Barbie, Hot Wheels, G.I. Joe toying with Hollywood

August 02, 2007 With children spending less time playing with toys and more time consuming media, toy manufacturers have become increasingly involved in the production of entertainment -- producing their own DVD content, music CDs and even the occasional TV series. The Movie, inspired by the successful fashion doll line from MGA Entertainment, opens Friday, coming on the heels of the blockbuster success of Transformers, based on the hit 1980s toy line from Hasbro. An American Girl Mystery, based on Mattel's American Girl high-end doll line; a second Bratz movie scheduled for fall 2008; and a film about the Robosapien animatronic toy line from Wow Wee Ltd. Bratz and Robosapien are being produced by Avi Arad, the former CEO and chairman of Marvel Studios who turned Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and X-Men into boxoffice gold.

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