Mattel has what they call a capital light model where they're not necessarily bankrolling any of these films. The studios are the ones who are bringing the funds and they're bringing the IP to the table. So it's not a question of them losing money on this, but they do really need people to think well of the toys that they make. But if you look at the Bobbi movie, you can see dozens of brand partnerships that have come out of this.
Mattel has 45 films in development. A cinematic take on UNO could be coming to a theater near you.
Mary Long caught up with New Yorker writer Alex Baracsh to discuss his recent piece, “After ‘Barbie,’ Mattel Is Raiding Its Entire Toybox”. They discuss:
- How Mattel is becoming an IP company. - Why “The Last of Us” broke the curse of bad video game adaptations. - If big budget movies really need characters that audiences already know.
Companies mentioned: MAT, HAS, DIS
Host: Mary Long Guest: Alex Barasch Producer: Ricky Mulvey Engineer: Dan Boyd, Rick Engdahl
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