Once, Mr. Potato Head and Slinky were found in toy boxes, rather than in supporting roles. And kids cuddled up with teddy bears instead of with Simba, the Lion King.

But that was before studio heads, toy makers and corporations realized they were sitting on a gold mine. That was before the dawn of entertoyment.

If it seems like movies and TV shows are used to generate and hawk more children's goods than ever before, it's not your imagination. The phenomenon has boomed in the '90s: Today, it accounts for a whopping 46% of the toy industry, according to Karen Raugust, editor of the Licensing Letter. ...

Disney a trailblazer in the entertoyment field ranks "The Lion King" as its all-time best seller. Just six months after its release, it sold about $ 1 billion in merchandise alone.
—Surabhi Avasthi, "When the movie never ends that's entertoyment," Daily News, December 26, 1995

When filmmakers crafted the new Batmobile, they consulted some unusual mechanics: toy makers at Hasbro Inc.'s Kenner Products, who wanted a longer hood and lower cockpit for the flashy car.

That is just one of many ways toy companies are becoming entwined with Hollywood these days. In a business that hasn't had an original megahit since Cabbage Patch Kids a decade ago, toy makers have grown increasingly reliant on Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles or the latest Walt Disney Co. creations for their ideas and sales. There is even a new word for it: entertoyment.
—"Toy makers' addiction to Hollywood figures reshapes children's play," Wall Street Journal, July 13, 1995