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Hottest Hollywood Star: Toys
Transformers raked it in; expect more of the same from Tinseltown
By Jen Paton
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Posted Nov 5, 09 12:07 PM CST
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(Newser)
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Move over Denzel and Julia: In a bid to replicate the second Transformers' $833 million box-office take, toys are usurping flesh and blood stars as Hollywood's hottest property—and yes, Barbie and Candy Land have agents. Big-name agencies are working with the likes of Mattel and Hasbro—toys are "treated like the most important movie star client," says one agent—to fill our screens from the toy box, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The biggest names in Hollywood are eager to join in: Will Smith has signed on to produce a film based on Risk. While Hollywood players have coined the term ''toyetic'' to describe the phenomenon, some think the better term is ''toyitis.'' Says one director, "Sometimes I read about toys in development and just think, 'What! Battleship and Monopoly? Really?' I mean, best of luck."