Walt Disney's (
DIS)
box office juggernaut "Black Panther" isn't on the road to just ticket-sale riches.
The film could also generate nearly $250 million in licensed merchandise sales in 2018 as companies look to cash in on the cultural phenomenon, according to The Licensing Letter, a trade publication.
Though "Black Panther" merchandise sales are dwarfed by multibillion dollar franchises such as "Mickey Mouse and Friends," "Frozen" and "Star Wars," the movie's merch performance is "pretty respectable" considering that the main character wasn't well known to the public, even though it was created more than 50 years ago, said Licensing Letter Executive Editor Karina Masolova.
"We really don't see that happening a lot -- for a film to blow up that much," Masolova said.
The publication's figures don't include products that Disney makes itself or "unofficial" products people are selling on Etsy (ETSY) and other sites. Burbank, California-based Disney declined to comment.
The success of "Black Panther" is lifting the fortunes of toymaker Hasbro (
HAS), which is selling action figures and role-playing masks, among other things.
In a recent note to clients, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink raised her estimates for Hasbro's 2018 "Black Panther" merchandise sales from $60 million to as much as $100 million because retailers are "aggressively chasing inventory."
"Interestingly, we heard that Hasbro was one of the only licensees that had deep consumer insights that pointed to a breakout success," wrote Wissink, who rates Hasbro as a "buy." "They built a robust product line to support the film based on those insights. But getting the product placed and into the market is more reliant on retailers' collective confidence and excitement. I'd argue that Hasbro was more optimistic than the marketplace and they were right."
A spokeswoman for Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based Hasbro declined to comment on "Black Panther" sales.
Other Black Panther licensees include Lego, which is selling two "Black Panther"-themed sets, and Funko, a maker of "pop culture merchandise" such as bobbleheads.
Fifth Sun has the license for "Black Panther" T-shirts, which are eight of the company's top 10 sellers, according to the company's website.
Not to be outdone is Lexus. The Toyota (
TMC) luxury
brand last year unveiled a "custom concept coupe" named the "The Black Panther Inspired LC," which Lexus promoted during the Super Bowl. The vehicle is currently arriving in dealerships, according to a spokeswoman.
Lego declined comment on the sales of specific product lines. A Fifth Sun spokesman confirmed the company's sales rose because of "Black Panther," though he declined to provide specifics. And Funko declined to comment.