Mattel Enters Partnerships for American Girl Movie, Despicable Me Toys

Mattel has teamed up with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) to develop a live-action motion picture based on its line of American Girl dolls and books and inked a three-year licensing deal for the Despicable Me franchise.

Mattel Films, MGM and PICTURESTART’s Erik Feig will produce the new American Girl project. This most recent film inspired by the iconic brand follows on the heels of several other made-for-TV movies, including Picturehouse and New Line Cinema’s Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, starring Abigail Breslin.

Ynon Kreiz, Mattel’s chairman and CEO, said: “American Girl is a beloved, story-driven franchise lending itself perfectly to a feature film. In MGM and Erik, we have world-class partners and we look forward to working with them to give our passionate American Girl fans of all ages another way to connect with this iconic brand. This is another example of Mattel continuing to execute on our strategy as we transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”

Jonathan Glickman, MGM’s motion picture group president, added: “American Girl is a timeless and iconic brand that is part of the fabric of families all over the world. We look forward to working with our partners at Mattel and PICTURESTART to bring this cross-generational film to audiences all over the globe.”

Through an agreement with Illumination and Universal Brand Development, Mattel has gained the licensing rights for Despicable Me in North America and key international markets for a wide variety of products, including action figures and dolls, play-sets, vehicles and radio control toys, games, plush, role-play and accessories. The Mattel line will launch with a multi-category collection inspired by the upcoming Minions sequel, and debut in time for the film’s premiere in summer 2020.

Janet Hsu, chief franchise management officer for Mattel, said: “As the stars of the highest-grossing animated franchise to date, Illumination’s Minions have captured the imaginations and hearts of people around the world. We are delighted to partner with Illumination and Universal Brand Development to provide fans of all ages a deeper connection to these beloved characters. Mattel is committed to strategic collaborations with globally-recognized franchises, which are helping to drive our transformation into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”

Vince Klaseus, president of Universal Brand Development, added: “As we continue to develop richer, more engaging ways for fans to interact with our brands, we are excited to collaborate with Illumination and Mattel to design a brand-new line of toys and consumer products, inspired by Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise. Illumination’s Minions are a global pop-culture phenomenon, embraced by all ages and cultures, and we’re excited for the global launch of Minions 2 and for Mattel’s new toy and products lines, which are sure to inspire creativity, open up new ways to play and extend the storytelling.”