Elphaba From Wicked

The toy line for the Universal film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked has released in stores. The packaging for Wicked movie dolls (products aimed at children) includes a website URL for “Wicked.” However, this isn’t the website for the big budget musical film. Rather, it connects to a not-safe-for-work, lewd entertainment website.

 

The Wicked Movie doll line, produced by Mattel and released ahead of the film’s November 22 debut, appears to have suffered from a major typo that has put a gateway to adult material in the hands of children. Universal and Mattel have yet to issue a statement on the matter, but it would appear as though they intended to include the URL “WickedMovie.com,” which is the official website for the film.

Not only does this constitute major ethical concerns and casts a veil of controversy around the long-awaited film, it could also lead to legal issues for both Universal and Mattel. Using another company’s website URL on official merchandise could constitute trademark infringement. This is particularly true if the URL is closely associated with the trademark owner’s brand identity, as is the case for the not-at-all-related-to-the-movie Wicked website.
The witch's hat from the movie Wicked

A screenshot from the trailer to Wicked, YouTube – Universal Pictures

The mistaken site is known as the platform that launched the careers of adult actors who are household names (and there aren’t many of those). It has also become known for its adult parodies of popular mainstream Hollywood movies.

As of this writing these dolls haven’t been recalled and many retailers still have them out on shelves.

 

This major issue will likely have a major impact on the Mattel organization. Before release, the Wicked movie dolls would have had to pass through multiple departments, including legal and quality assurance before ever falling into the hands of consumers. The fact that these dolls made it through so many checkpoints unnoticed raises serious questions about Mattel’s commitment to quality assurance and safety.

While this has been easily the most controversial issue surrounding the film, it hasn’t been the only controversial moment to rear its head as we move toward its big screen release. Cynthia Erivo, an Oscar nominee and longtime Broadway star who will play the main role of Elphaba in this film, has been in the news recently.

 

A fan edit of the movie’s poster caused Erivo to fly off the handle on social media. The edit in question altered the film poster to more resemble the classic Broadway artwork. This involved draping Erivo’s eyes in shadow and changing the color of her lipstick. Erivo launched into a tirade on social media, calling the edit the “wildest, most offensive thing” she’s ever seen.

“It degrades me, it degrades us,” Erivo wrote. “The original poster is an illustration. I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer…because without words we communicate with our eyes. Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. That is just deeply hurtful.”
Glinda from the Wicked Movie

A Screenshot of Ariana Grande From the Wicked Movie Trailer, YouTube – Universal Pictures

Erivo later followed that statement up with what seemed to be an attempt at an apology. She said that her reaction was born of protective feelings over the character of Elphaba. However, she never mentioned Elphaba in her initial post.

Though the words “I,” “my,” “us,” and “me” appear a total of eight times in the short message.

What do you think of this major misstep by Universal and Mattel concerning the Wicked movie dolls? Will you be seeing the Wicked movie when it hits theaters? Sound off in the comments and let us know!