Jon M. Chu's Wicked is expected to defy gravity and box office projections alike, as the long-awaited Hollywood adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman beloved Broadway show is ready for release on November 22. Telling us a different side of the story depicted in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we learn how Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
With an all-star cast of Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum, the first part of this two-part saga is expected to be one of 2024's biggest movies.
As the world goes green with a case of Wicked Fever, Universal Pictures is expected to make bank with its merchandise.
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Unfortunately, it seems toy company Mattel has inadvertently been sending buyers of its new Wicked dolls to a NSFW website.
Mattel has been stocking Elphaba, Galinda, Fiyero, Madame Morrible, and Nessarose dolls in Target, Amazon, and Walmart since September 26. Each doll has a likeness to the actor playing them in the movie, and while some even boast singing abilities, they all cost $39.99.
As you can imagine, the popularity of Wicked led to the dolls flying off shelves (on their broomsticks). On November 9, one disgruntled shopper posted on X and wrote: "The official Mattel Wicked dolls link to a porn site on the box."
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While we don't suggest Googling it during work hours, it's true that the website of wicked dot com is a porn website. The correct website for Chu's movie is www.wickedmovie.com, but it seems Mattel didn't get the memo. Some thought the OP was sharing a doctored image, as after all, who can you trust on the internet today? Still, there's video proof that toys are being sold with the dodgy link on the back.
A look at other products including the Wicked LEGO set and the Betty Crocker Wicked mix don't have the same link, suggesting not all Wicked merch is sending you to adults-only website.
There were plenty of NSFW jokes in the comments, while others couldn't believe this happened. Someone wrote: "Thats an insane oversight, someone getting fired lol."
Another chuckled, "I had to google this at a McDonald's to see if it was true...it's true. It was the greatest blunder of all time (both for me and Mattel)," and a third said, "Those dolls are about to be bought by collectors before the recall. But their worth will be decided when the movie releases."
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Now, Mattel has been left red-faced an forced to apologize for the blunder.
In a statement sent to The Independent, Mattel wrote: "Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.
"Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information."
It's unclear what steps Mattel is taking, but if a product recall is on the cards, it could hit the toy giant hard in the pocket.