Merchandise licensees for the Disney “Star Wars” property can look at game play usage data by country to help forecast demand for products ranging from key chains to toys. The data comes from “Star Wars Commander,” which is a free-to-play mobile game that has been downloaded 5 million times, according licensing data authority EPM Communications. Merchandise … [Read more...] about Merchandise Follows ‘Star Wars’ Game Play Data
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Horror Flicks Transplanted in Theme Parks
Halloween is weeks away but already several horror attractions based on scary movies are being announced by the Universal theme parks in Los Angeles and Florida. These entertainment destinations each mount numerous fright attractions for Halloween known as mazes and scarezones. The attractions that transplant movies or other familiar horror properties (including TV series) … [Read more...] about Horror Flicks Transplanted in Theme Parks
Huckster Antics Dull Stars
It's unimaginable that Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas or John Wayne would have endorsed a perfume at the height of their careers. But it's a new era where movie stars routinely are pitchmen/women for wrist watches (Leonardo DiCaprio for the Tag Heuer brand), cars (Laurence Fishburne for Kia) and fashion (Nicole Kidman for designer Jimmy Choo). And don't forget the stinky … [Read more...] about Huckster Antics Dull Stars
Film Apps For ‘Spidey,’ ‘Other Woman’
Food marketer Kellogg’s and a cyberspace fashion commerce company are mounting separate movie apps. Kellogg’s offers a free casual video game for mobile devices tied to “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” and fashionista enabler StylePic links to “The Other Woman.” Apps are applications, which are shortcuts to websites that size video and maximize functionality on mobile devices … [Read more...] about Film Apps For ‘Spidey,’ ‘Other Woman’
Disney Bets Big On ‘Frozen’ With App
Walt Disney Studios gave another signal that it expects animated movie “Frozen” will become a durable franchise by creating an application software title for the movie. Most films are so ephemeral, they don’t get apps. The $6.99 retail “Frozen: Storybook Deluxe” app works on iPads and iPhones and is sold via Apple’s iTunes store. “The app is Disney’s third interactive … [Read more...] about Disney Bets Big On ‘Frozen’ With App
Slot Machines License ‘Avatar’
I’m going to have to add a new category to the list of movie licensed merchandise—the slot machine! Gambling equipment manufacturer IGT has two slot machines that are movie themed: James Cameron’s Avatar and James Cameron’s Avatar Treasure of Pandora. The slots are “packed with iconic imagery from the film and industry-first innovation. IGT collaborated with Twentieth … [Read more...] about Slot Machines License ‘Avatar’
Casual Games Based on Films Become Money Spinners
Casual/mobile games based on movies are morphing from marketing vehicles mostly for promotional lift to money spinners for film companies, according to a Variety story. A case in point is Kabam’s game “The Godfather: Five Families,” which Variety says generated $100 million in sales and “Godfather” licensor Paramount gets a cut. “That’s a stunning result that surprised … [Read more...] about Casual Games Based on Films Become Money Spinners
‘Inspired By’ Merchandise Ties to Movies
"Fast & Furious 6," “The Great Gatsby” and “The Hobbit” are generating licensed merchandise that is marketed as “inspired by” those movies. The amorphous “inspired by” arrangement is a loose connection because the licensed products are not seen or heard in the film itself, but the inference they could have been. So these are simple to create since they are not limited to … [Read more...] about ‘Inspired By’ Merchandise Ties to Movies
Pricey ‘Potter’ Exhibit Shines
Here are my personal impressions of an exhibition of “Harry Potter” props and costumes in New York City, which was engaging but pricey at $27 for an adult admission. The exhibit was at the Times Square-area Discovery Hall. Says a press release, “The 14,000-square-foot experiential exhibition – created by Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES) in partnership with Warner … [Read more...] about Pricey ‘Potter’ Exhibit Shines
‘Django’ Slavery Action Figures Irk Activist
-“Django Unchained” action figures are drawing criticism for satirizing America’s sensitive slavery era. An activist, who says he saw and liked the movie argues the plastic action figures are "a slap in the face of our ancestors," he tells the Associated Press. "We feel that it trivializes the horrors of slavery and what African Americans experienced." The plastic … [Read more...] about ‘Django’ Slavery Action Figures Irk Activist