There are some films within the Pixar catalog that were accompanied by a large amount of merchandise, including the Toy Story and Cars films and Brave. Other films from the studio, such as Up, were not as easily adaptable to toy lines (or at least not as marketable) – Toy Story and Cars practically begged for film-related toys, while toys for Up, which starred a senior citizen, required a bit more creativity to produce. Where will Monsters University fall? We shall know soon, as Disney laid out plans today to formally introduce a product line for the film. Find more details after the break!
On February 11, Disney will preview Monsters University toys and other merchandise at an exclusive press event in conjunction with The American International Toy Fair. Film director Dan Scanlon, producer Kori Rae, and stars Billy Crystal (Mike Wazowski) and John Goodman (Sulley) are all scheduled to be in attendance to speak about the products as well as the film. This will be the first time Scanlon and co will be on hand to discuss the film with the public, so it is certainly a notable event.
As for just how large the film product lines will be, I think it is safe to say there will be more tie-ins to the film than we saw for Up. While I would have loved to see more Up toys readily available when the film came out, Monsters University is a prequel to a much-adored animated film, which almost guarantees a large amount of merchandise in the coming months, given previously established characters (Mike, Sulley, etc.).
I intend to be at the press event, so be prepared to have full coverage of the exciting revelations.
