\n\tParents will have only have that final option come Christmas toy-shopping.<\/p>\n
\n\tEarlier this week, Netflix signed deals with toymakers Mattel and Hasbro<\/a> to manufacture KPop Demon Hunters consumer products. Mattel will make the dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles and play sets; Hasbro will make the stuffys, electronics and board games. The problem is, none of this stuff will be available for this holiday season, when they would be in peak demand.<\/p>\n \n\tDon\u2019t blame the builders. Well, not too much.<\/p>\n \n\tA Netflix spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that when the streamer approached its licensing partners and retailers in 2024, it received only \u201csoft\u201d interest. That\u2019s not shocking: KPop Demon Hunters was wholly new, unproven IP. One year and 325 million views later<\/a>, everyone is sprinting at full speed to catch up to demand.<\/p>\n \n\tThey won\u2019t make it for the holidays \u2014 not these holidays at least. It\u2019s just not possible.<\/p>\n \n\tMaking toys and games usually takes about 18 months from \u201cconcept to store shelves,\u201d Nick Karamanos, Mattel\u2019s senior vice president of entertainment partnerships tells The Hollywood Reporter.<\/p>\n \n\tWhere were you at those pitch meetings 12-18 months ago, Nick? (Just kidding \u2014 until I see my daughters\u2019 Christmas lists, perhaps.)<\/p>\n \n\tKaramanos and his counterparts at Netflix (and probably Hasbro, though they didn\u2019t respond to our emails) are on it. Their stuff will begin to come out in phases from spring 2026 through Christmas 2026.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThis is warp-speed for us,\u201d Karamanos said. \u201cIt is absolutely the fastest we\u2019ve ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tTo put it another way: Santa\u2019s elves couldn\u2019t even keep up with Karamanos\u2019 assembly line, so don\u2019t bank on that loophole either, kids.<\/p>\n \n\tAnd Netflix is \u201cwildly\u201d expediting the product-selection process on its end, he said. Some products have already been dreamt up by Mattel and approved by the streamer \u2014 those products (Karamanos could not elaborate on what they are) will be the first ones out. It helps to play catch-up with a company you\u2019ve worked with before: Mattel makes toys for Netflix series Stranger Things, Squid Game and Bridgerton.<\/p>\n \n\tPushing the pedal to the metal here will not push aside quality control, \u201ca huge point of emphasis for us,\u201d Karamanos promised. Another is providing what he called \u201cnewness\u201d in its product line. In other words, Mattel isn\u2019t just making Barbie dolls with long, purple braids (though there will probably be those too) here. The excellent music of KPop Demon Hunters<\/a> is \u201con the table, absolutely\u201d for his line, Karamanos said.<\/p>\n \n\tKaramanos says he\u2019s cool sharing the (eventual) spoils with competitor Hasbro. \u201cThey have a core competency and they\u2019re going to create products in their areas that we wouldn\u2019t, and so I wish them well.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tA person with knowledge of the deal told THR that Mattel is making about 80 percent of the consumer products in the Mattel\/Hasbro split.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tKPop Demon Hunters<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n \n\tHUNTR\/X fans won\u2019t be totally SOL this Xmas. Netflix\u2019s own shop<\/a> carries KPop Demon Hunters clothing, Funko Pop! figures, light sticks created by Copan Global, etc., and themed apparel continues to roll out at Amazon<\/a>,\u00a0Zara Kids<\/a>,\u00a0Target<\/a>,\u00a0Gap<\/a>,\u00a0Old Navy<\/a> and\u00a0Hot Topic<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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