Twentieth Century Fox and McFarlane Toys Announce New Licensing Agreement for 'Simpsons' Action Figures

Twentieth Century Fox and McFarlane Toys Announce New Licensing Agreement for 'Simpsons' Action Figures Collectible Figures From McFarlane Toys to Hit Stores Late 2005 CENTURY CITY, Calif., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- "Woo Hoo!" Fox Licensing & Merchandising and McFarlane Toys proudly announce a new licensing agreement bringing an all-new line of action figures based on characters from the hugely successful FOX series THE SIMPSONS to fans everywhere. These amazing new 'Simpsons' action figures will be released this fall in two separate multi-figure boxed sets. Each box will contain a different set of action figures re-creating favorite moments. Fans of the show will be saving up their "D'oh!" to get their hands on these hot new 'Simpsons' products. McFarlane Toys will breathe life into its version of THE SIMPSONS action figures through sculpting, poses and paint applications. Founder and CEO Todd McFarlane will personally work with THE SIMPSONS creative team to capture their favorite, legendary and key iconic moments from THE SIMPSONS and bring to life the snapshot storytelling that McFarlane Toys is best known for with its fans. "We are really excited to be working with McFarlane Toys to develop the next generation of 'Simpsons' collectibles which will capture some truly unforgettable moments from the series," said Peter Byrne, Executive Vice President of Licensing & Merchandising at FOX. "McFarlane Toys has an exceptional reputation in the Action figure category and we're looking forward to developing some really unique products for the huge 'Simpsons' fan base out there." "As a fan of THE SIMPSONS since its very inception, I know our toy company will bring as much innovation to these new character products as Matt Groening and his crew have done all these years," said Todd McFarlane. "My goal is to bring out very intriguing items that will reward the fans who have supported this show. We want to push the envelope so that the true essence of the show is captured." The new line of 'Simpsons' toys will be made available through two limited boxed sets in the Fall of 2005 with a full product line hitting shelves in 2006. About THE SIMPSONS Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie take traditional family life and turn them upside down in FOX's critically acclaimed series, THE SIMPSONS. Exploding into a cultural phenomenon in 1990, THE SIMPSONS remains one of the most visible and marketable properties both domestically and internationally. This Emmy Award(R)-winning series is now in the history books as the longest-running sitcom currently on television and the longest-running animated show in television history. THE SIMPSONS is also noted for its famous celebrity guest voices such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Mel Gibson, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito and musical guests Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Britney Spears and Aerosmith. THE SIMPSONS is currently airing their 16th season. About FOX Licensing & Merchandising A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks. About McFarlane Toys Grammy- and Emmy-winning Producer/Director Todd McFarlane is the creative force behind McFarlane Toys. The international award winning company is one of America's top action figure manufacturers with several successful movie-licensing tie-ins, including "The Matrix" trilogy (Warner Bros.); "Shrek" (Dreamworks); "X-Files"; "Alien Vs. Predator" (20th Century Fox), Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" (Paramount) and the first two "Austin Powers" films (New Line Cinema). The company also makes official league-licensed figures for baseball, football, basketball and hockey within its Sports Picks(TM) line, as well as recently debuting the Legends lines in baseball and hockey with football and basketball premiering in 2005. McFarlane Toys has replicated some of rock music's greatest icons including Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and Motley Crue. Check out www.spawn.com for more information. Source: McFarlane Toys CONTACT: Brian Reinert, brian_reinert@bhimpact.com or Stefanie Acken, stefanie_acken@bhipmact.com, both of Bender/Helper Impact, +1-212-689-6360, or fax, +1-212-689-6601, for McFarlane Toys; or Carmen Bryant, ext. 228, Cbryant@McFarlane.com or Charles King, ext. 239, Cking@McFarlane.com, both of McFarlane Toys, +1-480-490-7070 Web site: http://www.spawn.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment