Spin Master has confirmed a third PAW Patrol movie will land in cinemas in 2026.

The first film launched in 2021, while the brand’s second film – PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie – arrives on the big screen later this week.

“PAW Patrol has entertained generations of pre-schoolers while subtly teaching them the value of community, inclusiveness and teamwork,” said Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master Entertainment’s President.

“On the cusp of the premiere of our second, super-powered film, the universal love for our pups is stronger than ever. We’re thrilled to announce a third feature film, expanding the PAW Patrol universe further with an epic new adventure. Featuring action-packed missions and exploring new terrains, this movie will be larger-than-life and once again show how small paws can make big prints.”

Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation & Nickelodeon Animation, added: “PAW Patrol remains in a class of its own as a beloved and recognisable cultural touchstone for kids and families everywhere. Alongside our partners at Spin Master, we are so excited to continue to bring these pups’ big screen adventures to PAW Patrol’s legion of fans around the world.”

Cal Brunker – director of the first two movies ­– will return to direct the third film.

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Nickelodeon has confirmed a Paw Patrol spin-off series is in the works focusing on Rubble, the construction-specialist Bulldog pup.

The Rubble series will debut in 2023, coinciding with Paw Patrol’s 10th anniversary.

Also due to arrive next year is the big screen sequel, Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.

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Mattel has entered into a multi-year global licensing agreement with Paramount Consumer Products for the Nickelodeon pre-school series, Santiago of the Seas.

Mattel’s Santiago of the Seas range will launch later this year under the Fisher-Price brand, and will span dolls, figures, playsets, vehicles, role play, plush, ride-ons and more.

“Santiago of the Seas is an incredibly unique show infused with a Spanish-language and Latino-Caribbean culture curriculum,” said Nick Karamanos, Senior Vice President of Entertainment Partnerships, Mattel.

“Setting records in its first season, Mattel has been working to introduce a full line of toys to support the show in time for its second season. We look forward to Santiago of the Seas as part of our broader relationship with the Paramount Consumer Products team.”

Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President of Hardlines and Retail at Paramount Consumer Products, added: “Santiago of the Seas is such a dynamic show that authentically showcases and celebrates Latino-Caribbean culture, as it incorporates the Spanish language in an organic way that helps teach pre-schoolers throughout each episode.

“Partnering with Mattel will bring the fun-filled action adventures in the series to the toy line and allow fans to immerse themselves in this dual-language world and its culture.”

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Moose Toys has detailed a raft of activity for its new battling action figures brand, Akedo: Ultimate Arcade Warriors.

Akedo sees kids battle using figures capable deliver a unique split strike action that literally splits the other Akedo figure in half.

Moose has teamed up with WildBrain on an Akedo animated series, while Nickelodeon will be hosting the Akedo Super Ultimate Ultimate Tournament on its YouTube Channel.

The animated series will debut on the MooseTube Mania YouTube channel in July, with episodes also available to watch on Amazon Prime Video Direct. In Canada, WildBrain also will debut the new Akedo series on its television network this fall.

“As more and more kids’ brands move to digital-first launch strategies, it’s a natural step to extend our Moose partnership across WildBrain’s integrated offering of production, distribution and licensing for the amazing new Akedo franchise,” said Rachel Taylor, commercial director at WildBrain Spark.

“Moose has an excellent track record of delivering toys kids love, and we’re confident Akedo is going to be a big hit both on and off screen.”

Ronnie Frankowski, chief marketing officer at Moose Toys, added: “It’s the most dynamic battling toy ever, and with deep collectability and engaging entertainment, we are delivering a fully-rounded experience that meets kids where they are.”

Nickelodeon’s Akedo Super Ultimate Ultimate Tournament will match up 16 competitors made up of kids and top influencers in an exclusive bracket-style tournament, with each competitor battling for their warrior to win the title and become the Ultimate Akedo Champion.

“Moose has had a long-standing relationship with Nickelodeon, but this is the first time we’ve partnered with them for a branded “as live” event,” added Frankowski.

“Tapping into Nickelodeon’s group of top-level influencers to introduce kids to Akedo and this absolute next level game play will be entertaining as well as demonstrate how the game is played by enthusiasts that kids can relate to.”

April L. McKenzie, Vice President, Kids & Family Activation, Velocity, ViacomCBS, said: “Through this collaboration with Moose Toys, Nickelodeon continues to push the envelope by creating innovative content and experiences that appeal to fans of all ages.

“The Akedo Super Ultimate Ultimate Tournament not only spotlights the exciting launch of this new action-based toy, but also offers kids and families an opportunity to be at the center of the action.”

Akedo will launch on Walmart.com and Amazon in July and in stores at all major retailers in August.

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Having worked at the likes of Jada Toys, Spin Master, Jakks Pacific and Alpha Group, Carlos Mendoza is a seasoned designer and illustrator who now creates ghoulish monsters and gruesome props as Art Director at Spirit Halloween.

With multiple categories under his belt, as well as experience creating toy lines for brands like Marvel, LucasFilm, SpongeBob SquarePants and Subway Surfers, we caught up with Carlos to learn more about how he started out in the industry, and why a background in illustration proved invaluable when it came to toy design.

How did your passion for illustration start?
My passion for illustration started when I was in junior year of High School. I found a fascination with graffiti when I took a train to Downtown L.A with my friends and ended up in an abandoned yard. I saw so many colourful characters illustrated on these walls, I was instantly hooked.

I continued to paint on walls up until my senior year, then one faithful day things changed; let’s just say the law caught up with me, and I was assigned a probation officer.  He was curious to know why I wanted to waste my life in graffiti? So he told me, “I’ll make you a deal – you come with me to Walt Disney Animation Studios, so I can show you what you can do with your drawing skills, and I’ll sign off your complete probation time.” Not knowing that was the day that would change my life, I agreed – mainly to get out of probation – and the rest is history.

Who knew we’d have that probation officer to thank for so many cool toy lines! And on that, how did the world of toys and games come into your life?
I was working in a major insurance company and my desk was filled with toys, art and drawings of mine. One day I looked underneath one of my toy cars and it had the logo for Jada Toys. Long story short, I got an interview there.

As they were going through my very amateur and basic art portfolio, I advised the director interviewing me that I was an illustrator. He misheard me and thought I said I knew Illustrator – the Adobe software! I didn’t know Illustrator and I’d never even heard of Photoshop!

So he hired me but later came to find out I didn’t know Illustrator, and so I was given a week to produce something or else I would be laid off.

Wow! So a simple misunderstanding massively shaped your path into toys!
Exactly! And that following weekend I went into my home studio and borrowed a laptop, a Wacom Intuos tablet – which at the time was wizardry – and a printer from a friend. I had him give me a crash course in how to use these magical programs. The following Monday I brought in what I had done and they liked it; the rest is history and I never had to go back to insurance again!

I eventually left Jada to pursue new opportunities with Spin Master to work on their online MMO games. It’s there where I was introduced to concept art and digital illustrations, and that when I fell in love with illustration all over again.

How does a background in illustration help when it comes to toy design?
Being an illustrator helps me communicate to my team, directors and the overseas teams as to what my concept are. Because I don’t do 3D, I rely heavily on my illustration techniques to help get my ideas across in a clean and clear visual.

Drawing plays a big part because it needs to be clear that the toy I’m designing is functional and looks awesome at the same time, so drawing your design from different viewpoints is super, super important.

Is there any key advice you’d give illustrators about succeeding in the toy space?
Yes, to succeed in toy design, they need to be problem solvers not just an artist. You also need to be a visual communicator to effectively give the other teams working with you the proper information to execute the best possible product.

Are there any ‘bad habits’ that artists or new designers have to drop to make it in toys?
The habit to drop is the copycat ‘me too’ design mentality. Some designers tend to just draw what they find in stores and think ‘that’s what we should do next’, but not take into account the item that’s inspiring them was probably in development a year ago.

I would say be more innovative and find creative solutions to your designs so we keep our industry growing and exciting.

Good advice! Now we first met back when you were at Alpha Group and you were nominated for a Toy Designer of the Year (Licensed Product) award for your work on the SpongeBob Masterpiece Meme Collection. You’ve worked on lots of licensed products in the past, so I’m interested in how your approach to design changes when working with a brand?
Working on license is a lot fun because you get to work on brands that you might of grown up with. SpongeBob was one brand that I was given to refresh, and that in itself was an honour. Working with the Nickelodeon team, I was able to explore many wacky and unique approaches to this core character, and that’s rare in licensed products.

With SpongeBob, I used a lot of influences from pop culture and cartoons that have inspired me in the past, like Ren & Stimpy, Looney Toons and even Adventure Time. These cartoons really pushed the envelope of story and character identity, and that’s what I wanted to emote in each of my toy designs for SpongeBob. I spent most of my day with SpongeBob playing on my second monitor so I could really understand and learn his humour and personality.

You also worked on Alpha’s Subway Surfers range too right, looping us back that street art style that initially sparked your love of art?
Yes, with Subway Surfers I took advantage of my graffiti background and character design and did my best to stay within the lines of the IP, but still put my  twist on the art and the concepts. I knew going in that it was going to be tons of fun!

Are there any tricks to creating great licensed toys?
My advice to anyone working on toys for a license that you might not like: find something fun in what you’re doing with it, find creative ways to push the ideas and innovate. Try to make the license you’re working on work for you, so that you can use what you learned in development for your next project.

When I was given the freedom to go nuts with these brands, I knew this was a chance to push myself and the brands. If you’re ever in that situation and you’re trusted with an iconic IP, immerse yourself in the project and you too will leave your mark in it.

You’re now Art Director at Spirit Halloween – what does a typical day look like there, and does the toy design experience come into play when creating cool props and animatronics?
Absolutely. What I’m doing now is big moving toys – animatronics! Everything we do here is amazing; I get to draw monsters all day as well as create new and innovative weapons, masks and home décor. Halloween is my favourite season,  so to be a part of this industry is a treat – no pun intended.

Our typical day in the Hardlines team is pretty busy. We are working on new ways to improve the look and feel of the Halloween experience for the fans, horror buffs and the novice. Working with the team at Spirit has been an amazing and humbling experience so far, but working with my team and growing together in this next stage of innovation is important. With their knowledge and experience with monsters and Halloween décor along with my understanding of character designs and toy development, I’m confident that there are some amazing new things to come from Spirit.

How do you fuel your creativity?
I surround myself with creatives all the time. I love to be inspired by artists and designers that push themselves and grow. I know for sure that’s what got my art and design sense to mature and develop into a more polished and confident place in my career. I appreciate people around me that go after their creative goal and achieve them. I see it all the time in my circle of friends, so it fuels me to do the same and inspire them.

Great stuff, and finally, what advice would you give other illustrators who are looking to work in the toy space?
I would advise them to broaden their thinking from just a pretty picture to a functioning one. In other words, when you draw a concept as an illustrator, think about its purpose and function; that’s where problem-solving comes in to play. Master these two things and you are well on your way to creating some incredible toys, because you’ll have the ability to make it function and look amazing. Stay creative!

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Brand Designs is a new series of interviews with execs from the licensing industry on a range of subjects relating to the world of toy and game design.

Kicking the series off is Ashley Holman, Managing Director at brand and licensing agency Riverside Brands. Holman – who previously had spent 12 years in the consumer products team at Nickelodeon – launched Riverside Brands last year and represents brands including Rainbocorns, Gigantosaurus and the online series Hurrah for Gin.

Hi Ashley, so first off, what was the first licensed toy you owned or played with?
When my younger brother was born in 1986, my parents bought me a He-Man action figure with accompanying Battle Cat. I therefore thought he was the greatest thing ever! Other key toys from my childhood included GhostBusters (figures, role play, you name it) and everything Teenage Mutant Hero (as it was known then) Turtles. In my career, I was fortunate enough to relaunch the Turtles brand in 2012 and when informing my mother, she raced to the loft to hand over all my old (sadly very well used) toys. I guess therefore I am a child of the licensed era.

How can inventors work with the licensing sector more?
There are a lot of toy companies that either specialise in or have a large percentage of their business dedicated to licensed ranges. Licensors (and toy companies) are always looking for innovation and exciting new lines that could be appropriate for their brands. Therefore inventors are paramount to keeping this innovation coming through. Inventors could look to pick brands they have a draw towards and look to develop specific innovative ideas that are specific to that IP.

Should brand owners be working directly with the inventor community more?
Bigger brand owners definitely should. They might have in house design resource already but it’s not often they have inventors within those roles so this would provide valuable idea creation that they could then work with their master toy or key toy licensees on to bring to market.

For designers, working on a brand is a different prospect to inventing an original toy or game. What should inventors new to working with brands know about what makes for great licensed toys?
It might be obvious but the brand has to be front and centre. IP owners allow some creative interpretation but there are limits. They’ll also want to fit the brand. If the IP is about saving animals, they’re not going to look for a Duck Hunt style game…

Should toy and game companies think about licensing their brands out more than they do?
I think this is certainly starting to happen more and more, especially toy brands now being credible licensed properties in their own right after some notable successes in the marketplace. With traditional media changing in how kids consume brands, it will only grow. Inventors can capitalise on this moment in time shift.

Is there a TV or film that isn’t licensed that you think would make a great board game or toy line?
Plenty of opportunities on Rainbocorns or Gigantosaurus  – please get in touch if you’d like to discuss further! Those aside, as a big fan of both Narcos and You currently, I’d love to see games based on those for sure.

What are some key trends in licensing that inventors should take note of?
There is a big shift away from traditional linear TV and film brands. Entertainment brands need all four broadcast platforms (Linear, Free To Air, Video on Demand and Digital) to cut through now and brands don’t have to come from that medium at all. We are seeing successful licensing program on toy brands, book brands and beyond. As long as there is consumer engagement, a licensing program is possible.

Sustainability is quite rightly a hot topic too, with many great initiatives being put in place and more to come from some of the biggest toy companies, but more is needed clearly.

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A Paw Patrol movie will be hitting cinemas in August 2021.

Created in association with Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures, Paw Patrol: The Movie will be the first big screen project from Spin Master Entertainment and has Nut Job 2’s Carl Brunker attached to direct.

Spin Master Entertainment’s Executive Vice President, Jennifer Dodge, will produce the film and Ronnen Harary, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Spin Master, Adam Beder, Executive Vice President, Strategic Partnership & Franchise Development for Spin Master, and Peter Schlessel will executive produce.

“We are thrilled to partner with Paramount and Nickelodeon to bring the Paw Patrol franchise, and the characters that children love, to the big screen,” said Dodge.

“This first foray into the arena of feature film marks a significant strategic expansion for Spin Master Entertainment and our properties. This demonstrates our commitment to harnessing our own internal entertainment production teams to develop and deliver IP in a motion picture format and allows us to connect our characters to fans through shared theatrical experiences.”

Brian  Robbins – President, Kids & Family Entertainment at ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks – added: “Expanding Paw Patrol into the world of theatricals is a major milestone for this iconic property, and we can’t wait for kids and families everywhere to experience it together.”

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CBS Corp and Viacom have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger, creating a combined company with more than $28bn in revenue.

The combined company will be known as ViacomCBS Inc and will house brands including CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, South Park, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.

Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, will become President and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company.

“Today marks an important day for CBS and Viacom, as we unite our complementary assets and capabilities and become one of only a few companies with the breadth and depth of content and reach to shape the future of our industry,” said Bakish.

“Our unique ability to produce premium and popular content for global audiences at scale – for our own platforms and for our partners around the world – will enable us to maximise our business for today, while positioning us to lead for years to come. As we look to the future, I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities ahead for the combined company and all of our stakeholders – including consumers, the creative community, commercial partners, employees and, of course, our shareholders.”

Joe Ianniello, President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, CBS, will become Chairman and CEO of CBS.

He added: “This merger brings an exciting new set of opportunities to both companies. At CBS, we have outstanding momentum right now – creatively and operationally – and Viacom’s portfolio will help accelerate that progress. I look forward to all we will do together as we build on our ongoing success. And personally, I am pleased to remain focused on CBS’s top priority – continuing our transformation into a global, multiplatform, premium content company.”

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Viacom, through one of its subsidiaries, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Paws, Inc, owner of the Garfield and the U.S. Acres franchises.

The acquisition of Garfield is part of Nickelodeon’s strategy to be the home for the biggest franchises kids and families love, and Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins said: “This acquisition marks another step in our evolution toward being kids’ first stop for the best new content and characters, so we’re incredibly happy to have Garfield join our growing roster of globally loved franchises and to introduce this cool cat to a new generation of fans.”

Following completion of the acquisition, Nickelodeon plans to develop a new Garfield animated television series, with global merchandising rights managed by Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products, including the property’s existing portfolio of licensees. Garfield creator Jim Davis will continue to produce the Garfield syndicated comic strip.

Pam Kaufman, president of VNCP, added: “Garfield is a global evergreen franchise that is a natural fit with Nickelodeon and our portfolio of iconic properties. With fans around the globe that span both kids and adults, we are excited to ignite Garfield into a multi-generational consumer products juggernaut and further deliver on VNCP’s ‘Every Age, Every Aisle’ mission.”

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IDW Games has teamed up with Nickelodeon to bring its classic properties to the world of board games.

IDW Games plans on releasing a variety of games featuring characters from Rugrats, Invader Zim, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold!, CatDog, The Angry Beavers, Rocket Power, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and Rocko’s Modern Life.

The first product to launch as part of the deal will be is Nickelodeon Splat Attack!, designed by Michael Gray (Fortress America, Dungeon!) and Daryl Andrews (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Showdown, Outpost: Siberia). The game will see players control teams of characters, divided along brands, as they fling food at each other in an effort to hold key positions in the supermarket.

“There are very few properties that manage to induce nostalgia while also still being incredibly relevant,” said Jerry Bennington, vice president of new product development at IDW Publishing.

“Nickelodeon has managed to curate and maintain a menagerie of properties that does just that; allow for the nostalgia of shows like Rugrats and Hey Arnold! while still being endlessly entertaining today. The enthusiasm that fans have for these shows has directly influenced the efforts we’ve put into bringing the best games possible for them to the market.”

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