EL SEGUNDO, Calif.,
Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/
-- Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announced that it has
entered into a three-year international licensing agreement with
Illumination and Universal Brand Development for its Despicable
Me franchise. Mattel's license rights in North America and key international markets
include a wide variety of products, including action figures and
dolls, play-sets, vehicles and radio control toys, games, plush,
role-play and accessories. The Mattel line will launch with a
multi-category collection inspired by Illumination's upcoming
Minions sequel and debut at retailers worldwide in time for
the film's global theatrical premiere in summer 2020.
"As the stars of the highest-grossing animated franchise to
date, Illumination's Minions have captured the imaginations and
hearts of people around the world," said Janet Hsu, Chief Franchise Management Officer,
Mattel. "We are delighted to partner with Illumination and
Universal Brand Development to provide fans of all ages a deeper
connection to these beloved characters. Mattel is committed to
strategic collaborations with globally-recognized franchises, which
are helping to drive our transformation into an IP-driven,
high-performing toy company."
"As we continue to develop richer, more engaging ways for fans
to interact with our brands, we are excited to collaborate with
Illumination and Mattel to design a brand-new line of toys and
consumer products, inspired by Illumination's Despicable Me
franchise," said Vince Klaseus,
President, Universal Brand Development. "Illumination's Minions are
a global pop-culture phenomenon, embraced by all ages and cultures,
and we're excited for the global launch of Minions 2 and for
Mattel's new toy and products lines, which are sure to inspire
creativity, open up new ways to play and extend the
storytelling."
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global children's
entertainment company that specializes in design and production of
quality toys and consumer products. We create innovative products
and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children
through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic
franchises, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®,
Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and MEGA®, as well as other
popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global
entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television
content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations
and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with
the world's leading retail and technology companies. Since its
founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in
exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach
their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Academy
Award® nominee Chris
Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry's
leading producers of event-animated films. The company's franchises
include three of the top-eight animated films of all time, and its
iconic, beloved brands—infused with memorable and distinct
characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have grossed more
than $6 billion worldwide.
Illumination was recently honored by Fast Company as one
of the world's most innovative companies.
Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution
partnership with Universal Pictures, has garnered an extraordinary
number of franchise successes for a studio just over a decade old.
As the creator of the hugely successful world of Despicable
Me, which was recently crowned the top-grossing box-office
animated franchise globally, Illumination has evolved the
Despicable Me series to include Minions, the
third-highest-grossing animated film of all time and the most
profitable film in Universal's history, as well as the Academy
Award®- nominated Despicable Me 2 and summer
2017's Despicable Me 3, which made more than $1 billion at the global box office.
Illumination recently launched two original properties that
captivated audiences worldwide: The Secret Life of Pets,
which achieved the best opening for an original movie, animated or
otherwise, in U.S. history, and the global smash, Sing. And
in 2018, Illumination's Dr. Seuss's The Grinch had the
biggest opening weekend of any Christmas-themed movie in
history.
Founded 11 years ago with the mission of putting a smile on the
face of every member of the audience, no matter their age,
Illumination continues to imagine both original stories, as well as
unexpected adaptations of beloved pre-existing works.
Illumination's upcoming films include The Secret Life of Pets
2 in June 2019, Minions 2
in July 2020, and Sing 2 in
December 2020.
About Illumination Labs
To create the custom
animation and all other campaign
assets for Illumination's brand and licensing
partnerships, Universal collaborates closely with Illumination
Labs, Illumination's internal creative division that has a team of
over 150 people who work out of the company's Santa Monica headquarters and IMG Studio in
Paris.
About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand
Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual
properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative
physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences.
Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand
Development's core businesses include Consumer Products, Games and
Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment based on the company's
extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal
Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and
NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is a
business segment of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast
Corporation. Visit universalbranddevelopment.com for more
information.
Contacts:
News Media
Dena Cook for
Mattel
dena@brewpr.com
Molly Quiring, Universal Brand
Development
molly.quiring@nbcuni.com
Sarah Rothman for
Illumination
sarah.rothman@ledecompany.com
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SOURCE Mattel, Inc.