Joy story...genius brings toys to life

Vision and practical magic of the company putting screen icons into family playtime

- By Averee Nelson

YOU'RE my favourite deputy!" says Woody, after I tug on his pull string. The cowboy's catchphrase is music to my ears at my playdate with the team behind the upcoming Toy Story 5 range.

Walking up to the Mattel Handler Team Center, where visionaries and designers bring iconic toys like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and American Girl to life, it feels like my first day in Barbie Land. Clearly, I am "Journalist Barbie".

I'm here for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how Mattel has taken the film's iconic characters from the big screen and into the playroom.

Barbie and Hot Wheels-themed vans pass me by, shuttling employees from the Team Center named after company founders Ruth and Elliot Handler to the HQ itself.

I pass through the gates and stop dead in my tracks. To my left, I see a giant Hot Wheels track, complete with a loop-de-loop, next to a supersized Barbie Dream House with a lift for photo ops.

Looking up, there's a hot air balloon hanging from the ceiling, with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and Bullseye in its basket.