STOUGHTON, Mass. -- Jan. 22, 2003 -- Franklin(R) Sports, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to create and market a line of toy sports and game products inspired by the upcoming film version of Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat. Starring Mike Myers in the title role, the Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Pictures/Imagine Entertainment presentation, from Academy Award(R) winning producer Brian Grazer and director Bo Welch, also stars Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, and Amy Hill and is scheduled for release on November 21, 2003. Franklin will preview its Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat line at the American International Toy Fair in New York, February 16-19.
"We're thrilled to partner with Universal Studios to bring all of the fun and energy of Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat to a wide range of innovative sport-themed products for children of all ages," commented Larry J. Franklin, President of Franklin Sports. "The Cat in the Hat is one of those rare properties that enjoys enormous, perennial appeal among both kids and parents. This is a blockbuster opportunity for Franklin, our retail partners and consumer-customers."
Franklin's official Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat movie products -from table-top games to flying disks, foam bats, soft baseballs, soccer balls, footballs and more - will be available at retailers throughout the U.S. beginning in July 2003.
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss was first published in 1957, and remains one of the top-ten best-selling hardcover children's books of all time. The mischievous feline visitor in the striped stove-pipe hat makes his big screen debut with this live-action production, which will bring the delightfully off-kilter Dr. Seuss characters - as well as some new ones created especially for the film - to life on the big screen.
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is licensed by Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG), which is responsible for global licensing and retail strategies as well as building brand recognition. USCPG is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment (VUE) (www.universalstudios.com), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.
Franklin Sports, Inc., founded in 1946 and based in Stoughton, Mass., is a leading maker of sporting goods products for all ages and the sport-toy category leader. The Franklin brand offers innovative products for all who enjoy sports, from children learning to play and those playing casually to athletes of all ages who aspire to be their best. Franklin competes in five major sporting goods categories, including: baseball/softball, ice/roller/street hockey, inflatable balls, youth sports, and family games. Franklin develops high-quality, high-value products bearing the Franklin brand and under license from the NFL(R), MLB(R), NHL(R) and NASCAR(R). In addition, Franklin has enjoyed long-time relationships with super-star athletes, such as Barry Bonds, Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw, Sugar Ray Leonard, Cal Ripken, Jr., Dan Marino, Herschel Walker, Mike Schmidt, David Robinson, Drew Bledsoe, Doug Flutie, Don Mattingly, and Ron Francis, to name a few. The Franklin Batting Glove is the Official Batting Glove of Major League Baseball. For more information regarding Franklin and its many award-winning products, visit www.franklinsports.com.
