[bradley]

The Licensing International Expo Show is on in Las Vegas this week 2-4 June and The Smurfs Movie will be promoted by Sony Pictures! Here is the website for the expo http://www.licensingexpo.com/ the location map to Sony Pictures brings up with a page, which shows the brands that Sony will be promoting: http://floorplan.licensingshow.com/LCNS ... cbooth=904

And here is the logo they are using:

Sony Pictures Animation will release The Smurfs Movie, a Live Action/CG Animated Family Film, on December 17, 2010. Both the movie and licensing programs are guaranteed to be full of fun and adventure.

So hopefully this week we will find out a bit more about the smurfs movie and see some photos of what display they have for the expo!

[bradley]

http://license.icopyright.net/user/view ... QwOA%3D%3D

Sony Pictures Consumer Products

At Licensing International Expo 2009, Sony Pictures Consumer Products will offer "smurfy" licensing opportunities for The Smurfs for both the classic and movie programs in the U.S. and Canada.

[bwalters]

I saw on MV that they will be in NY city in July at a licenseing fair. So they must be trying to promote the move.

[eggie smurf]

Great find, Brad....wish I had known sooner or I would have booked airfare to go

[bwalters]

Hi Staci; The will be in NY in a month here's the link.
http://floorplan.licensingshow.com/LCNS ... ooth&id=13

[bradley]

I think the fair is usually held in New York but this year they have moved to Las Vegas for the first time. I think you have to registery online to attend.. not sure. But I'm always doing searches for Sony + Smurfs + movie in search of any news. So just found this one. Hopefully some photos of the booth will be posted during the week. We will see.

[bwalters]

You are probibly right Bradly. I don't see anything on the link that says where it is. And the guy that said it was in NYC probibly assumed it was still held there. It does have the same dates as you mentioned. I doubt they would hold two of them on the same dates.

[Azrael]

That logo looks rubbish! The hat looks like it's made of brick. Ah... what a shame...

Does anybody realise that it has the same opening weekend as some other MASSIVE films!? They prob will move it back/forward now.

From the look of that logo I can see it going straight to dvd now.

Ooooohh... don't mean to sound so negative, just a bit let down by that. Looks like a kid did it on photoshop.

[bradley]

That won't be the actually logo for the film.. I think that is just a very early/quick logo to use for the expo or just online. They are still over 1 year away from completing the film so I doubt the studio have even made a logo or decided on what the film will be called yet if they don't go with the obvious 'the smurfs movie'. So, really. If you look at the other logos on that page you will see that all the films in early stages of production look like the quality of the smurf one. The Green Hornet, Karate Kid and Ghostbusters. And then notice that "Cloudy with the chance of meatballs" has an official logo because that film I believe is completed and coming out this year I think. http://floorplan.licensingshow.com/LCNS ... ooth&id=13

[André]

Thanks for the movieinfo Brad.

This I hope will be a great opportunity for Schleich to release some new supers, playsets, buildings etc. Let´s cross our fingers and hope realy hard.

/André

[steveparkes]

I think you'll have to cross them really hard to get that Andre

[André]

Steve,

I will send Norbert at Schleich an email regarding this every week starting from now. I just have to pretend I am stupid ( according to my wife I don´t have to pretend ) and writing I don´t understand the meaning of the word NO.

/André

[steveparkes]

Well I hope it works Andre, I really miss having new supers, playsets etc

[Azrael]

If Sony have independent mechandising then Schleich prob won't be involved at all.... do you remember how this years set was meant to co-incide with the movie release but it was pushed back? I think that we've seen all we will in regard to Schleich movie-tie ins.

Hopefully tho, interest in the film will prob allow schleich to add to the classic 50 range.

[Smurfysmurf]

I'd say if Schleich sees an increase in their smurf sales they will consider adding some supers and playsets on. I was really surprised that they didn't release anything special for the 50th anniversary last year (I never considered the anniversary set that special because they always release a new smurf set each year), so I don't think the movie itself will make them go out of their way...but if the public interest in smurfs increases, then they may.

One good sign is that the Schleich figures are sold in a major American chain store for the first time in years. TRU has sold them online for years, but this is the first year in (what feels like) forever they are selling them in the stores, so that is definitely a good sign

[bradley]

http://www.licensing.biz/news/3260/VEGA ... -blue-show

VEGAS 09: Sony Pictures ready for blue show

Booth of consumer products giant to be themed around The Smurfs; Ghostbusters and Spider-man also on display.

Sony Pictures Consumer Products has given Licensing.biz a sneak preview of its plans for this week’s show in Las Vegas – revealing its booth will be themed around The Smurfs as it looks to expand the licensing drive to a new younger audience.

On top of this, Ghostbusters – which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year – The Karate Kids (movie due in June 2010), The Green Hornet (June 2010), Eat, Pray, Love (July 2010) and retail initiatives for Spectacular Spider-man and Spider-man 4 (May 2011) will also be presented on the booth.

“This past year has been all about retro/nostalgic properties at Sony Pictures Consumer Products,” the firm’s Juli Boylan explained to Licensing.biz. “We have been building a 25th anniversary program for Ghostbusters, which will launch June 16th with the release of a new video game and the first time ever Blu-ray.

“The program has garnered tremendous traction and, while the product in the market is limited, it is selling extremely well. Our strategy was to allow the program to build virally and organically as not to inundate the market prior to the potential new film release, for which there is a script in development.”

Sony Pictures Animation is also creating The Smurfs Movie, slated for release in winter 2010. SPCP was appointed by property owner Lafig to handle the licensing and merchandising in the US and Canada for both the classic Smurfs and the movie.

“We have been very strategic in reinvigorating the brand through marketing, publicity and retail driven events,” stated Boylan. “We are first reaching out to the core fans and will then begin to introduce The Smurfs to a whole new younger audience with the film.”

And Boylan is also confident about the future prospects for the licensing industry through the recession. “While licensing is more competitive than ever before, it has never been stronger as a whole. The economy has certainly affected overall spending at retail but parents are still buying products for their kids.”

[Azrael]

Hmmmm.... I'm a core fan! Have the reached out to us yet?

[André]

Steve,

Most ( almost all I think ) companies only manufacture thing if they make money when selling them, right. So I asked Schleich if they had any plans of releasing new super, playsets, houses etc., before or during the coming Smurfmovie, because I would guess that a lot of people would buy smurftoys at this time. This is the answer I got from Schleich.

"Lieber André,

vielen Dank für Deine Mail. Wir fassen Deine Mail als Vorschalg auf.

Wir bekommen täglich sehr viele Vorschläge, was uns zeigt, dass sich viele Menschen Gedanken machen, welche Figuren noch hergestellt werden könnten.
Wir haben Deinen Vorschlag an die Abteilung geschickt, die für die neuen Figuren zuständig ist.

Dort kommt Dein Vorschlag in unseren Ideenpool. Das ist eine lange Liste mit all den Vorschlägen, die wir bisher erhalten haben, aber noch nicht machen konnten.
Ob und wann aus Deinem Vorschlag eine neue Figuren werded, können wir noch nicht sagen. Und bei Schlpmpfen ist das auch abhängig vom Lizenzgeber.

Wir wünschen auch weiterhin viel Freude mit unseren Figuren."

I really hope they think about it and maybe come to the conclusion they can make lots of money and start releasing many new stuff.

/André

[SmurfingH]

Can anybody translate that for us non German speakers, pretty please?

[Smurfysmurf]

It tells you that they forward all ideas to the correct department where it is put into a pot full with ideas from their customers. It's up to the department to decide what to do with it or to decide if it is even possible to do it.

It does sound to me that the more e-mails they get about a certain thing they more likely they are to consider it.

Andre...how about putting their e-mail on here and we all send them an e-mail