The licensing agreement with Disney for Lightyear, the origin story of Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear, will see product at retail from June 2022.
Mattel has announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement for Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear, the origin story of Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear. The new deal follows Mattel and Disney’s existing licensing agreements, which include the Toy Story and Cars franchises.
“At Mattel, we treat our licensors’ properties as if they were our own,” commented Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer at Mattel. “For more than 15 years, Mattel has collaborated with Disney and Pixar to bring the amazing content to life with 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.”
Mattel’s new Lightyear collection is slated to launch at retailers worldwide from June 2022. Under the terms of the agreement, Mattel will have global licensing rights (excluding Japan) to develop a line of toys for the franchise, including action figures, playsets, role play, vehicles, pre-school, games, plush, value figures, novelty and more.
“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,” added Josh Silverman, executive vice president, global third-party commercialization, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “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.”
Lightyear, which is Pixar’s first ever spin-off movie, features the voice of Chris Evans as the ‘real-life’ character that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy and reveals how a young test pilot became the space ranger that we know him to be today. The film is scheduled to be released in cinemas from June 17th, 2022.
