Licensing and cinema: 11 movies for 2014 | Key4Communications |

Cinema is one of the main sources of properties for licensing, as animated films and classic comic heroes are some of the stars of consumer products. In 2014 there are quite a few titles that will certainly influence the business, and agents, licensors and retailers have to take them into account when preparing the agenda for the year.

As usual, there are a good number of sequels - 8 of the 11 films we include are part of a franchise, and although other two cannot be considered sequels, they are remakes. No wonder, if we consider that 7 of the 10 most grossing animated films are sequels.

Regarding animation, it is not a particularly productive year: Pixar will not release any title in 2014 and, as usual for the last few years, the licensing industry not only feeds on cartoons, but also on a growing presence of superheroes - five titles in this list are superheroes movies, four of Marvel and the fifth from Viacom (the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

We list some of the most outstanding productions, in order of release.

The LEGO Movie
The animated film based on the universe of this brand of toys, which already produced television series and video games, will be released on February 7. The licensing programme will include not only LEGO building sets and minifigures, but also books from Scholastic, Penguin, Ameet and DK Publishing, a video game from Warner Bros, bags and backpacks from Carry Gear and Grown Up, and many other products from multiple categories.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The second installment of the adventures of this Marvel superhero will take place on current time, after the events from The Avengers. It will feature other Marvel heroes like the Black Widow and the Falcon. The film will open on April 4 and its licensing programme has more than 125 partners worldwide, including Hasbro (toys), Lego (construction sets), Hallmark (party supplies), Pez (candy) and sports apparel (Under Armour). These licensed products will hit stores in spring 2014.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The second installment of the new trilogy of Spider-Man counts again with Andrew Garfield in the role of the superhero, which this time will face Electro, played by Jamie Foxx. Spider-Man has already become a classic of licensing. It has the support of an animated television series and 200 licensees in all categories, including Hasbro and LEGO. The film will be released in May 2, 2014.

Godzilla
Godzilla returns to theaters on May 16, 2014. We have not yet pictures of this monster, but we already know it has a licensing programme managed by Warner Bros., which counts with partners as Bandai (toys), Neca (gifts), Jakks Pacific (figures), Bioworld (fashion), Sideshow collectibles (action figures), Trevco (apparel) and Rubie's (costumes).

X -Men: Days of Future Past
Bryan Singer directed the second installment about the origins of the X -Men, which this time will feature a time travelling Wolverine. The film opens on May 23, 2014, and is the seventh film set in this universe of Marvel, which will have new movies not only focused on the X-Men mutants, but also starring Wolverine himself.

Transformers 4
These Hasbro robots return to theatres under the direction of Michael Bay and with a renewed cast, in which Mark Wahlberg takes over from Shia LaBeouf. The film will premiere on June 27 and will also count with Dinobots - yes, robots that transform into metal dinosaurs. The three previous films based on this property reached a box office revenue total of more than $2.5 billion. This is the eleventh most successful franchise and the second if we only consider the sagas with three titles, just behind The Lord of the Rings (ranked 9th in total franchises).

Planes: Fire & Rescue
The sequel to the Disney film opens on July 18 and will be accompanied by new shorts on Disney Channel and an app for mobile devices. The licensing programme will feature products of all categories, including toys, textiles, accessories, stationery, personal care, food, publishing and DVD.

Guardians of the Galaxy
This new Marvel movie narrates an interplanetary conflict and will be released in August. The property has agreements for toys (Hasbro), costumes (Disguise), collectibles (Sideshow Collectibles), fashion (Mad Engine and C -Life ), and accessories (New Era).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The TMNT movie will premiere on August 8, combining CGI and live-action. The programme of the property, which also counts with a television series, reaches all product categories, including toys, video games, DVD, publishing, apparel, back to school, sports, consumer electronics, and home accessories, among others.

How to Train Your Dragon 2
On August 15, the second installment of How to Train Your Dragon will be released. DreamWorks reinforces this trilogy with TV series and events, as well as a licensing programme with SpinMaster as master toy franchise.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again
The latest instalment in the trilogy of The Hobbit is scheduled for release in December 17, 2014. Warner Bros. will continue with the licensing program that so far counts with Lego playsets, replicas by Weta Workshop, collectibles from The Noble Collection, Ravensburger puzzles, books from HarperCollins, and Rubie’s costumes.