Thursday, November 14, 2024

Mattel Apologizes For Scandalous Misprint on Wicked Dolls Packaging

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Toy maker Mattel went into crisis response mode over the weekend, as shoppers discovered that the packaging for its dolls tied to upcoming Universal Pictures release Wicked included the URL for age-gated pornography site Wicked.com, rather than the film’s official website (WickedMovie.com).

X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with images of the packaging error this past weekend.

Mattel said in a statement shared with CNN Sunday, “Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children.”

The company further suggested that parents who already bought the dolls discard the packaging or cover up the erroneous link.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, retailers including Best Buy, DSW, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, and Walmart were in the process of pulling the dolls from shelves, and ecommerce giant Amazon paused sales.

Wicked will premiere in theaters Nov. 22.

The film is directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.

Other notable cast members in the first of a two-film series—part two is slated for a November 2025 release—include Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, and Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond.

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