Category: Toys & Merchandise

Chronicle Collectibles unveil impressive Jurassic Park & World lineup at SDCC

Posted on by Chris Pugh

It’s taken 26 years, but we finally have a huge lineup of high end collectibles based around the Jurassic franchise coming out. Chronicle Collectibles has spared no expense bringing the franchise to life, and they’re showing it off in full force at San Diego Comic Con 2016. Start saving up and find a second job, because there is no way to pass any of this up!

ChronBooth

Thanks to Steven Ray Morris on Twitter, we have pictures of their booth! On display from old to new (with links to item pages for previously announced products included):

Wow! We’re gonna need a bigger collecting display. Yes, you read that right – we’re finally getting an accurate Alan Grant figure. If you’re familiar with ‘Hot Toys’ then you know what to expect from the Owen and Alan figures – if not, hit google and prepare to be awed (and broke). Check out the 1:6th Alan Grant + Owen Grady, and more below!

AlanOwenandOwen

RaptorsIMG_8602

Stay tuned, as we will add more details and pictures to this article as they become available!

Be sure to listen to our latest podcast below where we interview Paul Francis, the Co-Founder and Art Director at Chronicle Collectibles:

Thanks again to Steven Ray Morris for the pictures!

Mattel will take over the Jurassic World license from Hasbro in late 2017

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Mattel will now be the exclusive toy maker for Jurassic Park and World action figures. This is following yesterday’s news that Hasbro was unable to come to a new agreement with Universal Pictures for the Jurassic toy line. Hasbro has been the license holder for Jurassic Park since the first films toys hit shelves in 1992. Read the press release below!

MattelJurassic

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Building on an ever-expanding list of strategic collaborations with many of the world’s best-known entertainment companies, Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announced that it has been awarded worldwide master toy licensee for Jurassic World beginning in July 2017. Under the terms of the deal, Mattel will design, produce and bring to market a wide variety of toys and consumer products inspired by the franchise and its multiple feature films, including the highly-anticipated next film, set for release in 2018.

“We are honored that NBCUniversal chose Mattel to help bring the Jurassic World brand to life, and we look forward to developing multiple new lines of innovative, engaging toys and products,” said Chris Sinclair, Mattel’s Chairman and CEO. “Spanning three decades of sustained worldwide popularity, few entertainment properties have so successfully captured the collective imagination of millions of fans around the world, and we are delighted to be a part of this truly evergreen franchise.”

Mattel’s license rights include a wide variety of products, including (but not limited to) action figures, play-sets, vehicles, games, plush, role-play, preschool, and activity toys. Mattel and NBCUniversal will begin to design and develop new lines immediately, with initial products hitting shelves in early 2018.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with Mattel and broadening Jurassic World products worldwide. The appetite for the franchise globally is stronger than ever with consumers wanting more.  Mattel’s global support, creativity and category approach to expand our franchise makes them the best choice to partner with for this brand, bringing innovation, technology and a host of new ways to play,” said Vince Klaseus, President, NBCUniversal Brand Development. “Jurassic World is more than awe-inspiring blockbuster films, it’s a brand that has been reaching consumers for more than twenty years on everything from video games, toys and apparel, to theme park attractions and live events.  Our focus for the franchise is to continue to collaborate with best-in-class partners as we build and expand this iconic property into a mega-brand across our Universal platforms.”

This is uncharted territory for the Jurassic toy line. Hasbro has always owned the license, and Jurassic World 2 (w/t Ancient Futures) will be the first film without Hasbro toys. While the 2015 Jurassic World toys were a let down in quality and style, it’s uncertain if this new partnership will see the improvements the fans want.

Mattelghost

In my opinion, Mattel is a mixed bag of quality. Their DC toys look straight out of the 90’s, which may have a nostalgic appeal for some, but aren’t up to Hasbro outputs with most. However, their latest 6″ Ghostbusters series is pretty great – it’s comparable to thenStar Wars Black Series, but not quite as good in quality. My hope is that Mattel looks at Hasbro and Kenners past Jurassic Park offerings that fans enjoyed, and crafts a line that sits next to them comfortably without a notable change in style.

Want to learn more? We discuss this news in our latest podcast – listen below!

Stay tuned as the news keeps pouring in, and be sure to sound off in the comments below!

Source: PRnewswire

Breaking: Hasbro will lose the Jurassic Park license post 2017

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Extinction is merciless, and it’s coming for the dinosaurs once again. Earlier today, Hasbro has announced they were unable to secure new deal with Universal Pictures for the Jurassic Park license and 2017 will be its final year producing items for the brand. CNBC covered the latest investors call, and reported the following:

The company, which makes a significant part of its revenue through licensed products, revealed that it would no longer handle “Jurassic Park” licensing after 2017 during its earnings conference call. Earlier, the company had posted quarterly profit and revenue that outpaced analyst estimates.

“We have had a many year relationship with Universal; we will no longer handle ‘Jurassic Park’ because they are unable to arrive at a mutually beneficial financial arrangement on that brand,” Brian Goldner, CEO of Hasbro, said during the call.

“Jurassic Park” was a headwind for the boys’ category in the latest quarter, and it would continue to have an impact into the third and fourth quarters, Goldner said.

Hasbro Jurassic Park

This is fairly depressing news. It’s no secret that Hasbro’s Jurassic World offerings were underwhelming, and a severe step down in quality compared to their past lineups. However, Hasbro has been the license holder since the original Jurassic Park (if you count them as Kenner due to their acquisition of the brand). I personally cannot think of another toy company out there capable of easily producing a toy line worthy of Jurassic Park’s action figure legacy.

While toy manufactures like NECA could do good things with the Jurassic brand for collectors, they would not create a line nearly as expansive as the past. This means removable dino-damage, vehicles, capture gear, and large, affordable electronic Tyrannosaurus Rex items are less certain going forward. Today’s news will mark a fairly large tonal shift for Jurassic toys, and it is likely the future lines will not be nearly as mainstream.

While Hasbro retains the Jurassic license up until the end of 2017, it is unclear if they will proceed with their plans of releasing toys. It is possible that both the 2016 ‘Dino Hybrids’ and 2017 ‘Raptor Squad’ line will see cancellations.

Update: Mattel is now in charge of the ‘Jurassic World’ license. Learn more!

Thanks to Brad Jost of the Jurassic Park Podcast for the heads up!

Source: CNBC, Wall Street Journal

#ThrowbackThursday: Kenner Jurassic Park Carnotaurus Design Sketch (Exclusive)

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Hey everyone, it’s Thursday and that means it’s time to look back into the prehistoric past of the Jurassic franchise! Today for #JurassicJune we have a very special exclusive throwback: the original conceptual design sketch of the Kenner Jurassic Park Carnotaurus! This sketch dates back to around 1992, and is straight from the table of the artists themselves (note the clay smudges!) Check it out in its full glory below:

The Jurassic Park Series 2 Carnotaurus released in 1994 and is one of the more iconic and sought after classic Jurassic toys by collectors. Due to its rarity and fan favorite status, it nets a hefty price if you manage to find one now (upwards to $500 MIB). This piece of art is an awesome, previously unseen part of Jurassic history that gives a very rare peek behind the curtain of its creation.

Image courtesy of JurassicToys.net
Image courtesy of JurassicToys.net

Want to know more about about the series 2 Carnotaurus? Head over to its page at JPtoys.com and read up! As always, sound off in the comments below, join the discussion in our forums, and stay tuned for the latest on everything Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and more!

Thanks to an anonymous contributor for sharing this art!

New art from cancelled version of ‘Jurassic Park 4’

Posted on by Chris Pugh

We all know the road to Jurassic World was a wild one, with Jurassic Park 4 taking many different shapes and stories over the years. Today we’ve been given another peak into just how crazy some of those ideas really were. Concept artist Carlos Huante took to his Instagram to share new unseen art of the abandoned version of Jurassic Park 4 which he was working on with Joe Johnston back in 2004.

HuanteJP42016

Following Jurassic Park 3, the idea was to push the sequel into bold new territory. The same basic concepts of Jurassic World existed then: hybrids, ex-military protagonists, and dinosaurs created for military application. However, the shape these concepts took were drastically different. The militarized animals were quite literally dinosaur soldiers, hybridized with human and canine DNA.  And from the latest art, it turns out there were cyborg human/raptor hybrids as well. Weird.

HuanteJP42008

Little is known about the story concept for this version of Jurassic Park 4, other than it was a further evolution of the story John Sayles wrote in the 2004 script. If you haven’t already, you can download and read that script via our downloads sections! Word is that Steven Spielberg threw it all back to the drawing board a few weeks after this outlandish art was created.

Despite the art taking things a bit too far, the core concepts were never abandoned. In 2006, Universal Pictures and Art Asylum had a small Jurassic Park booth at New York Toy Fair. On display were small diorama statues of a very mean looking Tyrannosaurus, alongside a Triceratops. Years later, the full story was uncovered:

“They were part of a new proposed ‘Jurassic Park’ toy line (…) that would have had nastier dinosaurs, and soldiers with all kinds of dino-fighting gear and vehicles. The ‘R-Rex’ was the first.  It’s not based on any [prior] JP design.  I was told to simply come up with a Next-Gen T-Rex ‘on steroids’, with maybe a bit of raptor DNA thrown in (note the 3-digits on hands).  I had a week to sculpt and paint it for display. Sadly, though Universal Studios was very impressed, the toy line didn’t get approved for production.”

joelaudatiraptorrex

While that toy line may have never came into fruition, its clear that it again has many similarities to the story of Jurassic World: a Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor hybrid, alongside a soldiers vs dinosaurs focus. From 2006 onward, it was mostly radio silence, but one thing remains clear: the ever winding road to Jurassic World was paved many years ago.

ILMJp4

Be sure to sound off in the comments below, and let us know what you think of the latest art! While the concept sounds straight out of a SyFy channel special that has nothing to do with Jurassic, I have to say on a artistic level I love the art Carlos created.

Stay tuned, and keep enjoying #JurassicJune 2016!