Disney’s Moana looks set to be a hit at the box office, but in terms of merchandise it will have to go a long way to beat Frozen.
Moana has grossed almost $200 million in the first two weeks since its release. The film is a success but it remains to be seen whether the merchandising will also be a hit.
Three years after the release of Frozen in late 2013, ice queen Elsa is still hot property.
Translating an IP into toys that capture the imagination is an art in itself. Of course much depends on the property. Finding Nemo was a bigger hit at the box office than Cars, but Cars was easier to adapt for the toy industry. Sales of Cars branded toys were 25 times of Nemo branded toys reports Bloomberg.
Moana v Frozen
Moana seems unlikely to be the new Frozen. A glamorous, sparkly ice queen dress is intrinsically more appealing for six year old dress up than beach gear, and an ice castle beats a raft.
The next big thing in Disney merchandising is possibly Beauty and the Beast, due for release in March 2017.
Whether Belle can beat Elsa’s $6 billion in merchandise sales remains to be seen.
Images: Walt Disney Co. & Amazon
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-07/disney-s-quest-to-find-the-next-frozen
