Teddy Bear Suffers Because of 'A.I.'

By Stephen M. Silverman

07/20/2001 at 12:21 PM EDT

Sluggish ticket sales for the strange Steven Spielberg-Stanley Kubrick hybrid, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" are dimming hopes for sales of the robotic Super Toy Teddy that appears in the movie and is due to hit toy store shelves next month. "It's not going to be one of the must-have items during the year," Jim Silver, publisher of Toy Wishes magazine, has told the New York Post. Admitting -- as did film critics -- that "the movie's not really for kids," Laurie Liebeck, executive editor of License! magazine, also points out that the toy manufacturer, Tiger Electronics, made the mistake of not having the product ready for sale before the release of the movie. Before the $100 million film opened, industry analysts had predicted a more than $250 million gross for the futuristic take on "Pinocchio," starring Haley Joel Osment as a robot who wants to be a real boy. But hindered by poor word of mouth, the bleak movie (which has been plummeting at the box office ever since its June 29 opening) is expected to top out at the $80 million mark. Essentially, the movie is too dark for kids -- despite the appearance of the cuddly Teddy -- and too youth-centric for adults. It also contains about a dozen finales. Super Toy Teddy is expected to be retail priced at $14.99 to $19.99.