The US toy industry will rely on Hollywood this year more than ever to move its action figures and gizmos.
While the $20.4 billion business grew a healthy 5 percent last year, insiders are hoping for an even better year this year as 20 movies with toy tie-ins are scheduled to hit the big screen.
That’s up from about eight last year.
As the toy industry prepares to gather for the annual Toy Fair extravaganza beginning Saturday, companies, from giants like Mattel and Hasbro to smaller shops will be unveiling toys licensed from “The Lego Batman Movie,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” — and plenty of others.
That means the toy aisles of Walmart, Target, Toys R Us and many other retailers will look like the gift shop on some Hollywood back lot.
“It’s not even close — 2017 is by far a record,” Jim Silver, chief executive of TTPM, a toy review Web site, said of the flood of movie tie-in toy ready to hit store shelves. “In a typical year there might be six to eight kids movies that come out.”
The commercial success of the 2015 release “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” awakened Hollywood as well when it generated more than $700 million in toy sales alone that year. The studios get a piece of the licensing revenue.
“Studios are being smarter about creating entertainment that translates better into toys,” added Silver.
For many parents, it’ll mean getting dragged to the movies to see “Beauty and the Beast” in March, “Wonder Woman” in June, “Justice League” in November and then “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in December — and then to a store for the toys.
Toy sales related to movies will account for up to 20 percent of the industry’s revenues this year, according to toy reviewer TTPM.
That’s up from about 10 percent last year.
But not every movie has a shot at being the next “Star Wars.”
“Some of these properties are not reliable” sales engines, pointed out Sean McGowan, managing director of Liolios Group.
“ ‘Harry Potter’ was a big franchise but was never a big toy line, and ‘Men in Black’ did well at the box office [but] didn’t sell a stitch of toys,” McGowan said.
Retailers will also be quick to swap out less popular toys on the shelves when the next movie comes out.
“There is only so much space in the toy aisle,” McGowan said. “There’s going to be a lot pushing and shoving on the shelves.”
For example, there’s going to be less room for the “Despicable Me 3” merchandise on shelves when the highly anticipated “Cars 3” is released a couple of weeks later on June 30, he said.
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