Hasbro and Playmates have today shared a joint press release that confirms an agreement has been struck for Playmates to develop and distribute products from the Hasbro-owned Power Rangers license. Reading between the lines, this seems to indicate the end of the Lightning Collection and the future of Power Rangers toys aligned more to the 'kid-targeted' Playmates figure format as seen recently with the short-lived Star Trek line and the more successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Collector figures will likely now sit with Super7 and their Ultimates series as per the arrangement already in place there.
There is however a door left ajar with the commentary that Hasbro will retain rights to 'activate the brand' across their Hasbro Pulse channel which may still allow the continuation of selected collector items as exclusives, particularly via events like San Diego Comic-Con
PAWTUCKET, R.I.—April 22, 2024— Hasbro, a leading toy and game company, today announced a global licensing agreement with Playmates Toys, a global toy design, development, marketing and distribution company, to produce and distribute POWER RANGERS product. Playmates is debuting its first POWER RANGERS collection with a kid targeted MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS toy line in 2025.
As part of the agreement, Playmates holds licensing rights to develop additional cross-category POWER RANGERS products, including action figures, blasters, plush, role play, vehicles and accessories. The deal encompasses global distribution across all regions excluding Asia.
“We are honored to work with Hasbro on the reimagination of this iconic franchise’s toy line for long time fans and a new generation of children. Playmates and Hasbro speak the same toy language and share a passion for POWER RANGERS, a multi-generational phenomenon that has stood the test of time,” said Karl Aaronian, Playmates’ SVP of Marketing.
Hasbro will retain all entertainment rights and will continue to drive global strategy and growth for the POWER RANGERS franchise by strategically working with licensees across multiple categories, including publishing, fashion and footwear, promotions and more. Hasbro will also further activate the brand across their direct-to-consumer channel Hasbro Pulse and as part of its presence at major industry events like San Diego Comic Con.
“Playmates’ ability to interpret character-based story telling in highly detailed, innovative, and affordable products has revitalized several iconic brands, they are the perfect fit to fully expand the POWER RANGERS franchise,” said Casey Collins, President of Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro. “While we’ll continue to provide oversight and direction on future POWER RANGERS product ranges, Playmates will leverage its action figure and accessory design, development and marketing expertise to create an entirely new play and collecting experience for fans of all ages. With two powerhouse companies coming together to support a powerhouse brand, the potential is limitless!”
Celebrating 30 continuous years on the air, POWER RANGERS has become one of the longest-running kids’ live-action series in television history, with more than 900 episodes aired to date. Created by Haim Saban and launched in 1993 with MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS, the series celebrated its 30th year in 2023 with MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: ONCE & ALWAYS, an anniversary special streaming exclusively on Netflix. The most recent season of POWER RANGERS, POWER RANGERS: COSMIC FURY, is currently available exclusively on Netflix.
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About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...