Publishers Conjure Up Some ‘Wicked’ Tie-In Books
Universal Products & Experiences has launched an extensive licensing program to support the November 22 release of the feature film Wicked. This is the first of two films telling the story, with part two set for release on November 26, 2025. Nearly 75 brands and 20 retail partners have been announced to date, from Mattel and Rebecca Minkoff to Bloomingdale’s and Vera Bradley, for lifestyle collaborations, everyday apparel and accessories, food, beauty products, toys, collectibles, and other merchandise.
Licensed publishing is also in the mix. Insight Editions is releasing several titles, including a replica pop-up book, The Story of Oz; a shaped collectible hardcover journal that brings to life the film’s magical spell book, The Grimmerie; a deluxe illustrated story book based on the lyrics to the song Defying Gravity; and an advent calendar. Random House Children’s Books is offering two Little Golden Books, I Am Elphaba and I Am Glinda. And HarperCollins, which publishes the underlying books by Gregory Maguire that started it all, is adding a film-based coloring book to its list.
“We’re big musical theater fans here, and this is one of the biggest musicals of all time,” Vanessa Lopez, VP, licensing and partnerships, at Insight Editions, told PW. “You can’t hear songs like Defying Gravity without a visceral reaction. It’s a timeless world, and the vision for the film blew us away.”
“It’s more than proven its staying power,” Dennis Shealy, Random House’s editorial director, licensed publishing, said. “The Broadway show was a huge hit that has given the story another life. And now this new spectacular and visually impactful cinematic event will reach across all generations. It looks fantastic and fantastical.”
With the original books written for adults and the Broadway musical and film bringing the age down to younger fans, the tie-ins are likely to have a wide readership. “The story has been popular for more than 20 years,” Shealy said. “It has something for everyone, from the superfan to the child with a sense of wonder and fantasy.” The Little Golden Books are “a safe retelling and introduction to Wicked,” he added. “They’re very cute and will appeal to collectors who are fans of the movies or the other works they’re based on, and to Little Golden Books collectors.”
“That’s the fun of pop culture brands. They’re for everybody,” Lopez said. “Kids love musical theater, and parents like to share that experience with their kids, going to the theater together and listening to the soundtrack in the car. We want to invite those intergenerational moments with a diverse range of titles and to create a piece of magic that people can take home with them after they come away from watching the film.”
While nothing specific is planned yet, the publishers say they are having early conversations with licensor Universal Products & Experiences about what tie-in publishing might look like for the second installment in 2025.
Angry Birds Catapult into Comics with Rocketship Entertainment
Rocketship Entertainment has secured publishing rights to Angry Birds from Rovio and its licensing agency IMG, with plans to release a three-book middle-grade graphic novel series and a four-title comic book series for younger readers, both under the publisher’s Bottlerocket! imprint. The Angry Birds franchise celebrates its 15th anniversary this December.
Rocketship launched Bottlerocket!, its children’s imprint, in 2021, starting with all-new Felix the Cat stories under license from DreamWorks Animation (now Universal Products & Experiences). “We had done a handful of titles for young readers, but we knew we needed another big property as an anchor,” Tom Akel, Rocketship’s CEO and publisher, told PW. “We’ll always lean toward creator-owned titles, but if it’s the right license, it can help elevate the entire line. Young readers and their parents gravitate to the famous property first, but then they’ll try other titles that are great but don’t have the brand recognition of a large license.”
During discussions with IMG about a variety of properties, Angry Birds came up as a possibility. “I was a big fan and still play, and my godson is a massive fan. I didn’t realize it, but it was the 15th anniversary. And that was before the TV series and the announcement of the third film. So the stars all aligned at the same time.” A TV series, Angry Birds Mystery Island, debuted on Amazon’s Prime Video and Amazon Kids+ in May, and a third feature film is in production at DNEG Animation.
The three graphic novels—The Haunting of Hog House, Level Up, and Breaking the Bank—will be written by Paul Tobin, known for the Plants vs. Zombies series and other titles, and illustrated by Thom Zahler, who has worked on My Little Pony. All three will be offered for preorder through a Kickstarter campaign this year, along with exclusive, limited-edition merchandise developed with the licensor. The first title will then release at retail globally in spring 2025, with the second and third to follow in 2025 and 2026. Each book will feature a QR code that unlocks an Angry Birds digital experience.
The property maintains high awareness with children thanks to TV and films based on the property, but the core fans who are playing the game tend to be a little older, said Akel. The company decided to start with middle-grade content first to appeal to that group, and then expand to younger readers. “It has humor that will appeal to middle grade and adult readers, but it’s safe for all ages,” he said.
The first young readers comic, written by Katie Cook, will publish in 2025, with the remaining three following monthly or bimonthly. A collection of all four will publish six to nine months later.
Angry Birds quickly expanded beyond its casual mobile gaming roots after its launch in 2009, inspiring many additional games, entertainment content, and billions of dollars’ worth of licensed products. Recently signed partners include Iplayco for digital experiences, Legends of Learning for digital educational games, and K’Nex for building sets. In addition to the new TV series and upcoming film, older content continues to air on Netflix and other global platforms.
Dr. Seuss Babies Inspires Literacy in the Youngest Fans
Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books have launched a new Dr. Seuss brand extension for the youngest fans with the announcement of Dr. Seuss Babies. The new brand also includes an interactive board book program, consumer products, and a YouTube series, Learn to Read. The YouTube show premiered on August 16 and teaches phonic reading skills.
“Parents trust Dr. Seuss to deliver quality, educational, and entertaining content and products for their families,” said Susan Brandt, president and CEO, Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “We wanted to expand our offering to new parents by creating a range of slightly new characters that are perfect for babies.”
The first board book, a lift-the-flap title with a mirror, is Happy First Birthday!, starring The Cat in the Hat and Thing One and Thing Two, set for publication on January 7, 2025. Two more titles, Mr. Brown on the Farm and Merry Grinchmas, Baby!, will follow in May and September 2025, respectively, with three more titles, one per season, scheduled for 2026.
Cat Reynolds, senior editor of Dr. Seuss Publishing at RHCB, who is editing the books, told PW that the goal of Dr. Seuss Publishing is always to uphold the legacy and goals of the author. “That includes honoring Dr. Seuss’s commitment to literacy and his belief that reading should be both educational and fun,” she said, noting that putting books in front of kids at a very early age is one way to foster a lifelong love of reading.
The Dr. Seuss publishing program already includes board books based on the classic characters and stories, including Bright & Early Board Books that are abridged versions of the classic books and the “I Am” series (We Are Thing One and Thing Two, I Am the Grinch, etc.), which introduce young children to the characters. “What’s different about the Dr. Seuss Babies board books is that they’re about the reader,” Reynolds said. “They’re about how a child experiences the world, with the Dr. Seuss Babies as their guides.” In Happy First Birthday!, for example, baby Cat in the Hat throws a birthday party for the reader.
The Dr. Seuss Babies board books and the brand overall will include a wide variety of characters from the world of Dr. Seuss as time goes on. Currently it consists of 16 characters from the Dr. Seuss cannon, including The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, Max, The Lorax, Swami Swam, Baloot, Walter, Sam, the Things, the Fish, and Mr. Brown, along with the cow and the pig from his farm, according to Brandt. “We definitely wanted to launch with some fan favorites,” Reynolds said. “But we were also thinking thematically about early concepts. For a book about farm animals, Mr. Brown is a natural fit.”
The program features all-new art, developed in-house at DSE in collaboration with the Random House team, which also provided input on the content of the YouTube series. “We’re fortunate to work as one team with DSE and collaborate creatively with them,” Reynolds said. “The characters are adorable. We think they will bring in new fans, and that lifelong fans will find something to love, too.”
On the consumer product side, DSE has worked with licensees in the infant and toddler space in the past; however, the launch of the Dr. Seuss Babies brand marks its biggest effort in the category to date, Brandt said. The first partners include Playtex Baby, Hello Bello, and Posh Peanut, with more to come.
Comics from Dynamite and Warner Bros. Discovery Celebrate Classic Cartoons
Dynamite Entertainment has added to its new program of original comic books and graphic novels with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, announced in October 2023. The five newest series will be based on Ben 10—marking that property’s first-ever entry into comic books—as well as Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Thundarr the Barbarian, Dynomutt and the Blue Falcon, and The Herculoids. Dynamite revealed at San Diego Comic Con that the last series will be written by Tom Sniegoski.
The deal encompasses a variety of Warner Bros. properties, focused primarily on retro TV series, including from the company’s Hannah-Barbera and Cartoon Network archives. “The [comic book and graphic novel] category has been one of the fastest growing in the entire publishing industry in recent years, so having a significant footprint is crucial for our business,” says Preston Kevin Lewis, senior VP, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. “Dynamite came to us with a vision that matched ours, so we knew we would be set up for success.”
New series under the agreement to date have included ThunderCats by Declan Shalvey, which kicked off the program in February; Space Ghost by David Pepos and Jonathan Lau in May; Powerpuff Girls by Kelly Thompson in July; and Jonny Quest by Joe Casey and Sebastian Piriz in August. A few additional properties beyond those that have already been announced are in the works, according to Lewis. “One we are especially excited about is a first-of-its-kind Wizard of Oz original graphic novel that comes out later this year.”
So far, the releases have mostly been mostly for teen readers and up, including adult nostalgia fans. But plans include titles for fans of all ages.
In other Warner Bros. Discovery news, the studio partnered with several retailers to mark Harry Potter’s birthday on July 31. “Harry’s birthday has long been a fan favorite moment, and this year we went big alongside retailers to develop first-time activations that would allow fans to celebrate the special day,” Lewis said.
In the book trade, more than 300 Barnes & Noble stores hosted Harry Potter events, with activities, giveaways, and a variety of “Happee Birthdae” merchandise for purchase. Books a Million and 2nd & Charles also held themed parties in many of their stores, as well as featuring a selection of Harry Potter products, including Insight Editions kits. Outside of the book channel, Walmart highlighted a collection of products; Macy’s hosted a Harry Potter takeover on its social media channels, posted birthday-themed content and products on its website, and offered photo ops with giant Funko Harry Potter figures in three of its stores; and HSN sold a collection of merchandise from a range of Harry Potter licensees.
The birthday leads into another annual celebration for the brand, the back-to-school themed Back to Hogwarts promotion. For the first time, fans in the U.S. will be able to attend a free Back to Hogwarts pop-up held in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal in New York on August 30 and September 1. The event includes performances, LEGO building activities, and an interactive gaming experience. Scholastic, Amazon, and other partners are involved as well.
Other Back to Hogwarts happenings on and around September 1 include back-to-back screenings of the films in theaters around the world; two Snapchat lenses inspired by the Sorting Hat and Quidditch, as well as a Snapchat filter that summons the Hogwarts Express train to five global icons, from the Eiffel Tower to the Hachiko Statue in Tokyo, when those locations are scanned with the app; and live and online events around the world.
In Brief
New Era Cap and OT Sports have been named the licensees for a capsule collection of co-branded merchandise combining New York Yankees graphics with images of Mo Willems’ The Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie, sold at Yankee Stadium. The caps, t-shirts, and sweatshirts complement a recently announced promotional partnership involving two Mo Willems Family Days at the ballpark this season.... Bare Tree Media has signed a deal with Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid to bring the brand into digital content licensing for the first time. Interactive content such as mobile messaging stickers, mobile themes, and smartwatch faces based on the brand are being distributed across a variety of digital platforms globally. Bare Tree has long had a digital marketing partnership with Wimpy Kid to produce emojis for its official GIPHY channel.... In the U.K., DK partnered with the European Space Agency for a range of children’s books, including fiction and nonfiction, with STEM themes.
