Recently, the well-known toy manufacturer Mattel issued an official apology after some customers noticed an embarrassing error on the packaging of the new edition of the “Wicked” dolls. The product packaging incorrectly included a link to an adult site, instead of the correct address that was supposed to point to the Universal film page. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Mattel said: “We deeply regret this error and are taking immediate steps to remedy the situation. We invite parents to be careful, as the site indicated by mistake is not suitable for children.”
The dolls, inspired by the film version of the famous Broadway musical, are mainly on sale in the United States and the incorrect link has been attributed to a simple printing error. It is not yet clear how many products were distributed with the packaging error, but it is known that the dolls are intended for children aged four and over. Currently, several retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon are pulling products from shelves to avoid further problems.
For those who have already purchased the dolls, Mattel recommends “removing the packaging or obscuring the link” to avoid exposure to the wrong site. Curiously, some collectors have already put the dolls with the original error up for sale online, asking very high prices on platforms such as eBay. The musical “Wicked” is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” told from the point of view of the witches Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda (Ariana Grande). The first chapter of the film will be released in theaters on November 22, with a second part scheduled for November 2025.