Playmates Toys Revs Up The Action With Its 2018 New Product Lineup

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Feb. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Playmates Toys will display its robust 2018 brand portfolio during the North American International Toy Fair, featuring innovative product lines based on hit entertainment properties. Leading the portfolio is the expansive all-new toy line based on Nickelodeon's brand-new animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is also set to debut in 2018. In addition to the all-new Turtles toy line, Playmates Toys will expand its current lines based on the following animated series: Cartoon Network's Ben 10, Nelvana's Mysticons and DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender. The action-packed product lines will be on display in the Playmates Toys booth, #2469, at Toy Fair from February 17-20, 2018.

"As the driving force behind the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line for decades, it's been exciting to develop a collection of Turtles for a new generation of kids that feature an all-new look, new weapons, new characters and more," said Karl Aaronian, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Playmates Toys. "In addition to the Turtles, we also take great pride in continuing to grow our other product lines with innovative developments that provide kids with the opportunity for imaginative play experiences with some of their favorite characters." 

Following are highlights within each of the product lines, which will be introduced at retail throughout the year.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Playmates Toys, the longtime master toy licensee for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will reveal its all-new product line for 2018 inspired by Nickelodeon's brand-new animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is also set to debut in 2018. In this reimagined iteration of the popular franchise, the band of brothers discover new powers and encounter a mystical world they never knew existed beneath the streets of New York City. The extensive Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line is set to hit toy shelves in fall 2018, and includes action figures, vehicles, playsets and role play. 

Key highlights in the all-new toy line include an assortment of highly detailed action figures that are uniquely sculpted and fully articulated. The collection features the four Turtles, as well as new characters Baron Draxum, voiced by WWE Superstar John Cena, Meat Sweats and others introduced in the series. The Turtle Tank, the new group vehicle that will help get the Turtles to the action fast, also serves as the mobile command headquarters for the Turtles, when Donatello's removable lab rises up in spy mode. The 43" Epic Lair Playset, the biggest playset ever from Playmates Toys, includes four levels of play and numerous features including an adjustable skateboard ramp, Raphael's Weight Training Room, Leonardo's Rotating Weapon storage wall, Michelangelo's arcade and so much more.

"The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a culturally iconic property that has reinvention in its DNA," said Jon Roman, Senior Vice President, Toys, Nickelodeon. "Our brand-new Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series will have a dynamic, colorful look and feel, with plenty of action, and there's no one better than long-standing toy partner Playmates to capture that spirit in a terrific line of products."

Ben 10
As the global master toy partner for Cartoon Network's hit Ben 10 animated series, Playmates Toys will expand its toy line in 2018 to include an all new assortment of action figures, feature-driven deluxe figures, Omnitrix-inspired role play and more. The Cartoon Network series is centered on the adventures of fun loving, 10-year-old, Ben Tennyson, who finds the Omnitrix, a mysterious watch that transforms him into 10 different heroic aliens.

New additions to the line include the expansion of the highly detailed and articulated action figure assortment, which will now feature figures inspired by the Omni-Enhanced™ theme in season two of the animated series. The Omni-Launch Battle Figures allow kids to launch and transform their favorite Ben 10 alien heroes right from the Omnitrix, ready for battle! New Deluxe Action Figures transform from Ben to Alien with a quick and easy activation and new vehicles inspired by the Alien's home worlds come with an exclusive basic action figure. And finally, the Alien Creation Chamber allows kids to create their own custom mini figures by mixing and matching alien body parts and fusing them together in the Alien Chamber.

Mysticons
Playmates Toys, the global master toy partner for Nelvana's animated series, Mysticons, will be expanding its first-ever action figure collection for girls to include all-new figures and role play. The series premiered on Nickelodeon in August 2017, and tells the epic tale of four female girls chosen to become legendary warriors to protect their realm from evil.

The action figure assortment will grow in 2018, introducing new figures to the current collection of highly detailed and articulated 7-inch figures, the Lights & Sounds Figures, which bring each of the Mysticons heroes to life, and the Griffin & Figure Assortment. In addition to figures, the role play segment will expand with an all-new Light Up Bracer Assortment and a Dress Up Assortment, allowing girls to easily transform into their favorite Mysticons warrior.

DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender
Playmates Toys is the master toy licensee for DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender, which is now streaming on Netflix, with season five set to debut on March 2. The line will continue to grow in 2018 with the addition of a classic line of figures and more. The series is a contemporary reimagining of the pop culture phenomenon featuring five young pilots of mystical robot lions that combine to form Voltron, the legendary defender of the universe.

New introductions for 2018 include the Classic Legendary Lion Assortment, which features five Classic Legendary Lions that combine to form a fully-articulated 16" Classic Voltron figure with a chest that lights up and over 60 sounds from the original 1984 show. Additionally, the 12" Defender Voltron, an all-new version of Voltron, features a projectile launching shoulder cannon and Voltron's shield.

About Playmates Toys
With a history of over 50 years, Playmates Toys is today among the most well-respected and innovative marketing and distribution companies in the global toy industry with a proven history in the creation of imaginative products as well as the development and management of profitable, long-term brand franchises. Key brands include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Voltron Legendary Defender, Ben 10 and Mysticons. From its offices in Hong Kong and California, Playmates designs, develops, markets and distributes its products in over 60 countries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.playmatestoys.com.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 38^th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated kids' basic cable network for 22 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

About Cartoon Network Enterprises
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) is responsible for building consumer products and merchandising programs for a wide range of brands by securing and supporting long-term licensing partnerships across all categories. As the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, the division manages the consumer product programs for the networks' award-winning original programming, brands and characters including Ben 10, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, Mighty Magiswords, and We Bare Bears, as well as Rick and Morty on Adult Swim.

Cartoon Network is Turner's global entertainment brand and the # 1 animation network in the U.S., offering the best in original content for kids and families with such hits as, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe, We Bare Bears and The Amazing World of Gumball. Seen in 192 countries and over 400 million homes, Cartoon Network is known for being a leader in innovation with its approach to engaging and inspiring kids at the intersection of creativity and technology. Its pro-social initiative, Stop Bullying: Speak Up is an acknowledged and often used resource for kids and adults looking for tools that can assist in dealing with the ongoing issue of bullying.

Cartoon Network is part of Turner, a Time Warner company that creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, iStreamPlanet and ELEAGUE.

About Nelvana
Nelvana is Canada's premier animation company and a world-leading producer and distributor of children's content. Nelvana has delighted audiences around the globe for more than 40 years with a vast library of more than 4,000 episodes from original, award-winning series like Babar and Franklin. Nelvana's content is distributed in more than 160 countries worldwide and broadcasts across Corus Entertainment's suite of leading kids networks. Nelvana Enterprises, the global licensing and merchandising arm of Nelvana, manages the organization's portfolio of in-house and third-party brands with offices in Toronto and Paris. Nelvana Studio, with offices in Toronto and Montreal, employs more than 300 Canadian artists working with local and international producers to create premium children's content for a global stage.  For more information, visit www.nelvana.com.

About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences.  Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development's core businesses include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television.  Universal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. For more information, please visit: www.universalbranddevelopment.com

SOURCE Playmates Toys

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