Things are really starting to happen with Lightyear! It’s now been announced that Mattel has signed an agreement with Disney and Pixar to produce a line of toys tied to the new movie.
According to the sites aNb Media and the Toy Book, the range of Lightyear toys will include action figures, playsets, role-play, vehicles, novelty items, value figures, preschool toys, games, and plushes.
Richard Dickson, the president and chief operating officer of Mattel, said this about the arrangement:
“At Mattel, we treat our licensors’ properties as if they were our own. For more than 15 years, Mattel has collaborated with Disney and Pixar to bring their amazing content to life with our innovative products and marketing initiatives. We are excited to further that collaboration by introducing a line of toys and play experiences for fans of all ages to enjoy, to infinity and beyond.”
And Josh Silverman, executive vice president, global third-party commercialization, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, also offered a statement:
“We’re thrilled to further our ongoing collaboration with Mattel and bring even more products and experiences to life that delight millions of fans around the world through Pixar Animation Studios’ unique brand of storytelling. With Lightyear, there is an incredible opportunity to celebrate everyone’s favorite Space Ranger – along with a new cast of characters – through new and exciting toys, play experiences, and more.”
The Lightyear toys should be hitting stores close to the movie’s release on June 17, 2022.
This isn’t really a surprise, since Mattel and Pixar have partnered to create toy lines in the past – especially considering that they made toys for for Toy Story 4 – but it’s always nice to get an official little bit of news. Mattel does a great job with the Toy Story characters, so I’m excited to see what they’ll have to offer for Lightyear! Of course, it’ll be Buzz with a whole new gang this time around. Even so, I’m sure there will still be some new pieces to add to our collection!
UPDATE: I also found the transcript of Mattel’s Q3 2021 earnings call, which was held on October 22. Here’s what Ynon Kreiz, Mattel Chairman and CEO, had to say about the Lightyear toys:
We just announced an expansion of our relationship with business consumer products games and publishing for Disney and Pixar’s eagerly anticipated movie Lightyear. This is the origin story of Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear and it is expected to be very toyetic. Mattel has the global licensing rights to develop the toy line for the franchise, which is expected to launch at retailers around the world beginning summer 2022.
“Toyetic” means something that has great marketing potential as a toy. So I guess that means there’s a lot of fun stuff to come!
Image © Disney/Pixar.
Toy Story Fangirl 