Hot Toys Dutch Figure

[darren1228]

Did I miss an announcement of a Neca Dutch figure from Predator? Last I heard, they are producing Arnold figures from CONAN, not Predator...?

It's a completely different license. You can't just go out and buy an umbrella "Arnold" license that allows you to produce any character he's ever portrayed. No company... I repeat, no company, is producing a Predator Dutch figure with a licensed Arnie likeness.

HT is not the odd one out for not securing Arnie's likeness for this figure... On the contrary, they are the only company that's even attempted it. I understand the disappointment of not getting Arnie's likeness on this Dutch figure (I'd love to see it as much as anyone), but let's at least try to understand the situation a little before chasing the wrong party with torches and pitchforks.

Why is it that Hot Toys was able to acquire Tom Skerrit's likeness for Dallas but not John Hurt's Kane? In this case I would assume that FOX was ok with it but not John Hurt. Very confusing......

Human character likeness rights from PREDATOR have been, and will always be, virtually impossible to obtain. This is not news. Nor is the fact that Arnold's status as a "public figure" does not give a company automatic rights to use his likeness on a Dutch figure.

I give HT kudos for even trying to make it work... If they change the sculpt/paint to obscure the likeness, it's only an attempt to keep a friendly relationship with FOX so they can continue to produce these kick-ass figures from their properties.

Interesting info Andy! Thanks!
Any idea as to why human character likeness rights from PREDATOR is virtually impossible to obtain? Is this with Arnold or with the whole gang? I would imagine Arnold having problems giving his approval but from your words it seems that it is FOX who are anal about this. Only possible explanation to me is that FOX wants to produce their own Predator figures....but that doesn't seem to be happening.

 

[nicky]

Only possible explanation to me is that FOX wants to produce their own Predator figures.....

Since when did they ever make toys????

 

[darren1228]

Since when did they ever make toys????

I never said they ever made toys....
I said "maybe FOX wants to produce their own Predator figures"
Please take the time to read my post before quoting something I clearly did not say...

 

[King Darkness]

Wow, reading todays posts show just how little people understand about licensing

"Quick grab your pitchforks, lets all hunt Hot Toys for something we know nothing about!!"

 

[darren1228]

Wow, reading todays posts show just how little people understand about licensing

"Quick grab your pitchforks, lets all hunt Hot Toys for something we know nothing about!!"

Exactly! Does Hot Toys need permission from both the movie company and the actor? Actor only? Movie company only?? Should we be burning HT, Arnold, or FOX executives at the stake?

 

[King Darkness]

95% of the time it is Studio approval only. After Star Wars, studios saw the enormous potential for licensing and began to work licensing into actor contracts. Meaning regardless of what a actor thinks about becoming a toy his likness rights are signed away when he signs on for a movie.

Older movies, primarily before the SW phenomenon, are entirely different, often being more the choice of the actor since licensing out an actors likeness was largely unheard of.

There is no "blanket" actor licensing. You cant just go out and attain an Arnold likeness license. However, some much older actors likeness' can be attained for their estates, like John Wayne or Marlon Brando.

Its more complicated than a lot of people realize.

People need to get off Hot Toys' ass on this, it is largely out of their control.

 

[8th wonder]

=Andy Bergholtz;1126816]Did I miss an announcement of a Neca Dutch figure from Predator? Last I heard, they are producing Arnold figures from CONAN, not Predator...?

It's a completely different license. You can't just go out and buy an umbrella "Arnold" license that allows you to produce any character he's ever portrayed. No company... I repeat, no company, is producing a Predator Dutch figure with a licensed Arnie likeness.

Why is it so hard to produce Dutch?

HT is not the odd one out for not securing Arnie's likeness for this figure... On the contrary, they are the only company that's even attempted it. I understand the disappointment of not getting Arnie's likeness on this Dutch figure (I'd love to see it as much as anyone), but let's at least try to understand the situation a little before chasing the wrong party with torches and pitchforks.

I have to admit, i don't know how these things work.

Human character likeness rights from PREDATOR have been, and will always be, virtually impossible to obtain. This is not news. Nor is the fact that Arnold's status as a "public figure" does not give a company automatic rights to use his likeness on a Dutch figure.

What is so special about the predator humans license? HT produced Alien Dallas very accurately (Kane is a John Hurt thing so another matter).

I give HT kudos for even trying to make it work... If they change the sculpt/paint to obscure the likeness, it's only an attempt to keep a friendly relationship with FOX so they can continue to produce these kick-ass figures from their properties.

True but i don't want a mustache Dutch.

 

[MaulFan]

I would imagine Arnold having problems giving his approval but from your words it seems that it is FOX who are anal about this.

It's totally Fox, not Arnold at all. Sideshow has full rights to Arnold's portrait for Terminator 2 related products.

Hot Toys virtually nails every portrait they're licenses to capture exactly, a few near and wide misses, but of the most part they're dead on. If sculpts are way off from them nowadays, it's because of licensing issues, not intent or talent.

 

[MaulFan]

True but i don't want a mustache Dutch.

Sadly, over camo-ed or mustached is going to be what it takes to put out a Dutch remotely bearing likeness to Arnold.

 

[Zoolander]

i don't mind if it has too much camo or a mustache cos I am gonna repaint it anyway

 

[darren1228]

What I'm confused with is this...

1. FOX owns the Predator franchise and Alien franchise
2. HT produces accurate Dallas (I assume that both FOX and Tom Skerrit gave approval) but inaccurate Kane (assuming that FOX approved but not John Hurt).
3. HT unable to produce accurate Dutch because "Human character likeness rights from PREDATOR have been, and will always be, virtually impossible to obtain"

I assume that Arnold is ok with his likeness being used (Sideshow Terminator figures, Sideshow Conan PF, NECA Conan figures) but FOX doesn't want an accurate Dutch to be produced.

So FOX is ok with accurate "Alien" figures but not "Predator" figures? This is so confusing....Why would it matter to FOX if accurate Predator figures were produced or not?

 

[darren1228]

It's totally Fox, not Arnold at all. Sideshow has full rights to Arnold's portrait for Terminator 2 related products.

Hot Toys virtually nails every portrait they're licenses to capture exactly, a few near and wide misses, but of the most part they're dead on. If sculpts are way off from them nowadays, it's because of licensing issues, not intent or talent.

In that case its FOX executives we should be burning at the stake
What about the Kane figure? If FOX gave the thumbs up for Dallas why not Kane? I'm guessing that it was an older movie and at that time the actors didn't sign away their likeness when they signed on for the movie.

 

[8th wonder]

It's totally Fox, not Arnold at all. Sideshow has full rights to Arnold's portrait for Terminator 2 related products.

Hot Toys virtually nails every portrait they're licenses to capture exactly, a few near and wide misses, but of the most part they're dead on. If sculpts are way off from them nowadays, it's because of licensing issues, not intent or talent.

But those are really double standards.

Fox: YOU MAY PRODUCE THE HUMAN CHARACTERS OF PREDATOR!!!!!
HT: ok, we will make some awsome figures.
Fox: THEY CAN'T LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS!!!
HT: why?
Fox: WE DON'T KNOW!!! TO BOAST OUR EGO'S OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!
HT: ok, we will produce some generic guys with mustaches
Fox: YES!!!

I don't get it.

 

[MaulFan]

What I'm confused with is this...

1. FOX owns the Predator franchise and Alien franchise
2. HT produces accurate Dallas (I assume that both FOX and Tom Skerrit gave approval) but inaccurate Kane (assuming that FOX approved but not John Hurt).
3. HT unable to produce accurate Dutch because "Human character likeness rights from PREDATOR have been, and will always be, virtually impossible to obtain"

I assume that Arnold is ok with his likeness being used (Sideshow Terminator figures, Sideshow Conan PF, NECA Conan figures) but FOX doesn't want an accurate Dutch to be produced.

So FOX is ok with accurate "Alien" figures but not "Predator" figures? This is so confusing....

At the moment, Dallas is an anomaly. No ALIENS human was ever made with a dead likeness or without paint jobs to ruin the likeness. Even though it's still Biehn, the Hicks doesn't resemble Hicks, and barely Biehn. Predator line seems like again, no rights to use likeness.

With Alien, perhaps Hurt's rights supercede Fox so even if Fox wants a Hurt Kane figure, it can't be done. Perhaps with Dallas' likeness, with the figure intended to have him inside the suit, with head gear and the head sitting low in the helmet where you don't fully see the head, perhaps that was another way like paint apps and such, to obscure the likeness even though it's there. Dallas looks pretty good in likeness, but I'd wager they could make the likeness even stronger so I think his portrait falls in a grey area of how much they made it look like him and how much shows to satisfy Fox.

Until another Alien or Predator human is seen with a close to dead on likeness like Dallas, I think that figure has to be treated as an exception or condition we don't know about.

 

[darren1228]

But those are really double standards.

Fox: YOU MAY PRODUCE THE HUMAN CHARACTERS OF PREDATOR!!!!!
HT: ok, we will make some awsome figures.
Fox: THEY CAN'T LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS!!!
HT: why?
Fox: WE DON'T KNOW!!! TO BOAST OUR EGO'S OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!
HT: ok, we will produce some generic guys with mustaches
Fox: YES!!!

I don't get it.

I'm with you on this

 

[MaulFan]

But those are really double standards.

Fox: YOU MAY PRODUCE THE HUMAN CHARACTERS OF PREDATOR!!!!!
HT: ok, we will make some awsome figures.
Fox: THEY CAN'T LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS!!!
HT: why?
Fox: WE DON'T KNOW!!! TO BOAST OUR EGO'S OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!
HT: ok, we will produce some generic guys with mustaches
Fox: YES!!!

I don't get it.

I don't get it either, but that's the game. Perhaps Fox has to pay people when they license products with likeness from older properties when they didn't know better with contracts. Who knows.

 

[darren1228]

At the moment, Dallas is an anomaly. No ALIENS human was ever made with a dead likeness or without paint jobs to ruin the likeness. Even though it's still Biehn, the Hicks doesn't resemble Hicks, and barely Biehn. Predator line seems like again, no rights to use likeness.

With Alien, perhaps Hurt's rights supercede Fox so even if Fox wants a Hurt Kane figure, it can't be done. Perhaps with Dallas' likeness, with the figure intended to have him inside the suit, with head gear and the head sitting low in the helmet where you don't fully see the head, perhaps that was another way like paint apps and such, to obscure the likeness even though it's there. Dallas looks pretty good in likeness, but I'd wager they could make the likeness even stronger so I think his portrait falls in a grey area of how much they made it look like him and how much shows to satisfy Fox.

Until another Alien or Predator human is seen with a close to dead on likeness like Dallas, I think that figure has to be treated as an exception or condition we don't know about.

I think I figured it out!! All "Alien" and "Predator" figures must have mustaches!! Since Dallas had one in the movie Hot Toys had no problems!! I can't wait to see mustached Lambert

 

[MaulFan]

I can't wait to see mustached Lambert

Actually, if they do Lambert, she'll be Barbied up like she's working the corner or something, just like the overly-femmed Ripley figures.

 

[King Darkness]

95% of the time it is Studio approval only. After Star Wars, studios saw the enormous potential for licensing and began to work licensing into actor contracts. Meaning regardless of what a actor thinks about becoming a toy his likness rights are signed away when he signs on for a movie.

Older movies, primarily before the SW phenomenon, are entirely different, often being more the choice of the actor since licensing out an actors likeness was largely unheard of.

There is no "blanket" actor licensing. You cant just go out and attain an Arnold likeness license. However, some much older actors likeness' can be attained for their estates, like John Wayne or Marlon Brando.

Its more complicated than a lot of people realize.

People need to get off Hot Toys' ass on this, it is largely out of their control.

What I'm confused with is this...

This is so confusing....

Its Hollywood man, nothing is simple there. Look at the Watchmen fiasco.

Movies rights and licesing rights are seldom owned my just one company. There are partners and partial owners and old studios that used to own the rights but went under and now a new company owns rights to distribute dvds but nothing else and actors who have had their likeness rights not added in a contract while others have, often in the same film and so on and so on.

Its something we are not meant to understand.

Just know it is NOT Hot Toys we have to blame.

 

[8th wonder]

I bet the HT P1 predator will have a mustache aswell. Must be causing the delay.