Toy Lines from Failed Films/Series

[Falstaff13]

I know there are plenty of stories about peg warmers and flopped toy lines over the years, especially when the film or TV series being licensed fizzles upon release, but I was wondering if any of those lines had ever managed to live on (or perhaps limp on)? Specifically, I was wondering about three big promotions from Disney in the last few years, Prince of Persia, John Carter of Mars, and The Lone Ranger. Before the release of Prince of Persia, I knew the children of my neighbor were invited to a PoP themed birthday party, and the child was requesting the various LEGO sets around that film. (I know it was a game first, but this child had apparently been pulled into it all from seeing trailers for the movie.) Those sets were soon on discount when the film flopped. While I really cannot remember much about toys based on John Carter, I know there was a media blitz leading up to the film's release, and then that all died as soon as the movie came out. The Lone Ranger had lots of toys lined up, including some high-priced collectibles as well as LEGO sets, but then the movie was a huge flop. However, I remember at the time that LR was part of the then-brand-new Disney Infinity game. Did that part also fade away, or have they continued to use it in the overall game? After all, this is the same Disney who built a Mickey Mouse videogame around the idea that Oswald the Rabbit was on the loose. It seems like the Infinity concept would allow the use of characters who didn't succeed on their own.

[starsky]

waterworld figures were peg warmers for a long time.

[enyawd72]

Hoo boy....where to begin? The thing is, some of these were terrible movies with awesome toys and vice versa.

Aside from the above mentioned Waterworld...

Conan the Barbarian
Hook
Last Action Hero
The Mummy
The Shadow
Stargate
Superman Returns
Terminator 2
Tron Legacy
Van Helsing
Warriors of Virtue
Willow

[PNGwynne]

Ye gods, I only wish there had been John Carter toys/tie-ins--even a happy-meal Woola.

IMO, that film will go the way of DeLaurentis' Flash Gordon and become an underground favorite.

[PNGwynne]

Regarding The Shadow, I loved those figures and was ticked that the Sanctum playset didn't see production. But I get that the film didn't have crossover appeal. Still, it fared much better than The Phantom.

[enyawd72]

Regarding The Shadow, I loved those figures and was ticked that the Sanctum playset didn't see production. But I get that the film didn't have crossover appeal. Still, it fared much better than The Phantom.

Yeah, it's a shame both those films didn't do better. Both are tremendously underrated.

[Earth 2 Chris]

The Lone Ranger playset for Infinity was FAR better than the movie. As far as I Know, they didn't expand the Lone Ranger connection beyond that set, but then, there really isn't much to expand with. You can still play the version 1 characters in the newest version, so they are still in there, but that's it.

The Shadow line from Kenner was actually pretty nice. Not overly faithful to the film, but other than Star Wars, what movie toy line really is?

I remember thinking the Hook figures were really hideous looking. They looked like bootlegs, but were made by Mattel! Kenner did a better job with their Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves line, even though it was 90% recycled from previous Super Powers, Star Wars and Robocop releases.

Chris

[Nostalgiabuff]

there are toy lines for most every action or scifi movie that comes along, remember the Robin Hood figures? mostly recycled from Star Wars figures

[Remco Monster]

One of my favorite 80's toy lines and favorite western lines is from the flop Butch and Sundance, The Early Days. Thing is, I never really even think of the toys being based on that movie. It might help that when I had them as a kid, I didn't know they were even from a movie, or at least don't ever remember knowing. Maybe I just didn't care. lol I have seen it since though, and it's pretty horrible. The toy line is absolutely fantastic though!!!!! Kenner must not have given much of a crap that they were based on a movie either, because they planned to continue the line under the name The Real West, moving in a more generic classic western line. Unfortunately, the line bombed too, and prototypes of Jesse James, Billy the Kid and Geronimo were never produced. Wish I could get a hold of the prototypes, or casts of the prototypes. there are no other non-produced prototyped figures I would rather have in my collection.

[toys2cool]

there are toy lines for most every action or scifi movie that comes along, remember the Robin Hood figures? mostly recycled from Star Wars figures

ha ha that's what I was thinking the ewok village was pretty cool though

[monitor_ep]

I loved the Robin Hood version of the Ewok village. It has tree tops on it, it looks better.

[MIB41]

There are so many failed movie toy lines, it's difficult to count them.

Dune
Demolition Man
Over the Top
Daredevil
Van Helsing
Speed Racer
Last Action Hero
The Wolfman
Star Trek Nemisis
Battlefield Earth

[Earth 2 Chris]

One of my favorite 80's toy lines and favorite western lines is from the flop Butch and Sundance, The Early Days. Thing is, I never really even think of the toys being based on that movie.

When you're a punchline in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, you know you're a flop.

But that's a good point, there are a lot of good toys made from movies that underperform. Heck, the Hulk figures from the Ang Lee snooze-fest were 100 times better than the film.


Chris

[Falstaff13]

When I posed the question, I really meant in the sense that the Lone Ranger part of Disney Infinity gives it ongoing life in a licensed product (though apparently with no expansion). I hadn't thought about the fact that "extended life" could mean the recycling of toy parts into new lines (as probably best seen with Robin Hood, but a long staple of toy-making, with Kenner doing some of the most famous, such as the SW Cantina becoming the Saloon for Butch & Sundance: The Early Days/Real West, and then the western line's horses showing up in the Indiana Jones line).

And I agree that the Butch & Sundance line is a great one (in a similar vein, the Gabriel Legend of the Lone Ranger toys were great, even though that film was a clear flop), though I've always been intrigued that Kenner thought a late '70s western would be big enough to sustain toys. That prequel was a last gasp of the western genre back then, even though it was still two years before the LR flop, and it was probably too many years after the original film to cash in as a followup.

[toys2cool]

I loved the Robin Hood version of the Ewok village. It has tree tops on it, it looks better.

hell yeah, definitely an improved version