A new and troubling controversy has surfaced around merchandise for this year’sWickedmovie, with someone discovering a huge oversight by Mattel’s design team. As you would expect, a movie as big asWickedthere are many toys, t-shirts, stationary, and many other items to be bought bearing the likeness ofAriana GrandeandCynthia Erivo. However, when it comes to Mattel’s range of dolls, someone failed to do due-diligence checks on the website link included in the box,which does not lead eager children to the film’s website, but instead to a site of adult parody movies.
Yes, wicked is literally the name of the game as someone is about to get fired for the enormous blunder that seems to have affected millions of items that are now available to buy ahead of the movie’s release on November 22.Consumers have flooded social media with images and videos of the URL after the initial reaction was that someone was faking it.However, with dozens of videos showing the items on shelves bearing the website URL that simply reads wicked.com, it seems that this costly mistake is very real indeed.
The official website for the Broadway show is wickedthemusical.com, and it appears that someone has simply assumed that the basic URL was also owned by the franchise– but clearly did not check this out before adding it to the back of the box of dozens of different toys that will be heading to children all around the world in the coming months. The misprinted URL has led to swift criticism, especially given the family-friendly nature of theWickedfranchise.
Mattel responded on Sunday with a statement shared byVariety, which reads:
“Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel ‘Wicked’ collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.”
The Wicked URL Issue Comes After Another NSFW Controversy
The exact cause of this inexcusable error remains unclear, but Mattel will be under pressure to rectify the situation, which will logistically be a nightmare considering both the imminent arrival of the movie and the amount of items that will have already been purchased. While it clearly is an innocent mistake, it could be incredibly damaging for both the company and the movie – especially in light of how social media works.This latest controversy followsa spat between star Erivo and social media userswho doctored a new poster for the movie with a NSFW caption that the actress called deeply offensive.
As forWickeditself, the film adaptation has generated enormous excitement, so should be able to navigate the problem surrounding its merchandising. The movie stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, and an all-star supporting cast including Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Peter Dinklage among others. The adaptation is directed byIn the Heightshelmer Jon M. Chu, and hasalready been receiving strong initial reactions from its first screenings, which include its premiere this week.
Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo Walks Back Criticism of Controversial Fan Posters
Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo has spoken about her reaction to a series of maniuplated posters for the upcoming movie.
The movie adaptation is split into two parts, with the second film set to be released at the same time next year. It seems that the strategy is going to work well, with the first movie expected to land a $150 million opening later this month, and that is likely to only be bigger when the second half of the story is released in 2025. WhileWickedwill be going up against another box office epic in Ridley Scott’sGladiator II, it seems there is enough interest in the two very different movies for everyone to be a winner this month – except maybe the Mattel design department.
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
