Mattel headquarters in El Segundo, California, USA, on Friday, April 28, 2023.
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Mattel hopes a new addition will help the company expand its content offering following the box office success of ‘Barbie’.
The toymaker, home of Hot Wheels and American Girl, announced Thursday that it has hired former Fox and Sony executive Michelle Mendelovitz as head of Mattel Television Studios.
“The opportunity to connect global audiences with Mattel’s iconic brands, franchises and characters through high-quality storytelling is greater than ever before,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer of Mattel. “I look forward to the impact Michelle and Mattel Television Studios will have in expanding the content offering to the delight of our fans around the world.”
Mendelovitz previously held leadership positions at Disney 20th Television Studios, Apple TV+, Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Network.
Mattel Television Studios, which produces and distributes television content for the toy company, has previously created TV shows based on some of the company’s best-known intellectual properties. Releases ranged from live action shows to animated specials and series based on toy brands such as Barbie, Thomas & Friends and Hot Wheels, the company said in a press release.
It’s Mattel’s latest move to double down on the strategy that led to this summer’s record-breaking “Barbie” blockbuster.
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz said last month that the company is focused on “leveraging the full value of our intellectual property beyond the toy space.”
The toymaker’s content will only grow with Mendelovitz at the helm, a Mattel spokesperson told CNBC. “Hot Wheels Let’s Race” and “Masters of the Universe: Revolution” are among the new releases planned for the coming year.
The toy company also wants to bring IP from the screen to the shelves. Mattel plans to launch new Barney content through TV, film and YouTube videos in 2024, followed by a toy and product line in 2025. The animated series “Barney’s World” will launch next year on Cartoon Network and Max, it said the company previously known. this year. “Barney & Friends,” the original children’s television show starring the famous purple dinosaur, concluded production of new episodes in 2010.
