Hasbro to Build Entertainment Centers Across North America
GoLocalProv Business Team
Hasbro to Build Entertainment Centers Across North America
“Hasbro is a leader in branded play and entertainment, and its iconic brands appeal to a multigenerational fan base,” said Charlie Keegan, the former chief executive officer at Main Event Entertainment.
Entertainment Centers
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to Hasbro’s press release, the spaces will see Hasbro brands including My Little Pony, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, GI Joe, Clue, Battleship, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Trivial Pursuit, Chutes and Ladders and more reimagined through immersive and innovative experiences.
Latest on Hasbro and Pawtucket
This announcement comes after Hasbro laid off hundreds of employees and CEO Brian Goldner announced to employees at an internal meeting that some staff will be shifted to Los Angeles, according to multiple sources.
Repeated requests to Hasbro’s corporate communications department regarding the meeting went unanswered.
As GoLocal first reported in 2017, Hasbro is looking to consolidate its corporate office and multiple sites in RI to Providence have been under consideration.
Providence HQ
In December, GoLocal broke an exclusive story that unveiled what could be the biggest business story to hit Providence in decades.
GoLocal learned that a plan by two real estate mega-forces, Providence developer Joe Paolino of Paolino Properties and Bob Gilbane of Gilbane Development, developed a plan for Hasbro that would build an approximately 36 story tower at the location of the now vacant Superman Building.
The new structure was being pitched to Hasbro for its new consolidated headquarters. The Paolino and Gilbane plan is just one of a number of plans submitted, but the only one that includes the demolition of the Superman building. Some of the other proposed offered for Hasbro's consideration include building a campus for Hasbro on 195 lands. Other potential developers include Procaccianti Companies who "has owned, developed or managed millions of square feet of real estate." The company owns the Renaissance Hotel in Providence to name just one of its holdings.
Pawtucket's Hasbro Celebrates GI Joe's 50th Anniversary
The Original GI Joe
In 1964, Hasbro's factory in Pawtucket released the first ever action figure--they called it "G.I. Joe: America's Moveable Fighting Man."
The Original Lineup
The original prototypes for Hasbro's action figure include a sailor ("Skip), a marine ("Rocky"), and a pilot ("Ace"), but it was Joe who stole America's heart. The idea of Joe as part of a team would resurface decades later.
G.I. Joe Ages Gracefully
In the 1970s, America and G.I. Joe both saw big changes. Joe got hip with some realistic facial stubble, and added new moves to his arsenal with the "kung fu grip"--an innovation from Britain that allowed for Joe to grip objects.
New Characters
This was the decade that saw Joe joined by a host of other related characters (including Atomic Man, seen here). Joe was now part of a unit--and would continue to be throughout the franchise's history.
Joe in the 1980s
In the 1980s, G.I. Joe launched G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, immortalized in various media. Getting in line once more with the mood of the buying public, Joe was cleanshaven again, with even more innovations to the action figure.
Joe in Comics
Joe has been a hallmark of a variety of media, but his comic book incarnation is among the most beloved. He has existed in comics in one form or another since the 1940s, decade before the action figure was even manufactured. Here's a shot from a later story, based off the Real American Hero series from the 1980s.
Joe Moves into the 90s
In the 1990s, the G.I. Joe franchise continued to adapt and expand. Joe was outfitted with Desert Storm-style cameo for the Target Exclusive Duke action figure, seen here.
Joe in the 2000s
In the 2000s, Joe made the leap into his first blockbuster, with the character title of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra played by emerging star Channing Tatum. The movie spawned a video game adaptation and grossed over $300 million worldwide.
The 2010s
In the past few years, Joe has continued on his upwards trajectory. A sequel to the 2009 movie, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, grossed $375 million worldwide. Talks of a third movie by the same director are already in the mix.
G.I. Joe Today
All of the media platforms, spinoffs and hoopla surrounding this famous RI product ultimately boil down to one thing--the joy and imagination of the people who opened the box to find the original Joe in 1964. Those fans haven't forgotten--and you can bet that GIJoeCon, the annual Dallas fan-centered event, will be prepping for the fiftieth when they assemble this April.
