Disney Consumer Products Gears Up for a Powerful Year from Pixar

Glendale, Calif (Antara Bali) - Disney Consumer Products today unveiled exclusive details about the new global toy lines celebrating Disney∙Pixar’s Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur, debuting theatrically in the U.S. on June 19, 2015, and Nov. 25, 2015, respectively. Both movies will have robust toy lines from best-in-class licensee TOMY, whose innovative approach, strength in international markets and ability to reflect Pixar’s unique storytelling in its product lines made them the ideal choice for Pixar Animation Studios’ most exciting year yet.

"We put our hearts into these films, so it's incredibly important to us that our toy-making partners care about and do justice to these characters we know so well," said John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. "When I visited TOMY's headquarters in Japan, I was impressed by their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. The toys they've created for Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur are fantastic—they've truly brought our characters to life.”

TOMY’s toy line for Inside Out is inspired by the humor, visual style and whimsical elements within the film. The poseable character figures have light up features and all of the toys allow for self-expression and re-creation of key movie moments. The broad toy range for The Good Dinosaur appeals to kids of all ages, for both action figure play and more sophisticated remote control walking and talking. The unique characteristics of the film’s dinosaurs, such as how they move and run, are reflected in the toy line, and several working models were built and shared with filmmakers to get the movements just right. Additionally, RFID technology allows the characters to interact as they do in the film, bringing their unique personalities and stories to life.

“With the debut of Cars in 2006, we introduced personality and humor to toy vehicles adding a new dimension of storytelling to an established play pattern, and lifting the entire category at retail. Dinosaurs have always fascinated kids and we believe Pixar’s unique take on our prehistoric friends will have a similar impact on the way they play with them in the future,” said Josh Silverman, executive vice president global licensing, Disney Consumer Products.

Pixar films have a strong track record of success at the box office and at retail. 20 years after the theatrical release of Toy Story in 1995, a film that transformed the animation industry and jumpstarted a billion dollar toy franchise, Pixar stories and characters hold a unique place in audiences’ hearts and kids’ toy boxes. Toy Story 3 holds the title of the second biggest animated film of all time reaching more than $1 billion in global box office sales. The iconic 12 inch Buzz Lightyear action figures have sold in excess of 10 million units globally over the past decade.

This summer Disney Consumer Products will roll out a special toy line to celebrate Toy Story’s 20th anniversary that will include a broad assortment of characters in a collectible figure range, favorite characters in action figure form and true-to-film talking versions of Buzz, Woody and Jessie.

About Inside Out

From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up) has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In Disney∙Pixar’s original movie Inside Out, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all—inside the mind.

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

About The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur asks the generations-old question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In theaters November 25, 2015, the film is a humorous and exciting original story about Arlo, a lively Apatosaurus with a big heart. After a traumatic event unsettles Arlo’s family, he sets out on a remarkable journey, gaining an unlikely companion along the way—a human boy. The Good Dinosaur is an extraordinary journey of self-discovery full of thrilling adventure, hilarious characters and poignant heart.

About Disney Consumer Products

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that delivers innovative and engaging product experiences across thousands of categories from toys and apparel to books and fine art. As the world's largest licensor, DCP inspires the imaginations of people around the world by bringing the magic of Disney into consumers' homes with products they can enjoy year-round. DCP is comprised of three business units: Licensing, Publishing and Disney Store. The Licensing business is aligned around five strategic brand priorities: Disney Media, Classics & Entertainment, Disney & Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Princess & Disney Fairies, Lucasfilm and Marvel. Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books, magazines, and digital products and also includes an English language learning business, consisting of Disney English learning centers across China and a supplemental learning book program. DPW's growing library of digital products includes best-selling eBook titles and original apps that leverage Disney content in innovative ways. The Disney Store retail chain operates across North America, Europe and Japan with more than 350 stores worldwide and is known for providing consumers with high-quality, unique products. Disney's official shopping portals online are www.DisneyStore.com and www.DisneyStore.co.uk. For more information, please visit Disney Consumer Products www.DisneyConsumerProducts.com or follow us at www.YouTube.com/DisneyLiving, www.Facebook.com/DisneyLiving, www.Twitter.com/DisneyLiving and www.Pinterest.com/DisneyLiving and www.Instagram.com/DisneyLiving.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150113005285/en/

Contacts

Disney Consumer Products

Joss Hastings, 818-544-0382

joss.hastings@disney.com

or

Liz Virji, 818-544-1926

liz.virji@disney.com

Source: Disney Consumer Products

(Business Wire/ADT)