“Play is evolving…”: Hasbro’s Tim Kilpin talks kids, Kidults and KPop Demon Hunters

Tim, it’s always great to catch up. How has Hasbro’s 2026 been so far?
We’ve had a strong start to 2026. New York Toy Fair was an important moment to showcase the breadth of our portfolio, from iconic brands like Monopoly, Play-Doh, NERF and Transformers, to premier partner brands like Beyblade X and KPop Demon Hunters.

We’re continuing to build momentum for Peppa Pig following the introduction of baby sister Evie, alongside a meaningful brand evolution that revealed George as moderately deaf. These developments are driving new opportunities across toys, collaborations, and live experiences.

We’ve also begun celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie. Toy Fair marked the debut of our ‘Apology Tour’ campaign, a self-aware, fan-driven approach that taps into decades of conversation around the film. And that’s just the beginning! We’re looking forward to sharing more at Licensing Expo and San Diego Comic-Con in the months ahead.

Busy! Now, the Kidult audience has been hugely important to the toy and licensing industries in recent years. How has that manifested when it comes to your brand extensions?
Adult fans and collectors continue to be a key growth driver across our portfolio. Many of our brands, from My Little Pony and Jem and the Holograms to G.I. Joe, Transformers and Dungeons & Dragons, span generations and naturally lend themselves to this audience.

While nostalgia remains a powerful driver, we’re also seeing increasing demand for premium, authentic expressions of fandom. Today’s adult fans are looking for products and experiences that reflect a deeper connection to the brands they love.

Through our global network of licensed partners, we have expanded into a wide range of categories, including collectibles, publishing, music, fashion, live experiences and food and beverage. This allows us to meet fans at different points in their journey and extend our brands into new aspects of their everyday lives.

I imagine with the rise of Kidult, there comes a worry that the pendulum swings too far in that direction and toys for kids take a ‘hit’. How do you manage that dual focus?
That’s a great point and one we’re very intentional about with our multi-generational brands. We do not see it as a trade-off, but as an opportunity to serve fans at different life stages in meaningful ways.

Play is evolving. It’s becoming more gamified, more entertainment-driven, and increasingly shared across generations. Our role is to deliver the right experience for each audience, whether that’s a child discovering a brand for the first time or an adult engaging with it more deeply.

For kids, that continues to mean leading with imagination, accessibility and great play experiences. For adult fans, it’s about authenticity, craftsmanship and emotional connection. When done well, those two ends of the spectrum actually reinforce each other and strengthen the overall brand.

We’re seeing across our portfolio, from premium collaborations like our Transformers Robosen line to entertainment-driven experiences like Dungeons & Dragons live shows and Peppa Pig theme parks. It’s all part of creating a connected ecosystem where fans can engage with our brands in different ways at different times.

Are there lessons from the rise of kidult that can be applied to the kids’ space?
Absolutely. The rise of adults who play has shown us the importance of authenticity and storytelling. Adult fans expect depth, consistency and a strong connection to the brand – and those expectations are increasingly true for younger audiences as well. Kids today are growing up in a much more connected world. They’re discovering brands across platforms, engaging with them through content, gaming and social experiences, and forming relationships with those brands earlier than ever.

So, we’re applying those learnings by building richer story worlds, creating more immersive play experiences and thinking more holistically about how our brands show up across touchpoints. At the end of the day, whether you’re five or 50, great storytelling and meaningful play experiences are what create lasting connections.

Great answer. Earlier in the year it was revealed that Hasbro will be making toys for Harry Potter, Street Fighter and Voltron. If it’s not a silly question, what makes these brands exciting ones to partner with?
We’re very intentional about the IP we bring into our portfolio, and each of these partnerships reflects strong, long-term potential to build fandom and deliver a lifetime of play.

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products’ Harry Potter offers one of the richest storytelling worlds in modern entertainment, filled with unforgettable characters, emotional depth, and a multigenerational fan base that’s eager for new ways to engage.

“Play is evolving. It’s becoming more gamified, more entertainment-driven, and increasingly shared across generations.”

Street Fighter, from Legendary Entertainment, is a homecoming for us. Having worked with the franchise before, we understand what makes its characters and visual identity resonate, which gives us a strong foundation to build from. Amazon MGM Studios’ Voltron, with its roots in classic 80s action‑animation and themes of teamwork, heroism, and transformation, fits perfectly alongside many brands in our portfolio.

Across all of these partnerships, authenticity is critical. We’ve built trust as stewards of global franchises like Disney Consumer Products brands Star Wars and Marvel by understanding fan expectations and delivering high-quality, innovative play. We’re bringing that same expertise to these brands as we look to expand their reach across categories and markets.

You have a terrific KPop Demon Hunters range landing throughout this year. Has the ‘surprise’ success of that movie changed anything about the sorts of IP you seek out partnerships for?
We are always closely tracking cultural trends and the stories shaping global entertainment. At the same time, we’re deliberate about the IP we pursue. Our strategy, across products, licensed collaborations and broader IP ecosystems is built around delivering a lifetime of play for fans and ensuring that every collaboration aligns with our commitment to innovative, authentic storytelling.

What stood out to us about Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters wasn’t just its undeniable global momentum, but how naturally it fits within our portfolio. It’s a culturally relevant property with a strong point of view, and it lends itself incredibly well to play-driven innovation. We’re bringing it to life across multiple touchpoints, from NERF roleplay to interactive Furby Furblets and Monopoly games. It’s about creating multiple entry points for fans to engage in different ways.

So while its success didn’t change our strategy, it reinforced it. When you pair compelling storytelling with thoughtful execution, you can create experiences that resonate far beyond the original content and deepen fandom over time.

Before I let you go, you recently celebrated three years with Hasbro. How do you reflect on your time here so far?
It’s been an incredibly rewarding three years. What stands out most is the strength of Hasbro’s brands and the passion of the teams behind them. We’ve made meaningful progress in sharpening our focus, while continuing to expand how brands show up across toys, games, licensing and entertainment.

We’ve also deepened our connection with fans, particularly as we’ve leaned further into aging up for adult fans and built more direct, data-informed relationships. A highlight has been seeing how our brands resonate across generations, whether through a new product, a live experience, or a global collaboration.

At the same time, we’ve laid important groundwork for the future, from strengthening our licensing ecosystem to building out richer storytelling across platforms. What excites me most is that we’re just getting started. The opportunity ahead of us, to grow our brands into even bigger global franchises and continue delivering a lifetime of play, is incredibly exciting.