Including Hamleys partnering with WBCP for a Wizarding World experience.
The Source rounds up more news from the licensing industry across the globe from the week.
Hamleys has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to bring the Wizarding World to its Regent Street store. The new Harry Potter-inspired environment is on the lower ground floor and measures 3,000+sq2. There is a daily schedule of interactive product demonstrations, competitions, meet and greets with the Hamleys Bear, as well as the store’s usual mix of fun, magic and theatre. Licenses involved include Wow Stuff and Mattel, while Noble’s Harry Potter collection will be joining from mid-August with a range of wands, keychains, prop replicas, plushes, jewellery and sculptures.
DHX Media has closed the sale to Sony of a minority stake in Peanuts. Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) has indirectly purchased 49% of DHX Media’s 80% interest in Peanuts for C$235.6m in cash. DHX now owns 41% of Peanuts, SMEJ 39% and the members of the family of Cahrles M Schulz retain their 20% interest.
Nickelodeon’s reimagined Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will take its bow on UK screens on Saturday September 22. The all new original animated series will air simultaneously on Nicktoons and Channel 5 on Saturday mornings at 10am. A new trailer, original villains, new voice stars and more were official unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this month.
A new range of Shopkins-branded glasses is now available at Specsavers, thanks to a deal between the optical retailer and Moose Toys. Brokered by Bulldog Licensing, the deal includes four different styles featuring favourite characters such as Strawberry Kiss and Ice Cream Kate. The glasses are on sale in all 838 Specsavers stores across Britain and Ireland.
Action sports entertainment brand Nitro Circus and MTK Greenover Sports are combining their expertise for a new partnership. Seven new Nitro Circus-branded ramp and rail skus are available now throughout Europe and in the UK, with further releases in scooters, skateboards and protective gear following in the coming months.
Jazwares is to create a wide range of toys based around the hit game from Epic Games, Fortnite. The deal – which was brokered by IMG – will see the launch of true to game figures, Domez, loot boxes, play-sets, environments, game replica weapons and tools, plush, vehicles and more.
DHX Media has welcomed Jon Gisby as managing director of its WildBrain kids’ network. WildBrain’s branded YouTube network features more than 110,000 videos for over 600 kids’ brands in 22 languages. Jon brings with him some 20 years’ experience in the media sector, having held senior executive roles with the likes of Vevo, BBC, Channel 4 and Yahoo Europe.
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