CHARLIE'S NEW TOYS
-- Charlie's Chocolate Factory has a new manufacturing order this summer. Warner Brothers Consumer Products here said it will release a line of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" toys, available starting this summer. The toy release is scheduled to coincide with the theatrical release of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," from Warner Brothers Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 15. The film stars Johnny Depp and is directed by Tim Burton. The toys come with a suggested retail price range of $5.99 to $99.99, and include everything from action figures and puzzles to games and tabletop pinball machines.
TV CD JAM
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- There's hope for television buffs who can't get enough of musical interludes from their favorite shows. TV Guide and Genius Products, Solana Beach, Calif., will launch a line of TV Guide-branded, television-themed music CDs. The collection features well-known tunes from current and classic TV series. Selections will go beyond theme songs to include a wide variety of music genres. TV Guide Music Collections will debut in retail stores in September. The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign, which includes advertising in TV Guide magazine, as well as on the Internet.
IN THE PINK
SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Paws down, the Pink Panther is the coolest cat around. This summer, consumers can see him in a multitude of venues. For the first time, 124 cartoons will be pulled together as a five-disc DVD set from MGM Home Entertainment called "The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection." The set will be tied to the theatrical release of the new "Pink Panther" movie starring Steve Martin. Free tickets for the theatrical release will be included with the cartoon set and DVD sets of "The Pink Panther Film Collection," released last year. Both DVD sets are available at a $69.96 suggested retail price. All the live-action titles and the first three cartoon discs will be available individually for $14.95. Pre-order deadline for all titles is June 14. The "Cartoon Collection" will be available to consumers July 26.
