EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Sept. 18, 2006 -- Barbie®, the No. 1 doll property in the U.S.(1), dances onto the small screen tomorrow with the release of Mattel Entertainment's sixth full-length, direct-to-DVD Barbie™ princess tale, "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses." Supported by a full line of toys -- including the holiday season's much anticipated, interactive Let's Dance™ Barbie® as Princess Genevieve™ doll -- the animated movie casts Barbie® as Princess Genevieve™ in an enchanting story filled with beautiful dance sequences choreographed and performed by the New York City Ballet. "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" marks the third time Barbie™ and the New York City Ballet have partnered to bring realistic dance movements choreographed by NYCB's ballet master in chief Peter Martins and performed by principal dancer Maria Kowroski onto the small screen via motion-capture technology.

Girls will be able to play out the fantastical dance scenes of Barbie™ and her 11 sisters with an interactive, award-winning toy line-up headlined by Let's Dance™ Barbie® as Princess Genevieve™, which allows girls to dance with Barbie® doll in three ways, and the "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" Interactive Dance Mat, which allows girls to learn ballet and ballroom dance using a television with an interactive, plug-and-play dance mat.

"This holiday, we're excited to launch a toy line that drives back to the movie's cornerstone themes -- princess and dance -- delivering a fantastical and imaginative play experience that only Barbie® can provide to girls," said Chuck Scothon, general manager and senior vice president, Mattel Brands, Girls.

The "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" DVD is also anticipated to be a big hit, with each of the five princess movies released since 2001 reaching No. 1 on the Nielsen Top Kid Video charts. "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" celebrates the first joint release from Mattel Entertainment and Universal Studios, following their marketing and distribution deal announced earlier this year.

"With more than 30 million units of Barbie™ movies sold worldwide, Barbie™ has become an entertainment powerhouse and 'Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses' promises to be one of our strongest properties yet," said Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Media and Entertainment Worldwide. "This new movie brings together all of the things that girls love about Barbie® -- dancing, princesses and fantastical adventures -- and all the things families love about Barbie™ movies -- lessons about values, exposure to the arts and engaging content -- making it a film that will be watched over and over again."

"Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" DVD Movie

Casting Barbie® as Princess Genevieve™, this film features Barbie™ as the seventh sister of 12 beautiful princesses who live with their lovable father, the King, in a dance-filled castle. When the King's cousin Rowena comes to live with them everything changes -- no dancing, music or fun. Can Barbie™ and her sisters stop Rowena's treachery and save her father while restoring joy, music and dance back to the castle? Suggested retail price is $19.98.

"Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" Dolls and Accessories

Bringing the dancing and imagination of the movie to life, girls can enjoy a full line of "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" dolls, playsets and accessories:

-- "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" Let's Dance!™ Barbie® Doll: The interactive Let's Dance!™ Barbie® doll is approximately 15-inches-tall and brings the beautiful choreography from the movie to life. Girls and Barbie® doll can dance together in three ways: she can follow girls' dance moves, teach girls new moves via demonstration and speech, or perform for girls. The doll includes two interactive wrist bands and one ankle bracelet which can be used by the girls to dance with Barbie®. The doll's arms are controlled by Infra Red and the leg is controlled by Radio Frequency technology. Barbie® doll wears a beautiful gown and comes with a removable base for even more play. Suggested retail price is $54.99 for ages 3 and up.

-- Barbie® as Princess Genevieve™: Already named as a Toy Wishes Magazine "Holiday All Star," this beautiful Barbie® doll with a dramatic feature allows girls to reenact scenes from the magical story again and again. Barbie® doll wears a beautiful rose-colored gown with a skirt that spins and lights up! The doll also comes with a miniature Twyla™ kitten figure. Suggested retail price is $24.99 for ages 3 and up.

-- "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" Interactive Dance Mat: This interactive dance mat provides a special role-play experience for girls. Girls join Barbie® as Princess Genevieve™ and her sisters from the story on their television as girls see different dance styles on a beautiful interactive dance mat. Girls will learn ballet and ballroom dance with 10 different songs featured in two enchanted sceneries. Suggested retail price is $29.99 for ages 3 and up.

Other items in the toy collection include:

• Kelly® Dolls (triplets) Assortment
• Princesses Isla™ and Hadley™ Dolls (twin sisters)
• Older Sisters Doll Assortments
• Prince Derek™, the Royal Cobbler Doll
• Twyla™ Ballerina Plush
• Magical Dance Castle™ Playset
• Horse and Carriage
• Princess Vanity™ Playset

Girls can sleep, dream and role-play princess with the new collection of "Barbie™ in The 12 Dancing Princesses" apparel, backpacks, dancewear, room decor and accessories. Girls can easily transform their bedrooms into a princess' palace with room decor including bedding sets and chandelier lamps. And, with the new Princess Genevieve™-inspired dress, they can look and dance just like a princess too. Suggested retail prices range from $4 - $59.99 for ages 3 and up.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc., (NYSE:MAT) (www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People®, Rescue Heroes®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 26,000 people in 42 countries and sells products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The Mattel vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.

MATTEL, BARBIE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by Mattel, Inc. (C) 2006 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(1) The NPD Group/Consumer Information; Jan-Jun 2006, Annual 2005, Annual 2004, Annual 2003; Dolls Supercategory, Properties