We’ve all seen those Funko Pop figurines in stores and possibly even on shelves in your house. They are ubiquitous and feature cute, cartoony versions of seemingly every pop culture icon known to man. I wish I would have gotten in at the ground floor of these toys when they first started coming out because, man, they’re making a mint. Cha-fucking-Ching.
And they’ll be making more money soon because those big-headed toys are getting a movie. Deadline reports that Warner Bros Animation Group will develop a movie revolved around the collectibles. Apparently WB and Funko have had a licensing deal for almost 20 years, which explains why you’ve seen so many Funko takes on Harry Potter and Batman. But now Warners wants even more money from this cash cow and they’re giving the figurines their own damn movie.
Here’s Funko CEO Brian Mariotti talking about the deal:
“We’re thrilled for this opportunity and are committed to make an amazing Funko movie that stands on its own merit. This isn’t about selling toys or building a brand. The team at Warner Animation Group have a unique vision of what the first film should be and we are extremely excited to take this journey alongside them”
Okay, I’d like to believe Mr. Mariotti but you have to admit that maybe just a little part of this deal is about selling toys and building a brand. And you can’t really blame WB for wanting a new franchise. Look at what The LEGO Movie did at the box office. People aren’t against seeing movies about toys, especially if they’re well done. I’m not trying to discredit a Funko Pop movie, nothing says the film won’t be good just because it’s about a bunch of silly-looking toys. It could be a lot of fun for the whole family and could create a brand new movie series. At the very least, it’ll definitely be cute.
One wonders what a Funko Pop movie would be like. The toys are all based on well-established movies and shows. Aside from the WB properties, I can’t imagine the movie would be able to use many known characters owned by different studios. So I’m assuming the film will incorporate brand new characters with maybe a few WB stars thrown into the mix. Again, that sounds a lot like The LEGO Movie to me and that isn’t a bad blueprint to build off of.
