Moose Toys Collaborates With Illumination and Universal Brand Development to Create Mineez, an All-New Toy Collectible Line Featuring the Largest Selection of Despicable Me Characters

Collection Marks Franchise's First Ever Toy Collectibles Line

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Feb 07, 2017, 07:15 ET

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Solidifying its position as the world's number one manufacturer of collectible toys, Moose Toys, the fastest-growing toy company in the U.S., teams with Illumination and Universal Brand Development to launch Mineez, an all-new line of collectibles featuring characters spanning the entire Despicable Me universe. Marking the first ever toy collectibles line for the franchise, Mineez, will launch in the Summer 2017 to coincide with Illumination and Universal Pictures' highly anticipated theatrical release, Despicable Me 3.

Solidifying its position as the world's number one manufacturer of collectible toys, Moose Toys teams with Illumination and Universal Brand Development to launch Mineez, an all-new line of collectibles featuring characters spanning the entire Despicable Me universe.

Mineez will feature the largest selection ever of Despicable Me characters, including characters from the new film as well as hundreds of others from the previous movies and short form content, including Gru, Agnes and everyone's favorite Minions.

The range will include many never-before-seen characters and will include: micro collectible figure packs, playsets, backpack hangers, novelty collectibles and plush. In true Moose form, each character will be highly stylized to bring out the individual details of their personalities so fans of all ages can collect their favorites.

With the continued global success of Shopkins, Moose has cemented its reputation as the most innovative creator of collectible toys and is now proud to partner with some of the world's leading content creators to translate their evergreen brands and beloved characters into fun collectibles for fans of all ages.

Paul Solomon, Co-CEO at Moose Toys said, "We are incredibly proud to be the go-to partner for collectible Despicable Me toys globally! This partnership with Illumination and Universal Brand Development is a fantastic way for us to showcase the magic Moose brings to developing a sought after collectible toy line. The global phenomenon Despicable Me franchise is filled with iconic characters as well as hundreds of characters that have never been on shelf. A perfect combination for a great collectible program."

"The Despicable Me characters, especially the Minions, are playful, unique and always iconic. Our partnership with Moose to create the first ever Mineez universe, featuring Despicable Me, provides fans of all ages a deeper connection to the beloved franchise," said Manuel Torres Port, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Consumer Products, Universal Brand Development.

Despicable Me 3
Illumination, who brought audiences Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the animated film is produced by Illumination's Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud.

Joining Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in Despicable Me 3 is Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker, co-creator of Comedy Central's global phenomenon South Park and the Broadway smash The Book of Mormon. Parker voices the role of villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who's grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the '80s, and proves to be Gru's most formidable nemesis to date. The film will be released in theaters on June 30, 2017. www.despicable.me

About Moose Toys
Moose Toys is a global toy company based in Melbourne, Australia with offices in the US, UK, Hong Kong and China. This award-winning company is known for designing, developing and distributing toy and lifestyle products across the globe for children of all ages and the young at heart.

Moose has products in all toy categories including collectibles, arts and crafts, activity toys, dolls, novelty items and outdoor products. The brand is famous for bringing joy to kids worldwide with successful products such as Mighty Beanz, Beados, Aqua Sand and The Trash Pack™. In 2015, Moose expanded several major product lines for boys and girls, including Shopkins™, the hottest girl's collectible line of grocery and fashion themed characters; Little Live Pets, electronic pets that come to life in the palm of your hand; as well as line extensions for Beados craft activity sets. The company also introduced Qixels, the first "craftstruction" activity that allows kids to create pixelated worlds of monsters, warriors and more.

Moose Toys has scored numerous coveted toy awards from industry experts and major retailers. The Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck was awarded 2016 Girl Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association, and the Shopkins Small Mart playset was awarded the 2015 Girls' Toy of the Year. Shopkins was awarded the 2016 Licensed Character/Toy of the Year by LIMA.

Visit www.moosetoys.com for more information.

ABOUT ILLUMINATION
Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of event-animated films. Illumination's film franchises include two of the top-six animated films of all time, and its iconic brands—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—are beloved all over the world.

Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the hugely successful Despicable Me franchise, which includes Minions, the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, as well as the Academy Award^{® -}nominated Despicable Me 2 and the upcoming Despicable Me 3, which stars Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Trey Parker and arrives in theaters in June 2017.

In all, Illumination's films, which also include the current theatrical hit Sing, as well as 2016's record-breaking The Secret Life of Pets—which had the largest opening ever for an original film, animated or otherwise, in U.S. history—have grossed more than $4 billion in worldwide box-office revenues and feature as their creative contributors an unparalleled collection of writers, artists, voice talent and musicians.

Additional upcoming releases are a newly imagined version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of The Grinch, which is set for November 2018; The Secret Life of Pets 2 in July 2019; Minions 2 in July 2020; and Sing 2 in December 2020.

Beyond the theater, Illumination's franchises have broadened their reach globally, year-round, with extensions into mobile games, consumer products and social/digital media. Reflecting the success of the Despicable Me franchise, "Despicable Me: Minion Rush" has become the fifth-most popular game ever, with more than 800 million downloads, while Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem attracts huge crowds at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood and will soon open at several locations around the world.

About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development's core businesses include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA).

SOURCE Moose Toys