwear firm Aykroyd and Sons in the U.K. are the latest licensees to join this evergreen franchise. Further, licensees already on board for the film include global toy partner Mattel, Rubie’s Costumes, HarperCollins as the worldwide English-language publishing partner and apparel partner Bioworld.
2013 will also be a year of renewal for WBCP classic brands.
The classic “Batman” TV series is bursting its way back onto the licensing scene, with vintage styles, captured photography from the live-action series, as well as illustrated character art inspired by the series’ animated opening sequence.
Looney Tunes, a cornerstone of the Warner Bros. portfolio, remains a favorite with food and apparel partners across EMEA and will be supported by a second season of “The Looney Tunes Show,” which just launched in the U.S. In a new pan-European deal, Eleven Paris will join Dolce & Gabbana, Braccialini, ICE Iceberg and Primark in producing Looney Tunes-themed products, as well as DC Comics apparel launching in December. Also, for the first time in nearly a decade, WBCP has signed a master toy partner for Looney Tunes, which will be announced at the show.
Tom and Jerry are also back with a recently announced new animated series “The Tom and Jerry Show,” from Warner Bros. Animation. Giochi Preziosi, the master toy partner for the property across Western Europe and Turkey, will launch its first Tom and Jerry toy line this year.
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