Mattel Names Warner Bros. Discovery Veteran Catherine Wood GM and Global Head of Dolls

Mattel has appointed Catherine Wood as General Manager and Global Head of Dolls, giving her responsibility for the long-term vision, global strategy, and business performance of Barbie, American Girl, Monster High, Polly Pocket, and the rest of the company’s doll portfolio. The role is cross-functional by design: Wood will work across product development, design, marketing, commercial, consumer products and experiences, Mattel Studios, digital, and finance to drive integrated growth, with a focus on keeping each brand distinct while building deeper links between storytelling, play, products, experiences, and fandom.

Wood joins from Warner Bros. Discovery, where she led global brand and franchise strategy for properties including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and The Lord of the Rings, and she has previously held roles at Disney and Ticketmaster. “What drew me to Mattel is the opportunity to bring a franchise perspective to an extraordinary portfolio of brands, each with its own heritage, audience, and potential,” Wood said. The hire adds another entertainment-minded executive to Mattel’s leadership as the company continues to push its biggest toy brands into broader global franchises under newly named Chairman and CEO Roger Lynch.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Hasbro Expands Icecat Product-Content Partnership to 19 European Markets

Hasbro has widened its collaboration with content-syndication platform Icecat, extending the regional availability of its “above-the-fold” product content, the information a shopper sees first on a product page, across additional European markets. Coverage now spans the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The content package includes product titles, images, descriptions, user manuals, standardized specifications, and video, all centrally managed and validated by Icecat.

Hasbro’s retail and e-commerce partners can access the content free of charge via XML/JSON data feeds, Icecat Live, or integrations with PIM and e-commerce platforms, with the goal of faster time-to-market, better product visibility, and higher conversion from one centralized source. Icecat says more than 150 toy brands now make their product content available to retailers and channel partners through its platform, making the move a notable step in how major toy companies standardize their digital shelf across countries ahead of the holiday selling season.

LEGO Ideas Opens First-Ever Star Wars x Marvel Mash-Up Fan Challenge

The LEGO Group used New York Comic Con on Oct. 10 to launch a first-of-its-kind LEGO Ideas challenge inviting fans to combine the Star Wars and Marvel universes in brick form. Announced during a Marvel Comics panel featuring Kevin Smith, the challenge ties into the Star Wars x Marvel: Hope Assembles crossover comic launching in January and the Star Wars franchise’s 50th anniversary in 2027. Fans can enter across three themes, mashing up vehicles, characters, or scenes, with submissions drawing on Marvel Comics and Star Wars: A New Hope.

“This challenge is a milestone for LEGO Ideas and our fan community,” said Fede Begher, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Group at the LEGO Group. “For the first time ever, fans can build with both Marvel and Star Wars in a single LEGO Ideas challenge.” Entries are submitted through ideas.lego.com, fan voting begins Dec. 15, 2026, and grand prize selections will be announced next year, giving LEGO a fan-sourced pipeline for potential crossover product built on two of Disney’s biggest licenses.

Source: The LEGO Group

Mattel Brick Shop Signs First Nissan Deal with 833-Piece 1971 Skyline 2000GT-R Set

Mattel is expanding its Mattel Brick Shop Hot Wheels building-set line with its first Nissan collaboration: an 833-piece, 1:16-scale re-creation of the 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R, the boxy “Hakosuka” that dominated Japanese touring-car racing in the early 1970s. The model, which debuted at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, features functional steering and doors, an opening hood with a detailed engine, licensed Yokohama tires, interchangeable wheels, a racing splitter, headlight covers, and an external oil cooler so builders can configure it for road or race spec.

Like other Brick Shop sets, the kit includes a matching 1:64 Hot Wheels die-cast available only in the set, plus a Hot Wheels signature metal display plate. It will retail for $59.99 at major retailers beginning January 2027. The launch extends Mattel’s push into the adult collector building category, using real-world automotive licenses and the Hot Wheels die-cast tie-in to differentiate from competing brick brands.

Source: Car and Driver

Mattel Game Studios Launches “Masters of the Universe: Battle for Grayskull” on Roblox

Mattel Game Studios, working with Roblox developer Twin Atlas, has launched Masters of the Universe: Battle for Grayskull worldwide on Roblox. The free, faction-based action RPG asks players to side with He-Man and the Heroic Warriors or Skeletor and the Evil Warriors in a fight for control of Castle Grayskull, exploring locations such as Snake Mountain and Subternia, completing quests, defeating bosses, collecting gear, and leveling up through an evolving skill tree. The game draws on both the latest Masters of the Universe film and decades of franchise lore.

Sean Thompson, vice president of Mattel Game Studios, said the team designed the experience specifically for Roblox rather than simply porting the franchise onto the platform. The release continues Mattel’s strategy of meeting kids and families on Roblox, following its recent Barbie DreamStyle launch there, as it works to keep its entertainment properties active between film and toy cycles.

Source: Licensing.biz

Lucasfilm Publishing Unveils Star Wars 50th Anniversary Book Slate and “Starfighter” Tie-Ins at NYCC

At its New York Comic Con panel on Oct. 9, Lucasfilm Publishing revealed the first covers from its publishing program for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope. Titles include Star Wars: A New Hope – The Complete Manga, Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy 50th Anniversary Edition, a collector’s edition of the A New Hope shooting script, an Official Funko POP! coloring book, Abrams’ Star Wars: Celebrating 50 Years of A New Hope (featuring interviews with actors, astronauts, athletes, and innovators), and DK’s Star Wars: A Celebration by Pablo Hidalgo.

The panel also previewed a slate tied to Star Wars: Starfighter, the Ryan Gosling-led film arriving in theaters next May, including The Art of Star Wars: Starfighter, an expanded novelization by Delilah Dawson, a coloring book, a Little Golden Book, and a Marvel Comics prequel mini-series, along with an exclusive reveal of a new Ahsoka comic with a story by Dave Filoni. The breadth of the anniversary program, which spans manga, coloring, and Funko-branded titles, signals a heavy 2027 licensing year for Star Wars across consumer products.

Source: StarWars.com

Lionel Racing Opens Made-to-Order Kyle Busch Tribute Hauler, with Preorders Closing Oct. 12

Following an Oct. 9 Celebration of Life at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Lionel Racing opened preorders for a Kyle Busch Tribute Hauler honoring the NASCAR driver’s career and impact on the sport. The $29.99 die-cast release features a die-cast cab, an opening rear trailer door, custom packaging, and sequential numbering across the full production run.

Lionel Racing is producing the hauler to order, so the preorder window, which runs through 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 12 at LionelRacing.com, is the only opportunity to secure one; shipments are expected to begin April 30, 2027. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund.

Source: Lionel Racing

GAMA Rallies Publishers Behind Nov. 7 Game Store Day for Independent Tabletop Retailers

GAMA: The Tabletop Game Association is gearing up for Game Store Day on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, a members-only initiative modeled on Record Store Day and Indie Bookseller Day that is designed to drive foot traffic and Q4 sales at friendly local game stores. Participating stores will run their own celebrations, from tournaments and learn-to-play sessions to special promotions, new releases, and creator appearances, and GAMA says more than 200 stores had already signed up. Retailers have until Oct. 22 to register and receive the physical Game Store Day retail toolkit.

Publishers are backing the event with product: GAMA is distributing 500 Publishers’ Boxes to participating stores, packed with new games, pre-release demos, promotional cards, exclusive items, and RPG content, and individual publishers such as Allplay are adding their own surprises. “Allplay has been looking for new ways to work closer with our brick & mortar partners,” said Joe Wiggins, COO and co-owner of Allplay. The event gives the specialty channel a coordinated holiday-season moment at a time when independent stores compete with mass and online retail for gift spending.

Source: GAMA: The Tabletop Game Association

Children’s Wellbeing Brand The Calmness Crew Wins First-Ever SBS Small Business Award

Frances (Fran) Williams, founder of UK children’s wellbeing brand The Calmness Crew, has been named the first-ever winner of the Theo Paphitis SBS Small Business Award at the 2026 Enterprise Vision Awards, the UK’s largest awards program dedicated to women in business. The category was created this year in partnership with Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis and his Small Business Sunday community. The brand has been selling for just 16 months and recently exhibited at The Toy Previews in Los Angeles for the first time, where it drew interest from international retail buyers.

The Calmness Crew’s range builds proven calming techniques, such as box breathing, into products children can hold, including weighted and portable talking plushies that guide kids through breathing exercises and Calm Cubes printed with child-friendly coping strategies. “The Calmness Crew began at kitchen-table level, born out of a really hard time with my own child,” Williams said, adding that the win “feels like proof that calm can be comforting, not clinical.” The recognition underscores growing retail interest in toys that double as mental-health and emotional-regulation tools for kids.

Source: Blackpool Gazette

Reydon Group Launches Christmas Gift Ideas Catalogue to Drive Retailers’ Q4 Buying

UK B2B wholesaler Reydon Group has released its annual Christmas Gift Ideas catalogue, pulling seasonal lines from its full A–Z range into a single buying tool aimed at Christmas, Black Friday, and the winter trading period. The catalogue spans sports, toys, outdoor, and gifting, featuring names such as Nerf and Official Premier League Team Merchandise alongside Reydon’s own brands, with stock available for immediate ordering. Many of the ranges were previously showcased at London Toy Fair, Toymaster, and Autumn Fair.

As a supplier to the Toymaster Group across the UK and Ireland, Reydon is positioning the catalogue as a practical resource for independent toy retailers preparing for the holiday rush. “With hundreds of brands competing for attention, it is easy for the strongest opportunities to get lost in the noise,” said Andy Griffin, Marketing Director at Reydon Group. Retailers are being encouraged to order early to secure preferred lines ahead of peak Q4 demand.

Bandai Namco Spotlights “PAC-MAN: Snack Breaks” Animated Shorts at NYCC Ahead of Episode 6

Bandai Namco used a New York Comic Con panel on Oct. 9 to take fans behind the scenes of PAC-MAN: Snack Breaks, the animated shorts series developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment and Cartuna Studios that debuted on YouTube in May. The series, which follows PAC-MAN’s new life in New PAC-CITY and his chase after TEAM GHOST, has released five episodes so far, with new bite-sized shorts launching monthly and Episode 6 premiering Oct. 16 on the PAC-MAN Official YouTube channel.

Panelists framed the series as a way to grow the brand’s audience beyond games. “With PAC-MAN: Snack Breaks, we get to answer the question, ‘What does he do when he’s not being played in an arcade or in a video game console?’” said Adam Belfer. PAC-MAN brand supervisor Katy Dunn said the format lets the company reach new audiences while giving longtime fans fresh content, a familiar playbook for keeping a heritage IP relevant for licensing and consumer products.

“Odd Squad UK” Returns to PBS KIDS with Six New Episodes Starting Oct. 19

PBS KIDS will premiere six new episodes of Odd Squad UK beginning Oct. 19, with the run continuing through Oct. 28. The math-focused live-action series follows Captain O, Agent Orli, Agent Ozzie, and the rest of the squad as they use teamwork, creative thinking, and math to solve strange cases, from cursed cowboys and runaway villains to interdimensional train trouble.

The season builds to a two-part finale in which Ozzie and Orli travel through time to save the squad, and fans may spot Doctor Who’s TARDIS in the final adventure. For licensors and educational-toy partners, the new episodes keep a STEM-oriented preschool and early-elementary property in front of families heading into the holiday season.