Mattel, the toy company most known for its Barbie dolls, has recently apologized for the printing mistake on the new Wicked dolls. The dolls were merchandise for the movie adaptation of Wicked, the popular Broadway show, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. They had been pulled from the shelves and the packaging is in the process of being reprinted.

The Wicked Dolls

As the Wicked movie gets closer to release, many fans are rushing to get any merchandise they can. This is not only because they adore the story, mainly from the Broadway performances, but also because the merchandise will most likely be valuable later on. Mattel released Wicked dolls featuring the two main characters, Elphaba and Glinda, played by Erivo and Grande. 

Unfortunately, these dolls had a misprint on the backs of them that directed people to an adult film website rather than the official site for the movie. Instead of saying "wickedmovie.com" the packaging read "wicked.com", which leads people to the explicit website. The site even requires consumers to confirm that they are 18+ before entering. Although, it doesn't seem as though there is a confirmed way to age check.

Social media users were quick to call out the mistake, many making fun of the company for the misprint. Mattel swiftly recalled the products after being made aware of the error.

The Aftermath

Mattel has recently issued an apology for the misprint, stating, "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." 

The statement continues by warning parents and reiterating that the website on the packing is "not safe for children." It also advises people who have purchased the defective packaging to discard it. The toys were placed in Walmart, Target, and Amazon storefronts and have been removed from sale. Mattel plans to reissue the dolls with the correct website on the packaging.

People have taken to selling their dolls with the misprint on the packages for $500 and up. The adult film website has also seen an uptick in users since the misprint has gone viral.

None of the stars of the movie have commented on the situation. The film was released in theaters on November 22nd.