Ship the pirates

In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Disney), Captain Jack Sparrow owes a debt to the ghostly captain of the Flying Dutchman ship. The long awaited sequel to The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) will premiere in fall 2006, and so will product tied to the film—and to pirates in general.

Pirates, and we do mean the toy kind, are huge. Kids like the adventure and fantasy of taking over ships or pretending to fight the bad guys. Not to mention, it's great for the imagination. Creating in-store pirate displays will pull young consumers, and parents, into the world of these buccaneers.

New pirate characters get on board from Odyssey Toys in 2006. The Westport, Conn., manufacturer will release new characters and pirate accessories for existing 2005 play sets. Andrew Klein, president, says retailers often set up their pirate-themed sections in store, hanging or bending them into playful poses. Klein says the film, and the anticipated sequel, helped renew interest in pirate toys.

“Today's phenomenon is more than a fad,” he says. “Pirates and ocean adventure have always been classic themes in literature, film and Western culture in general. The upcoming sequels will further fuel children's interest in pirates for many more years to come. Kids love that there really were pirates who sailed the seas in search of treasures. Pirate tales inspire children to use their imaginations and create their own adventures.”

In 2006, Zizzle, Bannockburn, Ill., the company behind iZ, will release action figures, play sets, role play, hand-held games, novelty electronics and more tied to the film's release. The line will play off of scenes, characters and storylines with detailed figures of the original characters and new ones, like villain Davy Jones.

Mega Bloks, Montreal, will be releasing updated toys in its Pyrates line to complement the film release. The Pirates of the Caribbean line will feature ships and characters from the film like Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and “Bootstrap” Bill Turner.

Papo, Paris, will also release a new line of pirate figures for 2006. Figures include the King's Marine Boat and Treasure Island sets, King's Marine Sailor, Captain, Soldier and Gunner.

Eagle Games, Plainfield, Ill., also brings pirates to board games with Sid Meier's Pirates!, scheduled for release early 2006. The game is based on the Sid Meier PC game, first released in 1987. Players are 17th Century captains of the Caribbean and continue around the board to become the most famous, or infamous, pirate by building crew, raiding ships, plundering towns, increasing skills and, of course, fortune.

Monkey D. Luffy wants to become king of the pirates in the animated 4Kids TV series One Piece.Games for consoles and collectible card games will debut fall 2006 from Bandai Games, Cypress, Calif. Apparel and accessories have planned shelf dates throughout 2006 and 2007. This month, Mattel, El Segundo, Calif., launches the first batch of action figures, play sets, role play items and games.

Jen Donahoe, director, boys franchises, Disney Toys, Burbank, Calif., says that Disney will have programs with exclusive product for retailers. A “Search for Captain Jack,” will be one theme for the third film, spring 2007. “It's classic boy play much like princesses are for girls,” she says. “Pirates are not superheroes, but they save the day.”

Licensed or not, pirates continue to be a hit with kids.

Ahoy to more products!