Day two of Licensing Expo is here, and the deals keep coming strong. Here are some of the hottest announcements from both the event and around the globe. 

Netflix is bringing bringing toys and candy to the farm and the factory 

The Australia-based Moose Toys has expanded its partnership with the streamer to produce toy lines based on the Young MacDonald series and the animated film Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory (pictured). Brown Bag Films’ Young MacDonald is the recently announced animated preschool series (40 x 11 minutes) about Old MacDonald’s six-year-old grandson, who runs a farm alongside his pig best friend. Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory is an animated film scheduled for release in 2027 that focuses on a group of kids breaking into the iconic factory to try and steal a priceless Wonka bar. The Ferrero Group is also on board to make chocolate, confectionery, ice cream and cereals based on the film for multiple markets (US, UK, France, Italy and Germany). Netflix CMO Marian Lee revealed these deals yesterday during a Licensing Expo presentation, highlighting the popularity of the streamer’s kids content. Moose already has deals to make toys for the streamer’s One Piece live-action series as well as for creators Mark Rober and Salish Matter, who both have deals with Netflix. 

Tween and teen retailer Claire’s grows with Centric Brands deal 

The beleaguered kids jewelry retailer Claire’s is repositioning itself to grow into new categories and retail touch points across North America. Centric Brands and Claire’s are set to develop an exclusive collection of cosmetics, jewelry, hair accessories, stationery, bags and novelty items, as Claire’s plans to expand into additional retailers (like Walmart and Kohl’s) and categories (such as apparel, accessories, home and sleepwear). The deal could also open the door for Claire’s to strike more deals for co-branded licensed products, according to a release. The retailer has a new North American owner, private equity firm Ames Watson, and this new deal is part of its broader goal of growing Claire’s through more distribution and licensing partnerships.

Dream Mechanics teams up on Zoonicorn film 

Minneapolis-based Zoonicorn has secured a deal with service studio Dream Mechanics Entertainment to produce the CG-animated feature-length Zoonicorn: The Original Dreamer. Zoonicorn is already a 130-episode animated series from Toonz Entertainment and Zoonicorn, and this will be the IP’s first movie. The studio plans to set up a limited theatrical release and a streaming distribution deal. The 90-minute comedy/adventure focuses on Zoonicorns (zebra/unicorn hybrids) who live in a land of dreams and have to protect their existence when kids stop dreaming. J’net Smith of All Art Licensing handles the preschool brand’s global licensing. 

Dandelooo acquires global sales rights to Acorn’s Adventures 

The French distributor is set to sell the buzzy Czech/German film from Fabian&Fred and Pure Shore, which is scheduled for a 2029 release. The film for six to nines is about a boy made out of acorns who lives in a place where everyone except for him has a clear purpose. To change that, he declares himself a hero and sets out to stop thieves who are stealing from his village. The film won development funding from Eurimages at this year’s Cartoon Movie. The European Film Market also spotlighted the movie earlier this year.  

Rainbow Designs is designing a master toy line for Milo 

DeAPlaneta is working with the toy company for the first time to build a line that includes soft toys, playsets and role play products based on the preschool series. The line is set to launch at retail in fall/winter 2027. Big Picture Licensing, the brand’s UK agent, brokered the deal. Milo is a two-season animated series, commissioned by Milkshake!, about a cat who explores different jobs with his friends. A third season is in the works, with a 2027 release planned. 

Pinkfong signs new Baby Shark licensing deals 

The shark family is swimming into multiple new deals, including with Tonies (for a figure and tunes in September/October 2026), ICON Sports Group (soccer and volleyballs later this year), Paddle Pals (toddler swimwear in spring 2027) and AVA Active (activewear Q3 2026).  

Image courtesy of Netflix.