A misprint on the packaging for Wicked character dolls manufactured by Mattel led consumers to visit an adult website, rather than the movie’s website, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mattel issued an apology for the error on Sunday (Nov. 10).
The web address listed on the doll boxes in question is wicked.com, instead of Universal Pictures’ wickedmovie.com, says THR. When going to wicked.com, a message comes up requiring users to be 18 and older. Those who click “enter” arrive on an adult website promoting a pornographic movie titled Kenzie Loves Girls 2 from a venture called “Wicked Pictures.”
The Wicked dolls being sold with the inappropriate website printed on their package include Glinda (who’s played by Ariana Grande in the upcoming film) and Elphaba (who’s played by Cynthia Erivo).
Mattel issued the following statement: “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.”
As of Sunday evening, Billboard confirmed the dolls are no longer available on major online retailers including Target and Amazon.
The issue comes less than two weeks before Wicked, filmmaker Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, opens in theaters Nov. 22. Leading research firm NRG has Wicked on track for an opening of $85 million — which would be one of the biggest starts seen at the box office for a musical, THR reports.