EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Fall, 2002) – This fall, Barbie® doll paints a powerful, girl-empowering story of adventure and artistry in her second movie, Barbie™ as Rapunzel. The screen will sparkle, once again, with this colorful adaptation of the classic fairytale that casts Barbie as Rapunzel, a courageous, imaginative girl who is locked away in a tower and magically paints her way to a life of freedom and love. With a ‘supporting cast’ of dolls, plush, licensed products, illustrated book, Web site and a worldwide cause-related initiative, Barbie as Rapunzel will enchant girls and introduce them to fine arts while raising awareness for the importance of arts education.
“Barbie made her movie debut last year with the overwhelmingly successful release of Barbie™ in the Nutcracker. Building on the Brand’s power as an entertainment property, we’re thrilled to continue using this medium to expose girls to timeless tales as well as artistic expression,� said Adrienne Fontanella, president/girls division, Mattel. “Barbie as Rapunzel’s uniquely adapted story will introduce girls to the incredible world of art and encourage them to unleash their own creativity.�
“We believe that through the arts, children can find unique ways to truly express themselves and stimulate their imaginations,� continued Fontanella. “That is why we’re so proud of the Brand’s new worldwide cause-related initiative ‘Barbie Cares Supporting Children in the Arts.’ In addition to a $2 million commitment to fund arts education programs, the Brand is dedicated to producing products and programs that excite girls about the arts.�
BARBIEâ„¢ AS RAPUNZEL VIDEO AND DVD LAUNCH
Last year, Barbie made headlines with the award-winning, top-selling debut video, Barbie in the Nutcracker. With more than five million videos sold worldwide, Barbie in the Nutcracker was the second best-selling children’s video in 2001 in the U.S. alone.
Barbie as Rapunzel builds on the Brand’s successful expansion into entertainment with an inspirational story of friendship and self-discovery. Set for release on October 1, 2002, Barbie as Rapunzel is a 76-minute, feature-animation video sure to become a new favorite for girls everywhere. Created by Mainframe Entertainment, Barbie as Rapunzel features some of the most advanced CGI (computer graphic imaging) animation ever created. This uniquely adapted classic fairytale casts Barbie as the artistic heroine, Rapunzel. As Rapunzel, Barbie doll personifies bravery, determination and friendship, as she magically paints her way out of the tower in which she has been imprisoned to escape evil and find love and freedom.
Academy Award® winning actress Anjelica Huston brings an icy chill to the part of Gothel, the evil witch who keeps Rapunzel locked away in the tower. Cree Summer voices the exuberant Penelope, Rapunzel’s endearing and lovable dragon friend. And Kelly Sheridan returns as the voice of Barbie, who shows girls that love and imagination can change the world.
In addition to the talent of the award-winning voices, the movie features the vocal talent of Irish pop star Samantha Mumba. Mumba performs a specially-composed song titled “Wish Upon A Star� that inspires girls to believe in their dreams.
The movie’s visual arts theme is extended through the use of real-life art from the past and present. Period-appropriate classics are shown in several scenes, including works by da Vinci, Botticelli, Rubens and Carvaggio. Contemporary works of art by teen art prodigy Amanda Dunbar are also featured in scenes taking place in Barbie doll’s art studio.
Dunbar, whose incredible artistic talent was discovered by her art teacher when she was thirteen years old, is now a freshman at Southern Methodist University in Dallas – studying art history. Her talent and success story will be featured in a special documentary titled, “The Artist in Me� on the Barbie as Rapunzel DVD. The DVD is also set for release on October 1, 2002.
Artisan Entertainment’s Family Home Entertainment (FHE) division will distribute the direct-to-video feature in the U.S. and Canada in both VHS and DVD formats, and Entertainment Rights and Universal will distribute the video and DVD outside of North America.
BARBIE® AS RAPUNZEL DOLLS AND ACCESSORIES
The magic of Barbie® as Rapunzel is brought to life with a world of dolls and accessories that allow girls to play out the storyline and artistry from the movie.
 Barbie® as Rapunzel – Capitalizing on one of the most-popular Barbie features – hair play – girls can play happily ever after with Barbie as Rapunzel, with Barbie doll’s longest hair ever! With more than a foot of luxurious locks, Barbie as Rapunzel invites girls to play with her “growing� hair with an extendable ponytail and hair extension.
 Penelope™ Dragon – Continuing to build on the Barbie Brand’s successful entry into the plush category, the world of Barbie as Rapunzel features the soft, cuddly purple dragon Penelope. Penelope is extremely ticklish and responds by giggling and flapping her bright pink wings when girls tickle her. Squeeze Penelope’s tummy and she tells girls that she wants to share a secret with them. Hold her close and she shares one of six inspiring, girl-empowering secrets. And, secrets aren’t the only thing Penelope wants to share. Her pretty necklace – a medallion on a delicate satin ribbon – can be worn by girls, too.
 Ken® as Prince Stefan – Girls can fall in love with playing out the romance of Barbie as Rapunzel with Ken as charming Prince Stefan who speaks three different phrases: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair,� Will you please join me at the ball?� and “I love you.�
 Kelly® & Tommy™ Dolls – While Kelly doll may be Barbie doll’s little sister, she is not a little Brand. A $100 million mega-brand of its own, Kelly doll and her friends’ pixie-sized magic add sparkle and adventure to Barbie as Rapunzel’s playtime fun. Kelly blossoms as a Petal Princess, Melody takes flight as Angel Princess, Lorena spreads her feathers as the Peacock Princess and Tommy stands regal and stately as Prince Tommy.
 Rapunzel Botticelli™ & Carriage® – Barbie as Rapunzel is not the only character that lets down her hair! Girls can comb and accessorize the long hair on Rapunzel Barbie doll’s horse, Botticelli, too. The beautiful horse tows a romantic carriage with real moving wheels and a miniature heart-shaped mirror that flips to reveal a picture of Rapunzel Barbie and Prince Stefan Ken.
 Enchanted Tower Playset – With the Rapunzel Enchanted Tower Playset, girls can pretend to play out the enchanting scenes within the magical tower in Barbie as Rapunzel. This two-story tower, a replica of the one in which Rapunzel Barbie is locked, features fun transformable furniture and a magical canvas for imaginative play. With a chair and vanity that turn into an art table and a magically color-changing picture that appears when painted with icy water, the fantasy and fun are endless!
BARBIE® AS RAPUNZEL DOLLS AND ACCESSORIES, continued
 My Size Rapunzel Barbie – Dressing up as an enchanting princess is no longer a fairytale dream for little girls as they live out the fantasy of Barbie as Rapunzel with My Size Rapunzel Barbie. This special Barbie wears a beautiful gown and a stunning hair extension that are both designed for wear and share.
 Barbie as Rapunzel CD-ROM: A Creative Adventure – As the number-one, girl-themed interactive property, Barbie doll will take her magic as Rapunzel from the television screen to the computer screen. Girls can join Barbie as Rapunzel on a creative adventure as she tries to break a spell that has ruined the enchanted castle and turned handsome Prince Stefan to stone!
BARBIE® AS RAPUNZEL LICENSED PRODUCTS AND ACCESSORIES
Based on the $150 million success of Barbie in the Nutcracker, which included dolls and accessories as well as licensed products, Barbie Consumer Products is infusing even more magic into the world of Barbie as Rapunzel by increasing the number of related licensed products. Continuing to develop innovative, relevant products for both younger and older girls to be a part of their world at any age, Barbie Consumer Products will debut a full line of Barbie as Rapunzel-themed apparel and accessories including denim jackets, watches, backpacks and personal care accessories such as musical hairbrushes and hair extension gift sets. In addition to rolling activity desks and art bags, the magic color paint sets and art activity products will leave a girl’s creativity running off the easel!
BARBIE® AS RAPUNZEL ON BARBIE.COM
Girls won’t have to travel the globe to see the real-life works of art featured in Barbie as Rapunzel – they’ll simply need to log onto the World Wide Web at Barbie.com. From an interactive, virtual art gallery for girls to “tools and tips� for parents on how to teach their children about art, Barbie.com will be a mini-museum at the click of a mouse. As the number one girls Web site with 22 million monthly users, Barbie.com will expose millions of girls around the world to the classics.
BARBIE CARES SUPPORTING CHILDREN IN THE ARTS
The Barbie Brand understands the important role that arts education plays in a child's development, and this year debuted the largest cause-related initiative in its 43-year history – a worldwide program called "Barbie Cares Supporting Children in the Arts." This program, dedicated to supporting arts education for children, was initiated by a $2 million donation, on behalf of the Barbie Brand, to support the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s (a renowned non-profit organization that combines the power of the entertainment industry with corporate support to bring attention to important issues like arts education) National Arts Education Initiative.
To incorporate the arts message in a girl's playtime, the Barbie Brand has created and produced relevant products that introduce arts education and inspire creativity – including the world of Barbie as Rapunzel. All of the products that support this initiative will be designated by the official “Barbie Cares Supporting Children in the Arts� seal on the packaging.
Funds provided by Barbie Cares Supporting Children in the Arts will be distributed to leading arts education programs throughout the country, including: Arts Education Partnership, California State Summer School for the Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City Ballet, P.S. Arts, Shakespeare Festival/L.A. and other centers of excellence, as well as numerous school-based programs.
ABOUT ARTISAN ENTERTAINMENT
Artisan Entertainment Inc. is the leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical, television and home entertainment product. The Company coordinates its business activities through two wholly owned operating divisions, Artisan Pictures and Artisan Home Entertainment.
The Artisan Pictures division is responsible for the development, production, marketing and distribution of the Company’s annual slate of theatrical films. In addition, Artisan Pictures operates Landscape Pictures, an independent production company that concentrates on developing and producing motion pictures in the over $20 million budget range for release by third-party major studios. Artisan Pictures’ television division develops and produces made-for-television movies, series programming, and miniseries for nearly all of the broadcast and cable networks. Artisan Pictures currently has a joint venture with Marvel Enterprises to develop, produce and distribute character-based programming across multimedia outlets.
The Artisan Home Entertainment division has an extensive library of over 7,000 titles which includes its own properties, as well as a wide spectrum of films from Academy Award® winning classics to blockbusters and cult favorites. Artisan's Family Home Entertainment unit, FHE, distributes video and DVD products for such brands as Mattel's Barbie, Discovery Networks, Hallmark Home Entertainment, The Hallmark Hall of Fame and Scholastic's Clifford the Big Red Dog.
ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
Celebrating 60 years of giving, the Entertainment Industry Foundation represents the collective philanthropy of the entertainment industry. EIF has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars - and provided countless hours - to support charitable initiatives that address some of the most critical issues facing our society.
ABOUT BARBIE® DOLL AND MATTEL
Since the Barbie® doll’s creation in 1959 as a paper-doll-inspired friend, she has firmly established herself as the most popular fashion doll ever created. For more than four decades, Mattel has maintained Barbie® doll’s popularity by adapting her look, lifestyle and fashions to meet changing times while evolving her world into an overall lifestyle brand for girls. While the Barbie Brand represents Mattel’s initial roots in girls’ toys, the girls division now dominates the market with several best-selling brands including American Girl, Diva Starz and Polly Pocket!™. A natural extension of the brands to the online world, Mattel’s Girls Interactive Group provides girls of the 21st century a new way to interact with the Girls Division Brands through web sites and licensed Mattel-branded interactive software and video game titles. Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 27,000 people in 36 countries and its products are sold in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Mattel’s vision is to create and market the world’s premier toy brands --- for today and tomorrow.
BARBIE, DIVA STARZ, AMERICAN GIRL and associated trademarks are owned by Mattel, Inc. © 2002 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Polly Pocket! under license from Origin Products Ltd. and Bluebird Toys (UK) Ltd. © 2002 Origin Products Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
