Sony Pictures' global consumer products EVP outlines Hotel Transylvania's licensing lineup, which includes the appointment of Jazwares as master toy partner.
To take advantage of the property’s popularity—the original 2012 feature film has spawned sequels, a television series and theme park attractions—newly appointed master toy partner Jazwares is developing a toy line set to hit shelves just as Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3 lands in theaters in July 2018. This premiere will mark the first time a Hotel Transylvania film has debuted outside of September, and the upcoming film will also be the first that sees Dracula and his daughter Mavis leave the titular hotel.
The timing is also right, Stevens says, because Hotel Transylvania: The Series—produced in partnership with Corus Entertainment-owned Nelvana—has proven to be a hit. The 2D-animated show focuses on the teenage years with Mavis and her friends, who run the hotel while Dracula is away. It airs on Disney Channels in territories around the world, including the US, Europe (excluding Germany), Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Additionally, Sony Pictures Consumer Products has partnered with publishers Simon & Schuster Children’s Group, Papercutz Comics and Bendon Publishing to create a range of books inspired by the films and the television series. The books, which will be available in various formats, will bow as early as this fall.