How did a line of small, not especially noteworthy stuffed animals become one of the biggest crazes of the ’90s? And how did they go from highly sought-after collectibles to just another toy? We’re about to find out thanks to Apple TV+’s new movie The Beanie Bubble. This movie will give us a behind-the-scenes look at the people who turned Beanie Babies into a national obsession. And it’ll do so with an amazing cast headlined by Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks.
“Greed. Betrayal. Power.” Probably not the first words we’d most closely associate with Beanie Babies or a movie about them. But that’s exactly why Apple TV’s upcoming movie about the unlikely hit toy is one worth telling. What exactly happened to make those floppy little playthings such highly sought-after items? Toys once so valued they literally had to be split up in divorce court? And who were the people behind the line’s rise and fall? Here’s the streaming site’s official synopsis for The Beanie Bubble:
Why did the world suddenly treat stuffed animals like gold? Ty Warner was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women grew his masterstroke of an idea into the biggest toy craze in history. The Beanie Bubble is an inventive story about what and who we value, and the unsung heroes whose names didn’t appear on the heart-shaped tag.
In addition to Galifianakis and Banks, The Beanie Bubble also stars Succession‘s Sarah Snook and Miracle Worker‘s Geraldine Viswanathan. Damian Kulash co-directs with Kristin Gore. Gore also co-wrote the script with Zac Bissonnette. This Beanie Babies movie also comes from the producer duo of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.
The Beanie Bubble bursts onto Apple TV+ this summer on July 28, 2023. Just enough time to put all of your old Beanie Babies up on eBay, that way you can see just how far in value those stuffed animals really have fallen.