Upper Deck will be the worldwide Master Toy Licensee for Huntik:  Secrets and Seekers, according to series producer Big Bocca Productions, which produced the series with Rainbow S.p.A. and m4e AG.  Upper Deck will launch the line of 6” and 9” figures in the fall of 2009. 

Playmates Toys had previously been announced as the U.S. toy licensee (see “Upper Deck Debuts Huntik at Licensing Show”), but the decision was made to pull it from Playmates and award it to Upper Deck. 

Marie-Laure Marchand, Managing Director of Big Bocca Productions, explained the decision.  “It has been a strategic decision to take Huntik away from Playmates in favor of the overall brand,” she said. “As you know, Upper Deck was already the trading card master licensee and we felt we would get much more attention to this new brand with Upper Deck since they are so closely involved.”  Upper Deck is set to release the Huntik TCG next spring (see “Huntik CCG Due in March”). 

Marchand also clarified the relationship between Big Bocca and Upper Deck.  “Big Bocca… has been created by Upper Deck and a German company to develop, co-produce, distribute and license intellectual properties.”

The TV series will begin airing in the U.S. in January.