BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Warner Bros.
Consumer Products (WBCP), DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros.
Animation today unveiled an unprecedented wave of content inspired
by two of the company's most successful toy lines developed in
partnership with Mattel and Fisher-Price. Inspired by Mattel's new
toy line, Batman Unlimited will launch in 2015 with new
made-for-video movies and shorts that will extend the play
experience for kids. DC Super Friends, inspired by the
Fisher-Price Imaginext toy line, will also offer original content
as a series of shorts launching in spring of 2015. Bringing
dimension to the action figures and playsets available in toy
aisles globally, each program will engage millions of young fans
around the world like never before.
![Warner Bros. Unveils New Animated Content for Batman Unlimited Warner Bros. Unveils New Animated Content for Batman Unlimited](http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20150131/172688LOGO)
Batman Unlimited will debut as a made-for-video animated
movie entitled Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts that stars
Batman alongside key Super Hero allies such as The Flash, Red Robin
and Green Arrow, coming face to face with DC Comics Super-Villain,
The Penguin, and never-before-seen cyber animals. The sequel is set
to release the second half of 2015. Batman Unlimited:
Animal Instincts will be available on May 12, 2015 on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and
Digital HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
"We are excited to continue to forge new ground with our
long-time partners Mattel and Fisher-Price to build on the success
of these popular toy lines by bringing the play pattern to life
through this original content that we will be able to offer across
multiple platforms," said Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros.
Consumer Products.
Adding to the slate of new Batman Unlimited content,
Warner Bros. will release 22 stand-alone, two-minute shorts.
Featuring additional story elements, the shorts will be available
for fans to enjoy online for free on dedicated channels. Companion
apps will also be produced for young fans to extend and develop
their experience in an interactive new way.
"We are thrilled to be working with our Warner Bros., Mattel and
Fisher-Price colleagues to create new Batman and DC Super
Friends kids' content," stated DC Entertainment President
Diane Nelson. "These new animated
projects will offer all new Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman
adventures that seamlessly jump from toybox to screen."
Building upon Mattel's hugely successful Batman toy line, the
new Batman Unlimited content will bring a new wave of Mattel
toys expanded under the banner of Batman Unlimited,
including action figures with Animal Ally accessories, a
new Batmobile, and the all-new CybeRex robot dinosaur, all
featured in the Batman Unlimited content. Additionally,
DC Comics master costume partner, Rubie's Costumes, has signed on
to support the new content with a line of inspired-by dress-up and
costumes; and toymaker Thinkway will introduce new Batman
Unlimited-themed role-play accessories. Batman
Unlimited will also have a major QSR partner in 2015, with
other key categories, such as apparel, to be announced at a later
time.
"Our longstanding collaboration with WBCP has given Mattel the
opportunity to engage fans of all ages with the very best in DC
Comics Super Hero play," said Doug
Wadleigh, Senior Vice President & General Manager,
Mattel Toy Box. "It is a true
compliment that our evergreen DC Comics toy lines have inspired a
whole new universe of storytelling that will dramatically expand
kids' imaginative play with their favorite Super Heroes."
Also debuting in spring 2015, Warner Bros. Animation will
release a slate of DC Super Friends animated shorts
featuring designs inspired by the popular Fisher-Price Imaginext
DC Super Friends toy line. The 15 three-minute shorts will
extend the characters' storylines for fans to enjoy online for free
on dedicated channels. Accompanying the shorts will be the
release of companion apps that offer young DC Comics fans the
chance to advance the storyline and further engage with their
favorite characters.
DC Super Friends content will build upon the existing
world of Fisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends toys with
an expansion of the toy line following the shorts. Exciting
additions to the line include all-new playset environments seen in
the shorts such as The Joker Laff Factory, as well as a new design
of the fan-favorite Batcave, all of which will feature Imaginext's
interactive Power Pad, enabling kids to activate key features in
the toy. Among other key categories to come, Publishing partners
will also partake in the expanded universe of DC Super
Friends storytelling with new titles.
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros.
Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of
the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the
world.
About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to
iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder
Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the
creative division charged with strategically integrating its
content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC
Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions
to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including
but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home
entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic
books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is
the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.
About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation
(WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the
entertainment industry, producing and developing both CG and
traditionally animated projects for multiple platforms, both
domestically and internationally. For TV, WBA produces series such
as Teen Titans Go!, The Tom and Jerry Show and the
upcoming Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and Wabbit – A Looney Tunes
Production for Cartoon Network, as well as Mike Tyson
Mysteries for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. As the home of the
iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM
and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful
animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original
Movies — for DVD. One of the most-honored animation studios in
history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the
George Foster Peabody Award, an
Environmental Media Award, a Parents' Choice Award, the HUMANITAS
Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in
animation).
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Warner Bros.
Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros.
Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive
entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in
order to maximize current and next-generation distribution
scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees
the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray
Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic
sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and
mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for
console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes
its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as
well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com.
About Mattel
The Mattel family of companies (Nasdaq:
MAT) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and
marketing of toys and family products. Mattel's portfolio of
best-selling brands includes Barbie®, the most popular
fashion doll ever produced, Hot Wheels®, Monster
High®, American Girl®, Thomas &
Friends® and Fisher-Price® brands, including
Little People® and Power Wheels®,
MEGA® Brands, including MEGA BLOKS® and
RoseArt®, as well as a wide array of
entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2013, Mattel was named one of
the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Magazine and in
2014 ranked No. 5 on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best
Corporate Citizens" list. With worldwide headquarters in
El Segundo, Calif., Mattel's
companies employ nearly 30,000 people in 40 countries and
territories and sell products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel,
we are Creating the Future of Play. Visit us at
www.mattel.com, www.facebook.com/mattel or
www.twitter.com/mattel.
Press materials are located at:
wbcpmedia.warnerbros.com
BATMAN, DC SUPER FRIENDS and all related characters and elements
are trademarks of and © DC Comics.
(s15)
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150131/172688LOGO
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150131/172687LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/warner-bros-and-dc-entertainment-develop-all-new-slate-of-content-inspired-by-successful-toy-lines-300028872.html
SOURCE Warner Bros. Consumer Products