Sony Pictures Consumer Products has announced that Hasbro, Inc. has landed the toy license for the Ghostbusters franchise worldwide.
Hasbro will create toys inspired by both the original franchise and for newer generations of fans. The new line is expected to be released as early as next year to tie in with Ghostbusters 2020, also set for a summer 2020 release.
"Ghostbusters is an iconic and beloved franchise and we are excited and honored to return to the brand as the global master toy licensee and bring new product to the next generation of fans," Hasbro Senior Vice President Tom Warner said in a statement. "Drawing on Hasbro’s proprietary insights and culture of innovation, we are working closely with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create a dynamic new toy line that we can’t wait to share with fans around the world."
Hasbro and Sony have a bit of a shared, if indirect, history together in regard to the franchise's toyline. In 1986, a toy line for The Real Ghostbusters, named as such to avoid confusion with the unrelated 1975 Ghostbusters live-action show and its Filmation cartoon remake, was developed by Kenner, which is now part of Hasbro. That partnership lasted until 1991.
This isn't Hasbro's first time working with Sony directly, either. The two collaborated to create the Transformers Generations Collaborative: Ghostbusters Mash-Up Ecto-1 Ectotron, and a crossover comic between Transformers and Ghostbusters was released by IDW in June. At the time, both collaborations were meant to honor the 35th anniversaries of both brands.
"As we build up to release our new Ghostbusters film next year, it was a natural choice to work with Hasbro to develop an all-new line of toys that not only celebrates the new film but also brings us back to the roots of the original film and toy line," Sony Pictures Consumer Products Executive Vice President Jamie Stevens said. "Hasbro has a proven track record of working with well-known IP to make a variety of high-quality toys and figures that appeal to people of all ages and we are excited to leverage this expertise to bring new product experiences to Ghostbusters fans around the world."