NEW YORK -- April 8, 2003 -- Marvel Enterprises, Inc., and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, have built a massive worldwide licensing program for the June 20 release of one of the summer's most anticipated movie events - Universal Pictures' The Hulk. With a roster of more than 300 licensees worldwide consisting of industry leaders including Toy Biz Worldwide, Harper Collins, Upper Deck Entertainment and Vivendi Universal Games, unique products based on this larger-than-life production will be breaking onto retail shelves around the world this summer.
"The Hulk is one of the most highly anticipated movies for this summer and certainly one of the most high-profile Marvel movies ever to be released. The merchandising program already established for The Hulk is larger than the licensing program that was in place for Spider-Man last year, making it our largest licensing program for a theatrical release to date," said Russ Brown, Executive Vice President, Consumer Products, Promotions & Media Sales. "The potential success of this program has already started to be realized with the overwhelming sales of Toy Biz Worldwide's Hulk toy line, which continues to track as well or better than last year's top-selling Spider-Man merchandise. We are optimistic that all of the Hulk-based merchandise will have similar success."
Tim Rothwell, SVP, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group added, "From a retail perspective, The Hulk has dominant positioning at every major retailer worldwide kicking off this summer and moving through Holiday 2003. Not often does a brand have such an unprecedented global appeal and worldwide acceptance as The Hulk does, from licensing to promotions to retail."
Leading The Hulk merchandise barrage is master toy licensee, Toy Biz Worldwide, which is producing the complete, highly-articulated action figure line as well as several must-have accessories including the already top-selling Electronic Hulk Hands. The Hulk products have already started hitting retail shelves.
The Hulk licensing program is one of the biggest campaigns in Marvel's history and follows on the heels of a banner year for the Company's licensing division in 2002 as net sales increased 99% to $79.6 million from $40 million in 2001 (as recently reported in Marvel's fourth quarter and year-end December 31, 2002 report).
Universal Pictures presents in association with Marvel Entertainment Group a Valhalla Motion Pictures/Good Machine Production of an Ang Lee film, The Hulk. Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee's concept for his film adaptation of the classic Marvel Comics series, The Incredible Hulk(TM), combines all the elements of a blockbuster visual effects-intensive Super Hero movie with the brooding romance and tragedy of Universal's classic horror films. In depicting The Hulk as both a Super Hero and a monster, a wish fulfillment and a nightmare, Lee and his team have stayed true to the early subversive spirit of the character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, while completely updating The Hulk and projecting it into the dangers and aspirations of contemporary times.
Eric Bana stars as scientist Bruce Banner, whose inner demons transform him in the aftermath of a catastrophic experiment. Bana plays both the human Banner and - through groundbreaking visual effects technology provided by the Oscar®-winning Industrial Light and Magic - the superhuman Hulk. Jennifer Connelly portrays Betty Ross, whose scientific genius unwittingly helps unleash The Hulk; Nick Nolte plays Banner's brilliant father, who unwittingly passes on a tragic legacy to his son, and Sam Elliot portrays the commander of a top-secret military research center.
