Mattel’s packaging for its latest dolls came with a wicked mistake.
The link printed on the back of the toy’s box led to a pornographic website, prompting dolls all over the country to be pulled from shelves. Meanwhile, some dolls with the labeling error are being resold online for over $100.
“Wicked,” a movie starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is the cinematic version of the Broadway musical with the same name and is getting ready to premiere in theaters nationwide on Nov. 22.
In preparation for its debut, stores are stocking their shelves with merch based on the film, from Rice Krispies Treats to hand lotions and candles. It will be impossible to miss the film’s iconic duo, Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) when entering a Target.
But, Wicked displays and shelves were empty without the now infamous Barbie-like dolls.
Mattel released 11-inch “Fashion Dolls” based on the movie’s main characters, which were packaged in boxes with the problematic error. No issues with the dolls themselves have been reported.
“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,” Mattel said in a statement that was emailed to USA TODAY.
None of the other toys based on the film have reported packaging errors.