MovieMates collectible, articulated figures come with a film rig and a free app and launch with Jurassic World as the first theme.

Toy innovation company Wow! Stuff and award-winning stop-motion animation studio Aardman have today announced a collaboration on a global consumer products initiative: MovieMates.

The two innovative businesses have joined forces to create the new range, utilising both companies’ unrivalled specialist expertise.

MovieMates, launching first with the blockbuster franchise Jurassic World, is a range of collectible, highly detailed and articulated action figures mounted on a non-removable ‘film rig’ that comes with a free MovieMates app. Using the figure or figures and the stop-motion app, kids and kidults can recreate movie scenes or create new ones of their own. ‘Start making movies within 60 seconds’ is the premise behind the easy to use toys and app.

“Kids are massive content creators, just look at YouTube and the rise of the kidfluencers who love sharing their homemade videos, explained Wow! Stuff’s head of Licensing Kenny McAndrew. “From unboxing of latest toys to the creation of mini movies using off the shelf toys, there is a clear opportunity to give them branded assets that they could never normally access. MovieMates also allows kids to show off their movie creations on social media without having to be the star of the show; their art, their movie is the star and they are the producer and director. Available within the app are official Jurassic World backgrounds, special FX sounds and stickers – and more great brands will follow”,

Rob Goodchild, commercial director at Aardman added: “We are committed to inspiring the next generation of movie-makers and creating the tools to help everyone unlock their creative potential. This is a great example of two innovative businesses coming together to create something special, combining our unrivalled expertise in stop-motion animation and interactive production with Wow! Stuff’s ability to create and market leading-edge toys. Making films is great fun and rewarding, and anyone can give it a go.”

MovieMates will be on sale this July, launching with the Jurassic World franchise, and is distributed and marketed in the USA by Jakks Pacific and in the rest of the world by Wow! Stuff. Wow! Stuff has also signed further tier 1 licensed brands which are set to launch globally later in 2022.

TOY WORLD 2nd March 2022