Marvel Universe Unites for Children's Charities

February 27, Los Angeles, Calif.---The Walt Disney Company today announced Marvel: The Universe Unites, an epic charity campaign combining the super powers of the cast of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War to help support children’s charities. The week-long event will see stars of the movie team up for a series of hero acts and social media challenges to provide funds and raise awareness for charities that support children and families impacted by serious illness. The initiative will culminate the weekend of March 3 when shopDisney.com and Disney stores in the U.S. will donate 10% of sales of all Marvel products made between March 3-4, 2018 (up to $50,000) to Make-A-Wish® to help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

“This movie has one of the greatest ensemble casts of all time, and we are challenging them to use their collective might to benefit children’s charities,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “We’re kicking off by inviting some of the world’s biggest stars to get creative on social media to support Starlight Children’s Foundation, a charity that works to bring joy and comfort to hospitalized children and their families.”

As part of Marvel Studios: Hero Acts, a charitable initiative launched in 2016, some members of the cast of Avengers: Infinity War will receive a special toy care package filled with new products celebrating their Marvel character to be donated to children’s hospitals.

Their mission? To take a creative picture or video to reveal the new toys to fans and post it to their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter channels using #HeroActs. When their collective posts hit a million likes, they will unlock a $250,000 US donation to Starlight Children’s Foundation® from Marvel.

“Being a Marvel Super Hero gives us a powerful platform to directly influence positive change. Giving back to kids is the most impactful role you can play,” comments Marvel Studios’ Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman. “Marvel: The Universe Unites and #HeroActs is just a fun way to support a noble cause while entertaining kids and fans around the globe.”

Marvel partners are also supporting the cause with their own #HeroActs in support of children’s charities. As part of the week’s events, Hasbro will donate $1 million US worth of cash and products to Give Kids The World, an organization that fulfills the wishes of children with critical illnesses and their families by providing them with an unforgettable trip which includes a visit to their village in Central Florida and access to Walt Disney World Resort.

Funko, known for their pop culture collectibles, will make a $1 million US toy donation to Starlight as part of the Marvel: The Universe Unites campaign.

“From our fantastic cast to our toy and retail partners, it’s great to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe come together in this way to support children’s charities,” comments Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios. “The launch of the products for Avengers: Infinity War is a fun way for fans to celebrate the countdown to the movie, and this initiative underscores that moment in a really special way.”

Starting March 3, new Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War products will be included in the Marvel: The Universe Unites Amazon Wish List, enabling consumers to send toys directly to Starlight.

Rounding out the week, on Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, shopDisney.com and Disney store will donate 10% of weekend Marvel product sales to Make-A-Wish® (up to $50,000 US) in support of Marvel: The Universe Unites.

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About Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War

An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe. 

Anthony and Joe Russo direct the film, which is produced by Kevin Feige. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo and Stan Lee are the executive producers. Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely wrote the screenplay. “Avengers: Infinity War” releases in U.S. theaters on May 4, 2018.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.

For more information visit marvel.com.

© 2018 MARVEL

About Make-A-Wish®

Make-A-Wish® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 35,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 34 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 300,000 wishes to children in the U.S. and its territories; more than 15,400 in 2017 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

About Give Kids The World

Since 1986, Give Kids The World Village has welcomed more than 159,000 families to its 84-acre “storybook” resort in Central Florida. Children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations, complete with accommodations, donated attraction tickets, meals and more.  For more about Give Kids The World, visit gktw.org.

About Starlight Children’s Foundation

Starlight creates moments of joy and comfort for hospitalized kids and their families. For 35 years, Starlight’s programs have positively impacted more than 60 million critically, chronically and terminally ill or injured children in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. With your help, more kids and their families will enjoy Starlight Gowns, Starlight Fun Centers and other Starlight programs at a children’s hospital or facility near you. Learn more and support Starlight’s work by visitingwww.starlight.org.

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World's Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. Through its entertainment labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 1 on the 2017 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past seven years. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

About Funko, Inc.

Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, action toys, plush, apparel, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters. Learn more at HTTPS://FUNKO.COM/, and follow us on Twitter (@OriginalFunko) and Instagram (@OriginalFunko).

Star Wars Go Rogue | Chapter 2

SUPERFAN-CREATED #GOROGUE VIDEO SERIES CONTINUES

CHAPTER 2 STARS NEW TOYS FROM “ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY”

WHAT:            “Our recovery mission is a disaster… My entire project is already off schedule and over budget…” – Director Krennic, Chapter 2, Go Rogue

What happens next? Find out in Chapter 2 of the fan-created Go Rogue YouTube series. Written, directed and produced by a team of Star Wars superfans, the original four-part stop motion story stars key toys from the new “Rogue One” line before they hit stores Sept. 30.

With the first installment embraced by fans worldwide, topping 2.7 million views since its Aug. 31 release, the series follows the adventures of “Rogue One” toys from Hasbro, LEGO, FUNKO, JAKKS Pacific, Mattel and Disney Store as they try to track down the building instructions to the LEGO Star Wars Death Star set that have been misplaced by the Empire.

Chapter 1 left off with Jyn Erso fleeing with the instructions to the LEGO Death Star. Up next, she must learn to rely on an unlikely group of heroes. Only by working together can this newly formed band of Rebels outsmart the Empire and restore freedom to the Galaxy.

The four-part #GoRogue series kicks off a global UGC contest beginning September 30that asks fans to share their own “Rogue Stories.” More information is available at StarWars.com/GoRogue for ages 13+,and for parents of kids ages 8-12, have them visit Disney.com/MyRogueStory.

Star Wars Superfans #GoRogue to Reveal New Toy Line

Star Wars Superfans #GoRogue to Reveal New Toy Line

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” toys unveiled in series of original stop-motion animated shorts debuting online today

Launch heralds global UGC contest celebrating fan content, creativity and storytelling

Glendale, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2016) – A team of Star Wars superfans today revealed the new toy line for the highly anticipated “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” movie via a series of fan-made animated shorts launching on the Star Wars YouTube channel. As part of a competition in collaboration with creative network Tongal,a team was assembled to write, direct and produce original, fan-made stop-motion shorts starring key toys from the new line to kick off a global UGC contest that asks fans to share their own “Rogue Stories.”

“These fan-created shorts are a tribute to the incredible content that the Star Wars community posts online every day,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “The Go Rogue campaign was designed with Star Wars fans in mind – we want them to be front and center in the run up to ‘Rogue One’ by imagining and creating their own Rogue Stories."

When Star Wars news breaks, many fans worldwide react by sharing their own videos online. According to new research[1], fans posted over 838,000 pieces of Star Wars-related content on YouTube in the past year alone, which is more than 2,296 per day and nearly 96 per hour. Star Wars fan-generated content is also incredibly popular, accruing more than 16.3 billion views in the last year – equivalent to everyone in the world viewing at least two fan-created videos.

The global contest, which kicks off September 30, invites fans to share their own short stories or skits set in a galaxy far, far away… Winning entries from around the globe will be chosen by a panel including “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” director Gareth Edwards. Beginning September 30, teen and adult fans can enter the Go Rogue contest on StarWars.com/GoRogue. In addition to the global contest on starwars.com, in the U.S. and parts of Canada, kids 8-12 can participate on Disney.com/MyRogueStory. Winners will be invited to Lucasfilm in San Francisco to attend a screening of “Rogue One,” and see their short story on the big screen.

The fan-created shorts showcasing the new line of “Rogue One” toys for the first time launches on the Star Wars YouTube channel today, with new installments rolling out through September. The team was lead by James DeJulio at Tongal, and the series was written by Kevin Ulrich and brought to life by stop-motion animators and directors Dan MacKenzie and Tucker Barrie. The stories follow the adventures of “Rogue One” toys from Hasbro, LEGO, FUNKO, JAKKS Pacific, Mattel and Disney Store as they try to track down the building instructions to the LEGO Star Wars Death Star set which have been misplaced by the Empire. 

“I’ve been a Star Wars fan my whole life so this is a dream project,” says James DeJulio, co-founder of Tongal. “It’s been amazing to see what an inspiration Star Wars has been to so many members of our creative community, whether that’s coming up with their own Star Wars storylines, or playing out scenes with Star Wars toys at home with their kids. I’m excited to share this first ‘Rogue Story’ with the world and hope it inspires other fans to share theirs.”

Fans can pre-order a handful of select items seen in the “Rogue Stories” beginning September 2 at mass retailers, Disney Store locations anddisneystore.com. The full range of new “Rogue One” and Star Wars products will be available globally starting on

September 30. Join the global #GoRogue conversation on social.

Tongal’s creative network includes 120,000 writers, directors and animators across 150 countries. For more information, go to www.tongal.com.+

LAUNCH OF DISNEY’S PLAYMATION HERALDS A NEW WAY TO PLAY FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES

LAUNCH OF DISNEY’S PLAYMATION HERALDS A NEW WAY TO PLAY FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES

Unique combination of technology and digital storytelling creates first-of-its kind active play experience

New study highlights kids’ and parents' mutual desire to spend more time playing together

Glendale, Calif. (October 4, 2015) – Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) and Hasbro, Inc. today launched Playmation Marvel’s Avengers – the next step in the evolution of play. The groundbreaking system of connected toys and wearables fuses technology and digital storytelling to create a completely new category of play. Hitting shelves across the U.S. and Canada for the first time today, the new toy/game hybrid aims to inspire both kids and parents to get active and creative at playtime.

Dreamed up by a team of technologists, Imagineers and storytellers from across The Walt Disney Company, Playmation is the culmination of extensive research into the world of play, highlighting the opportunity for a new type of experience that combines digital technology and physical, real-world play.

The online study of 2,000 families across the country confirms that almost all parents believe active playtime is essential to their child’s healthy development, and three say that using technology is a favorite way for their child to play. Four out of five parents say their children are more likely to engage with a game if technology is involved, and nine out of ten are open to new technologies that encourage their kids to be more active.

 “Playmation blends technology, storytelling and imagination in a way that’s made for today’s digitally-savvy kids. Our research shows families are looking for a new way to play that’s active, creative and technology-infused – and Playmation is just that,” said Nitin Chawla, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, DCPI.

The study also revealed the potential of Playmation as a new way for families to play together, with 67% of kids and 79% of parents saying they would like more playtime as a family. While active play is the type of play parents enjoy the most with their kids, currently only one in five finds time for it every day, and three quarters would like to do more of it. Nearly all parents (98%) also believe it is important that their children engage in imaginative play.

Recently added to Time To Play Magazine’s “Most Wanted” list for the holidays, along with other holiday “hot toy” accolades from Parentsmagazine, Toys “R” Us, The Toy Insider and the National Parenting Publication Awards, the Playmation Marvel’s Avengers Starter Packincludes five connected toys: one piece of Avenger Gear (Repulsor), two Power Activators and two Smart Figures – a Super Hero (Captain America) and a Super Villain (Iron Skull), as well as 25 missions. Getting started is easy, strap the high-tech Repulsor Gear onto your arm (it fits adults, too!) and listen closely to JARVIS as he takes you through the tutorial on how to control your new Gear, inspired by Iron Man technology.

“This is classic play re-imagined for the tech-savvy world. It's narrative-based, imaginative play that allows kids to play as their heroes and imagine themselves in battles alongside their favorite Marvel Avengers characters. The immersive play experience is active and exciting for kids of all ages and represents a completely new category of toys,” said Jim Silver, Editor in Chief and CEO of TTPM.

Additional connected toys available now include: Smart Figures – Iron Man, Black Widow, HULK, M.O.D.O.K., Ultron Bot, and Hulkbuster – which help players unlock new storylines and abilities when placed on the Power Activator and connected with Avenger Gear; and the Prowler Bot – a robotic villain – who can find and hunt your Avenger Gear with 360 degree movement, while taking on dozens of enemy personas and abilities making game play even more challenging.

Along with the Starter Pack and other connected toys, fans can download and access theAvengersNet App where you can register your Avenger Gear to see progress, explore additional locations and characters, check out and test Avenger Gear upgrades, gain access to new missions and more. The AvengersNet App is available in the Apple App Store. An Android version of the app is currently in development.

Playmation Marvel’s Avengers uses familiar technologies including smart toys, wearables, wireless technology, motion sensors and more, but applies them in ways that are completely new to create a compelling play experience. Playmation is purposely not tethered to an Internet connection so players can run around and explore each adventure from anywhere they want – a bedroom, living room or yard. With multiplayer modes, players can sync their Avenger Gear to tackle missions and combat arenas together, or face-off in competitive play.

“With the launch of Playmation, we are not only creating a new play experience for today’s kids but celebrating a new chapter in our long-term partnership with Disney,” said Jerry Perez, SVP Global Brand Marketing, Hasbro. “Playmation has been a true collaboration, from global consumer research to product design and development, and we look forward to sharing this amazing new system of play with kids and families around the world.”

The Playmation Marvel’s Avengers Starter Pack has a suggested retail price of $119.99 and is available in the United States and Canada at mass and specialty retailers, such as Amazon.com, Best Buy, Game Stop, Target, Toys “R” Us, and Walmart, as well as select Disney Store locations and DisneyStore.com.  Additional Playmation Marvel’s Avengers connected toys compatible with the Starter Pack, such as Smart Figures and the Prowler Bot are also sold separately. 

Offered by PowerA, families can also choose from a selection of Playmation recharging solutions and accessories now available, including:Playmation Home Base – to store your gear in between battles; Playmation Avengers Lab Gear Bag – for taking your gear on-the-go; Playmation Repulsor Recharge Pack – provides up to five hours of play on a single charge and fits securely onto the bottom of the Repulsor; and Playmation Activator Recharge Pack –fits securely onto the bottom of the Power Activator and provides up to 10 hours of play on a single charge.

Families that are coming to the Disney Store to pick up Playmation Marvel’s Avengers (either from pre-orders or to purchase that day), will be given the opportunity to participate in a personalized pick-up ceremony taking place in select Disney Stores across the United States and Canada beginning now through the holidays. When guests purchase Playmation Marvel’s Avengers, JARVIS will make an announcement in-store thanking guests for choosing to help the Avengers in their fight against Ultron.

For more information on Playmation, visit www.playmation.com.

Connect with Playmation on social:

YouTube.com/Playmation

Facebook.com/Playmation

Twitter: @Playmation

About Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media

Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that brings our Company’s stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps and console games. DCPI comprises two main lines of business: Disney Consumer Products (DCP), and Disney Interactive (DI). The combined segment is home to world class teams of app and game developers, licensing and retail experts, a leading retail business (Disney Store), artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world. 

About Marvel Entertainment, LLC Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit marvel.com. © 2015 MARVEL

About Hasbro, Inc.

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global company committed to Creating the World's Best Play Experiences, by leveraging its beloved brands, including LITTLEST PET SHOP, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MONOPOLY, MY LITTLE PONY, NERF, PLAY-DOH, TRANSFORMERS, and premier partner brands. From toys and games, television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and a comprehensive lifestyle licensing program, Hasbro fulfills the fundamental need for play and connection for children and families around the world. The Company's Hasbro Studios creates entertainment brand-driven storytelling across mediums, including television, film and more. Through the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families every year. Learn more at www.hasbro.com and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews).

About the survey:

These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted April 29th – May 6th, 2015.  For the survey, a sample of 2,000 U.S. parents age 18 and over with a child between the ages of 6-11 was interviewed online, including 1,150 moms and 850 dads. With parental consent, their children were also interviewed for part of the survey. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for all parents and plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for all children.