Mattel News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

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It feels a little odd to say Barbie is back as the iconic doll never really went away. Introduced to the world in 1959, people have been playing with and collecting Barbies ever since. There's no doubting the spotlight Barbie was thrust back into in 2023 thanks to her first live action movie though, and naturally, Mattel has been trying to ride that wave ever since. The latest manifestation of that is a brand new Barbie collection dubbed Mini BarbieLand which has shrunk Barbie, her friends, and the world around her down to a far smaller size.

Remember Thomas, the Tank Engine, and his friends? The cheeky little blue engine is probably a slice of childhood nostalgia for many of you or your older siblings. Mattel has teamed up with StoryToys to bring the educational mobile game, Thomas & Friends: Let’s Roll to mobile devices.

Mattel is launching a cute Xbox 360 block building kit — but its price tag is more than double what you'd spend on an actual Xbox 360.

Pokemon has a deal with Mattel that means you can't build the likes of Pikachu and Charizard out of Lego, at least not officially. That's because you can build them out of Mega, Lego's toy brick rival. Several Pokemon and iconic locations from the games and the anime have been turned into Mega sets, and the next one coming to Pokemon's Mega collections might be its most elaborate to date. An Eevee made up of almost 1,400 pieces that actually moves.

Fisher Price has been shrinking characters from popular culture down to size for its Little People Collector's Sets for years. The residents of Halloween Town and the cast of Stranger Things are just two examples of characters who have their very own sets. Now Master Chief and a few other famous faces from Halo will be joining them as a Little People set based on Xbox's flagship series has been revealed and will launch this summer.

There’s going to be a movie based The Sims, according to The Hollywood Reporter — and based on the people involved in producing and directing it, it’s worth taking pretty seriously.

Uno might not have the history behind it that some card games do, but there aren't many better places to turn when you're looking for something to play that almost everyone can join in with right away, even if they have never played it before. Families and friends have been matching numbers and colors - and arguing about some of the game's finer details - for more than 50 years, and now Mattel is adding some licensed decks to its Uno collection via a new Uno Fandom range.

Good news, He-Man fans! Looks like that Masters of the Universe reboot, which was unceremoniously scrapped by Netflix last summer, might be getting made after all...

Two weeks ahead of the Super Bowl, Mattel revealed it would be releasing Barbies, Little People sets, and UNO cards themed after whoever won the Big Game. Not just that, but the toymakers showcased images of all products, for both teams, and opened pre-orders even though only the winning team's items would ever see the light of day. Now the Super Bowl is over, Mattel's Kansas City Chiefs collection will become a reality, and pre-orders for the San Francisco 49ers products have been canceled.

Mattel's Fisher Price Little People Collector Sets take characters from famous shows and movies and shrink them down to size. Everyone from Jack Skellington to the cast of Friends has been turned into a Little People figure, and now its the turn of Stranger Things. There are no fewer than three Stranger Things Little People sets available right now, all launching just in time for Stranger Things Day on November 6.

Are your friends terrible at Pictionary? How about having an AI guess what you're drawing?

Characters from various movies, TV shows, and video games have been immortalized as toys in a number of ways. Action figures, Funko Pops, even plushes. However, none of those collectibles are quite as adorable as Fisher Price's Little People Collector sets. Shrinking famous characters from various series down to pocket size along with the famous locations you'd usually find them in, Mattel has shown off two official Disney sets perfect for the spookiest season of the year.

The Barbie Movie has enjoyed a massive amount of success, surpassing $1 billion at the box office over the weekend despite only hitting cinemas a little more than two weeks ago. Showcased in the movie were real-life versions of Barbies from throughout the doll's history as well as a few new characters never seen before. One of those additions was Weird Barbie, a representation of a doll effectively tormented by its child owner, played by Kate McKinnon.

If you have seen the Barbie movie and you're somehow already over it, you are definitely not me. If you have seen the Barbie movie and you're not already over it, and I'm assuming you're not and that's why you're here, Mattel is launching a line of clothing to celebrate its release and success. A T-shirt showcasing your love for President Barbie, a whole bunch of Allan merch, and even a fanny pack with all the characters on it.

Barbie’s success at the box office has clearly got Mattel very excited. In a new interview, the CEO has doubled down on plans for a whole host of planned movie adaptations based on existing toys. "Successful movies lend themselves to more movies," Ynon Kreiz told Variety. "Our ambition is to create film franchises."

Friends might have been off our TVs for the better part of 20 years, but the show left such an indelible mark on our society that it'll never be forgotten. Whether you watched along as the show aired and it still holds a special place in your heart, or you have caught up with Ross and Rachel's journey through streaming services since, there's a significant chance you'll be blown away by the limited edition Polly Pocket compact Mattel has launched to celebrate Friends Fan Week.

Friends might have come to an epic and emotional end almost 20 years ago, but it'll be a very long time before the iconic sitcom is no longer culturally relevant. Name any combination of the six main characters and odds are most people you say it to will immediately know what you're talking about. The show also continues to accrue fans young and old which is why Mattel's new Little People Collector set will likely appeal to even the most casual of Friends fans.