Toy manufacturer Mattel apologized after a misprint on the packaging of its new "Wicked" dolls directed customers to a pornographic website instead of the intended movie site.
The company recently released the dolls before the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical, but social media users soon noted the error, which leads to a pornographic site called "Wicked" that requires users to be over 18 to enter.
"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," the company said in a statement to CNN on Sunday.
"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," it added.
The two-part film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Wicked," starring Ariana Grande and Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo, serves as a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." It follows an alternative take on events that unfold before Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz. The first part is set to be released in theaters Nov. 22, with the second part slated for November 2025.
The film has faced its share of controversies, most notably surrounding the poster, which pays tribute to the famous illustrated design from the original Broadway musical but has one small but significant edit — Elphaba's hat is raised, revealing her eyes, and her lips are green instead of red. Fans took to editing the poster to closer resemble the original Broadway musical's poster.
Actor Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in the film, spoke out against the edited versions shortly after they began to circulate on social media, calling it the "wildest, most offensive thing I have seen."
"Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me," she said on her Instagram Stories recently. "And that is just deeply hurtful."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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