Hasbro deal for Frozen leaves Mattel out in the cold
Disney sells rights to toys from hit movie Frozen to Hasbro beginning in 2016
The toy wars just heated up after Hasbro wrestled the rights for dolls from the hit Disney movie Frozen away from its rival Mattel.
Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday that its new deal with Disney Consumer Products will give it global rights — with the exception of Japan — to develop dolls based on Frozen.
The Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based toy company will also make dolls based on Disney Princess stories and characters including Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast and The Little Mermaid.
The Hasbro agreement will also include clothing and accessories for the dolls, she added.
Disney released Frozen in movie theatres in November 2013, and it has become the fifth-highest grossing film of all time.
Oscar winner and merchandise hit
Hasbro's new deal with Disney expands on their existing relationship, having already teamed up on Star Wars and Marvel properties. It will also strengthen Hasbro's position in the girls category, where it already has popular toys from brands such as My Little Pony and Nerf Rebelle.
Losing the rights to the Frozen dolls will be a blow to Mattel Inc. In July Chairman and CEO Bryan Stockton said during a conference call that the "star" in the second quarter was its Frozen product line and that it was "continuing to chase demand there." The popularity of the toys helped Mattel to offset weakness in Barbie sales, which dropped 15 per cent in the quarter.
Mattel, based in El Segundo, California, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.