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-- /PRNewswire/ --
“The Force” Remains With The LEGO Group
-World’s leading construction toy manufacturer renews deal to solidify LEGO®
Star Wars™ franchise development-
By The LEGO Group
Published: Monday, Feb. 13, 2012
BILLUND, Denmark, The LEGO Group and Lucasfilm Ltd. today announced renewal of
the Star Wars™ licensing deal that, 12 years ago, transformed a construction toy
theme into a global entertainment property with strong cross-generational,
multi-platform appeal. Fans can look forward to LEGO® Star Wars product and
content development for the next 10 years, according to the terms of the deal.
The LEGO Group first acquired the rights to manufacture LEGO toys based on the
Star Wars universe in 1999, marking the first time in its global history that
the world’s leading construction toy manufacturer would represent someone else’s
story and characters in the LEGO world. What was once considered a licensed
novelty is now considered a core LEGO franchise, similar to LEGO CITY, and ranks
among the company’s global top themes.
A best-seller since its introduction, LEGO Star Wars has experienced tremendous
growth over the last six years in particular, due to the continued strength of
core construction toy development and expansion to video games, publishing,
television and video content and other relevant categories for fans of all ages.
“It is very rare to find an evergreen property that delivers growth year on year
in toys, even in years without events driving box office buzz, yet Star Wars
defies all odds, continually reinventing itself, and our LEGO business continues
to grow exponentially,” said Jill Wilfert, Vice President of Licensing and
Entertainment for The LEGO Group. “Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon that
shares many characteristics with the LEGO brand–cross generational appeal,
versatile story and character content, creativity and imagination—and we believe
that we can continue to grow LEGO Star Wars for many years to come.”
“We are delighted to have extended our long and very successful relationship
with LEGO Group,” said Derek Stothard, Senior Director for Global Toys and
Hardlines at Lucas Licensing. “Bringing together these two iconic global brands
has created something special that is enjoyed by kids, families and fans
everywhere.”
Star Wars is as relevant—perhaps more relevant—today than it was in 1977 when it
was introduced, and in 1999 when the first of the next three episodes began to
be told. For 2011, Star Wars is the #1 property and #1 license for Boys ages 6
and older according to NPD Group, and has been a top‑3 boy’s license for
the last 11 years. The LEGO share of the property continues to grow, as new
generations of children discover, engage with and explore the Star Wars stories
through constructive play.
A global toy phenomenon
LEGO Star Wars continues to rank among the best-selling global toy lines, with
in excess of 200 million boxes sold worldwide since its 1999 launch. More than
340 LEGO Star Wars models have been developed, replicating iconic scenes and
starships, as well as more than 425 minifigures from the Star Wars universe.
Sets depict everything from the feature film Saga to the animated television
series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Four cross-platform LEGO Star Wars video game
titles have changed the face of casual gaming, selling in excess of 30 million
units, and are reciprocally driving desire for building toys and video games
while also bringing families together to share both forms of play. The line has
inspired short- and long-form entertainment in the form of mini movies and the
first-ever 30-minute television special, LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace,
aired on top children’s networks around the world, including Cartoon Network in
the U.S., Super RTL In Germany and on France TV, and is now available on
Blu-ray/DVD. LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary from Dorling-Kindersley has
been on the New York Times Bestsellers list for 81 weeks, topping the list at
number-one for 18 weeks. Additionally, the franchise is the basis of the
first-ever LEGOLAND® Park Miniland display area based on a fictional
environment, which debuted last year in Carlsbad, California, Billund, Denmark
and Gunzburg, Germany and opens this year in Windsor, England.
About The LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund,
Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s
leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately
9,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of
children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in
more than 130 countries.
About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world’s leading film and entertainment companies.
Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully-integrated
entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television
production operations, the company’s global activities include Industrial Light
& Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment
industry for visual-effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading
developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide; Lucas
Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm’s
entertainment properties; Lucasfilm Animation, which is currently producing
content for film and television, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a
CG-animated half-hour television series; and Lucas Online creates Internet-based
content for Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties and businesses. Additionally,
Lucasfilm Singapore, produces digital animated content for film and television,
as well as visual effects for feature films and multi-platform games.
Lucasfilm’s motion-picture productions include three of the 20 biggest
box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars and more than 60 Academy
Award nominations. Lucasfilm’s television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif.
LEGO, its logo and the Minifigure are trademarks of The LEGO Group. ©2012 The
LEGO Group.
STAR WARS, THE CLONE WARS and related character names are trademarks and/or
copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or
its affiliates.
©2012. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
SOURCE The LEGO Group
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