Bandai America gets master ThunderCats license

[Mumm-Ra]

Warner Bros. Animation is looking to make a big splash next year with its revival of the 1980s cartoon franchise "ThunderCats."
Cartoon Network has signed on to air a new, anime-inspired take on "ThunderCats" in 2011, while Bandai America has sealed a deal for the property's master toy license with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

As part of the deal, Bandai is developing new action figures, vehicles and playsets.

"ThunderCats" is part of a toon revival taking place at Warner Bros. Animation, which is also behind "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," as well as the upcoming "The Looney Tunes Show," "MAD," "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" and "Young Justice."

Sam Register is exec producer, while Michael Jelenic ("Batman: The Brave and the Bold," "Wonder Woman") and Ethan Spaulding ("Avatar: The Last Airbender") will produce.

Contact Michael Schneider at mike.schneider@variety.com.

Source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryId=14&cs=1

[mcss aerocoupe]

Most interesting. So we now have the Hard Hero statues; Pop Culture statues; Icon Heroes staction figures, vehicles, and playsets; and now Bandai action figures, vehicles, and playsets.

AND we get a new cartoon series. Considering there are/will be 2 statue lines and 2 action figure lines (though one is static action figures), I wonder if there will be 2 cartoons? By that, I mean like what was done for Star Wars The Clone Wars, an animated movie to kick off the animated TV series. Seems like WB is doing 2 of everything else, so I feel there may be at least a small chance they'd follow that line.

[TheFallen]

I really was hoping Mattel would get the license. I will still wait and see what Bandai can do. Bottom line, we will get Thundercats action figures again so it can't be all bad

[He-Fan]

Chris here...

To be honest, given what a horrible job Mattel have done with the two most recent Masters of the Universe toylines (beautiful figures all terribly handled by the powers-that-be), I'm actually glad that these figures will be made by someone other than Mattel!

I suspect they will be a bit basic and not particularly detailed because they will be aimed at kids rather than adult collectors - but, on the plus side, it's likely that a year from now we'll be walking down toy aisles and seeing ThunderCats figures again!

Take care...

[MannysCollectibles]

Thundercats fans rejoice....our day has come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blackiecats]

Originally Posted by TheFallen

I really was hoping Mattel would get the license. I will still wait and see what Bandai can do. Bottom line, we will get Thundercats action figures again so it can't be all bad

I'm with Chris on this one. In hindsight the 200x MOTU toy line was pretty awful, as the characters were a bit hunched back I'd hate Lion-O to be made in that same style.

I just hope we get a good varied selection of figures and not 20 Lion-O and Mumm-Ra variants!

I'd like to get these, but space can be an issue....will have to see if I get drawn in by the cartoon series....

Does anyone buy any Bandai toys? Isn't Bandai the company that made the Power Rangers figures?

Originally Posted by Mumm-Ra

Looks like Bandai has license for the classic line as well.

http://www.bandai.com/blog/press-rel...bandai-america

BURBANK and CYPRESS, Calif. – June 3, 2010 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced today a powerhouse partnership with Bandai America Incorporated, as the global master toy licensee for the animated series, ThunderCats. Under the new agreement, Bandai and their international affiliates will create and distribute products worldwide that will complement both the classic brand property, as well as Cartoon Network’s fresh take on the animated series, with new television episodes set to air in 2011.

That is so cool! It would be great to get figures that are classic cartoon accurate, as well as never produced characters like Willa, Nayda and the Lunatacs! I can't wait to see whats in store for us!

[Saint Doyle]

I'm pretty excited about this development. I enjoyed the hell out of the Masters Of The Universe 2002 series figures, and look forward to the day when I can pick myself up a Lion-O while grocery shopping. I can't wait to see some character designs.

[Mumm-Ra]

Looks like Bandai has license for the classic line as well.

http://www.bandai.com/blog/press-rel...bandai-america

BURBANK and CYPRESS, Calif. – June 3, 2010 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced today a powerhouse partnership with Bandai America Incorporated, as the global master toy licensee for the animated series, ThunderCats. Under the new agreement, Bandai and their international affiliates will create and distribute products worldwide that will complement both the classic brand property, as well as Cartoon Network’s fresh take on the animated series, with new television episodes set to air in 2011.

[Grune_The_Destroyer]

Originally Posted by MannysCollectibles

Thundercats fans rejoice....our day has come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.......yay.....

Originally Posted by Mumm-Ra

Looks like Bandai has license for the classic line as well.

http://www.bandai.com/blog/press-rel...bandai-america

BURBANK and CYPRESS, Calif. – June 3, 2010 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced today a powerhouse partnership with Bandai America Incorporated, as the global master toy licensee for the animated series, ThunderCats. Under the new agreement, Bandai and their international affiliates will create and distribute products worldwide that will complement both the classic brand property, as well as Cartoon Network’s fresh take on the animated series, with new television episodes set to air in 2011.

Well my worst nightmare has come true. I sort of assumed/knew they had acquired both licenses when they said 'master license'. This honestly is heartbreaking, and not just for me mind you. I could almost deal with Bandai having the rights just to the new show, because in my mind I could more or less erase that from existence.....but them having the rights to redistribute their take on the original show is too much to stomach. Ban-Dai struck gold w/ Power Rangers I'll admit.....but honestly how can any purist Thundercats fan get excited about the possibility of 80's Lion-O looking something like this???



I know Chris (He-Fan) above stated that he was glad Mattel didn't get the line because of how poorly they handled the 200x and Classics MOTU lines, but you can almost always overcome poor management of a line with really awesome figures. You can almost NEVER overcome horrible figures with absolute perfect distribution. Given one or the other, I'll take really awesome but extremely hard to get figures every time. This is why I and a LOT of MOTU Classics fans, regardless of the frustration with the line, still would have gladly preferred Mattel as the top choice for the 80's license.

I'm going to try to keep an open mind about this, as much as possible....but just by looking at past Ban-Dai products (Power Rangers aside...and by those I mean only 'Mighty Morphin'...as everything else was junk) its the worst bit of Thundercats news, aside from the real tragedies of deaths in the cast (my heart goes out to Steve Perry's family), in the last 20 years.

[Screamers]

I've heard so much news on this up coming cartoon, I felt there should be a toy line too. I'm so ready to start collection these new goodies