Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic Park III, directed by Joe Johnston (with dinos courtesy of Stan Winston and Industrial Light & Magic), is slated to bow in 2001 with its old merch partners aboard. Hasbro reprises its master toy role for a third time, and Random House is also sticking with the sequel as master publishing partner, adding a three-pronged book program to the plot-storybooks and junior novelizations, an adventure novel series for mid-level readers and a non-fiction edu-line about all things dino.

Universal Studios Consumer Products Group also inked a pile of apparel licensees that will trot out at the MAGIC show this month in Las Vegas, hoping to add to the more than US$2.5 billion the franchise has pulled in via worldwide merch sales (exceeding Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park box-office gross of over US$1.5 billion). The new clothes and accessories line is from the following suspects: Fruit of the Loom (boxers and briefs); Trendmasters (watches); ACI (footwear); Drew Pearson (cold weather gear); Haddad Apparel (swimsuits, outdoor duds); JEM Sportswear (kids fashion tops/sets); Kids’ Headquarters (matching sets); and Pyramid Accessories (back-to-school and raingear). All product falls under three themes: Jurassic Park Authentic, a factual approach that taps into the noggin of dino expert Jack Horner, featuring images from Stan Winston Studios; Re-ak Attack, the danger dino fight mode; and Site C, which mixes dino imagery with the film’s location to draw on tropical trends.

USCPG also has a piece of the MAGIC runway sewn up with fashion for girls based on Universal Pictures’ and Riverdale Productions’ Josie and the Pussycats, the live-action, music-driven flick based on the eponymous comics and animated series. In a neat twist, the clothes kids can buy are featured in the movie, as Universal threw licensees and costume designers together to come up with threads for the picture. Licensees include: Jerry Leigh (girls/junior apparel); Pyramid Accessories (back-to-school gear/accessories); and S. Goldberg (footwear). Directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, starring assorted teen draws, the flick bows 2001.