Variety’s 2020 Film and TV Tie-In Holiday Gift Guide

Variety selects the film and TV tie-in items worthy of the pop culture fan in your life this holiday season.

Apparel

Whether looking to spruce up remote work and/or school attire, or ready to venture back out into the world, these pop culture-inspired items make great additions to the wardrobe and provide pops of color to match every mask.

Dr. Seuss x Skechers
Step out in style with a pair of sneakers or slip ons in the vein of the classic kids’ book characters. There’s something for the current kids in the family, as well as the adults. For the former, characters such as Thing 1 and Thing 2 are screen-printed on soft fabric, while for the latter the design is more abstract, relying on the colors to invoke the warm feeling of the stories but with much-needed support accents such as memory foam. Prices vary, but all are available directly from the Skechers website or at retail stores.

‘Wonder Woman’ outwear
In celebration of the upcoming “Wonder Woman 1984,” in theaters just in time for the winter holidays, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with retailers on outerwear that matches any mood. These jackets range from subtle and sporty tie-ins (a washed denim jacket with a cheetah-print lining from Reebok, for example), to a sleek faux leather cropped moto jacket from Her Universe, to more direct but modern replicas of the superhero’s costume itself in track jacket or kimono form (also from Her Universe). The Her Universe jackets are also available at Hot Topic.

‘Desus & Mero’ x Timberland
New York icons Desus Nice and the Kid Mero have teamed up with the equally seminal footwear company Timberland for two special boot collaborations. Desus’ is the 6-inch Premium Waterproof Boot, which features black leather, white stitching, the original tan laces, a salt-and-pepper upper, gray and red pull tabs and a composition notebook-style label signed by both him and Mero. Meanwhile Mero’s is the 6-inch Waterproof Field Boot, which is a brown nubuck boot with the traditional outsole, bold yellow midsole, padde collar, rustproof hardware, Mero’s moniker “East Tremont Stevie B” on the tongue, graffiti art on the quarter panel and a summer squash logo. Both shoes come with Primaloft insulation for added warmth and comfort for the New York (and beyond) winter, making them both fashionable and highly functional. They are available at Footlocker, Champs Sports, Footaction, Eastbay ad Timerberland.com.

For The Home

After spending months on end staring at your same four walls, you may be ready for a change. But since it’s not affordable to toss out your own furniture for a completely new (and let’s face it, maybe impulsive) look, there are some special accents that can be added to make all the difference.

‘MasterChef’ Tortilla & Flatbread Maker
Perfecting the perfect sourdough loaf was so early 2020. For anyone looking to acquire new cooking and baking skills while still quarantining (or just for a special meal), the “MasterChef” branded electric tortilla and flatbread maker will be the tool you need. The devise makes 10-inch flatbreads in just minutes, featuring a non-stick coating and cord wrap so cleanup and storage only takes minutes as well.

“Portraits From the Woods” by Norman Reedus
Reedus, an actor on “The Walking Dead” has combined his day job and his passion for photography into one stunning new coffee table book of more than 140 pages of glossy images. Inside you will find everything from behind-the-scenes moments from the set, up-close-and-personal portraits of small-screen zombies and snapshots of those in Reedus’ life, from cast mate Jeffrey Dean Morgan to partner Diane Kruger. The book is available exclusively on Reedus’ website bigbaldgallery.com and proceeds from sales are being donated to the COVID-19 Response Fund.

Quentin Tarantino x Sketch.inc
As a filmmaker, Tarantino is known for big, bold and often bloody stories, but this decorative Kokeshi doll collection from Sketch.inch for Lucie Haas manages to make some of his most calculating and iconic characters adorably cute. The wooden dolls are painted to look like everyone from “Pulp Fiction’s” Vincent Vega to “Kill Bill’s” The Bride to Jackie Brown herself and would fit perfectly on shelves or desks in the home or office. Each doll is $50 and can be purchased at Neiman Marcus.

Toys and Games

Mutli-generational entertainment is a must during any holiday season, in order to bring everyone together — and not around a screen.

‘Deal or No Deal’ Card Game
The NBC game show in which contestants can win thousands of dollars through a series of increasing risks is now in card game format for a family to play along at home thanks to a partnership between Spin Master Games and Endemol Shine North America, and that one certainly won’t break the bank. Whether you play the “jumbo” version or a smaller one that literally only costs $1 at Dollar Tree, the thrills will always be there through a process of elimination game that sees players trying to have their last remaining briefcase be the one that contains the highest amount of money.

‘Harry Potter’ x Lego
For anyone with a ton of time on their hands and a lot of free tabletop space, “Harry Potter’s” Diagon Alley come to life through Legos is a must-have item. Featuring more than 5,500 pieces, the set consists of four major buildings, each with extremely colorful and detail-oriented pieces of the popular book and film franchise, including Ollivanders Wand Shop Get, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor. This one is so intricate, it is recommended for builders ages 16 and up (although younger ones can certainly still have fun with it, too). If something a little less intrusive (and expensive, as Diagon Alley retails for $399) is more up YOUR alley, though, there is always the 4 Privet Drive set; at less than 800 pieces, the fun is still in the details, including Hedwig, Dobby, the Weasley’s flying car and an interactive mail slot.

More Monopoly
With every passing year the number of versions of the classic Hasbro game of Monopoly seems to grow exponentially, making there one for every pop culture fan in the family. Highlights from this year’s new crop include “Friends” Monopoly (pictured), Disney Villains Monopoly and “Elf” Monopoly. Each set comes with unique properties on the board and individual game pieces to match the iconic images, locations and characters, but the overall rules of the game remain the same so they’re easy for anyone ages 8 and up to pick up and swap interchangeably as the mood strikes.

The Child
“The Mandalorian” may have taken the world by storm with its series launch last year, but the power of the Child has yet to cease. With the second season premiering on Disney Plus earlier this month, so too comes a whole new slew of merchandise perfect for any “Star Wars” universe fan. Two of the most notable pieces are the animatronic Child toy from Hasbro (pictured above), which is activated by a mere touch on top of its head and comes programed with 25 sound and motion combinations, from giggles and babbles to blinks and ear movements, and the 1,000-plus Lego piece Child statue, which stands just over 7.5-inches tall and features posable elements from the mouth to the ears, as well as a gearshift knob and special Child Lego minifig.

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