Inart Live Show Summary (Hot Toys Hotline)
Hello, if you don’t have time to sift through all the InArt stuff from the live show, here’s a summary with a TL;DR at the top. Please feel free to correct anything that is wrong or is misunderstood and I will edit the post.
TL;DR:
Strong / confirmed
- More Michael Jackson figures are coming.
- Jon Snow is in InArt’s line plan.
- A shirtless Bruce Lee / Enter the Dragon-style version is in the line plan.
- Neo should include his sunglasses.
- More Matrix figures are planned in 1/12, with the possibility of more moving into 1/6 later.
- InArt renewed The Walking Dead license for both 1/12 and 1/6.
- Another Walking Dead character is likely coming around late 2026 or early 2027, but Jon would not say who.
- Daryl is still targeted to ship by the end of 2026.
- Daenerys is intended to be poseable.
- The J&D collaboration is mainly expected to involve silicone, at least initially.
- InArt wants to improve production speed without increasing output to Hot Toys levels.
- Rooted hair is one of their biggest production bottlenecks, and they have hired more people to increase capacity.
- They currently do around 15 preorders per year.
- Jon thinks some recent figures have been too light on accessories and wants them to look at adding more again.
- USB power is being discussed internally.
- Magnetic bases and other base improvements are being discussed internally.
- Magnetic eyes will not be used on every figure for now because they take more time to develop and produce.
- Optional diorama bases already exist through their rewards system, and they may look at making them more widely available.
- The Bale Batman and Bruce Wayne shown at Wonder Festival are still being adjusted.
- Bruce Wayne’s tailoring still needs work and currently looks oversized according to Jon.
- The Batman bases shown at Wonder Festival were not final production-quality bases.
- Harry Potter’s glasses on the new Goblet of Fire version are too large according to Jon, and he said he would pass that feedback on.
- The Bruce Lee prototype seam on the silicone arm should be cleaned up for production.
- Christopher Reeve Superman is currently aimed for around the end of 2026 or early 2027.
- Rick and Negan were already shipping at the time of the stream.
Possible / being discussed
- Daenerys could go up for preorder in Q4, but Jon was very clear that this was not confirmed and still depends on approvals.
- A non-silicone Daenerys version could happen later.
- Morpheus in 1/6 is possible, but Jon was not sure whether the line plan he remembered was 1/12 or 1/6.
- Agent Smith is still being considered / is on the back burner.
- Sirius Black is possible and was teased, but not confirmed.
- More Harry Potter figures that pair directly with existing figures are being discussed.
- A Harry designed to pair with Voldemort is something they could do.
- House of the Dragon has been discussed.
- Horror characters like Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers are being discussed, but licensing is difficult.
- Absolute DC characters could move from 1/12 into 1/6 if the smaller-scale versions perform well.
- 1989 Batman is something Jon would like to see gain traction internally, but there is no 1/6 confirmation.
- Optional diorama bases could potentially become easier to buy outside the rewards system.
- USB-powered lighting could become part of future figures if development works out.
- InArt may use more external artists and collaborations for specific projects where another artist or company has particular expertise.
Mostly wishlist / not confirmed
- Thriller Michael Jackson specifically.
- Batman Begins Batman anytime soon.
- Bane anytime soon.
- Frodo and Sam updates.
- Dobby.
- Bellatrix.
- Lucius Malfoy.
- Neville.
- Mad-Eye Moody.
- Pirates of the Caribbean.
- Michael Keaton Batman in 1/6.
- Val Kilmer / Schumacher Batman.
- Snyderverse villains like Steppenwolf or Zod.
- A large 1/6 Batman armory.
- A Harry/Voldemort two-pack with a connected spell effect.
- HBO Harry Potter series figures.
Production and business
InArt is currently doing around 15 preorders per year.
Jon said they are deliberately not trying to reach Hot Toys-style volume. Even if the company grows a lot, he thinks they might only add another 5 to 10 products per year.
The main goal is to keep quality high while reducing production and shipping times.
Rooted hair is one of the biggest bottlenecks because it is very manual. InArt has hired more people specifically to increase that production capacity.
Jon also said that every extra accessory adds more design, manufacturing and licensor approval work, which can slow down a release.
He personally thinks some recent figures have been a little too light on accessories and said this is something he wants the team to discuss again.
They use a cost-based pricing model. Manufacturing, materials, shipping and other costs feed directly into the final price.
Their goal is generally to make what they consider the best or “ultimate” version of a character instead of constantly doing slightly improved 2.0 versions.
They will still revisit a character if the new version is different enough.
Bases, power and magnetic systems
USB power is being discussed internally.
Jon said the current small battery systems are not ideal, especially because batteries can also create shipping restrictions in some countries.
Magnetic bases are also being discussed.
Some collectors like full magnetic bases, while others want a physical support stand, so they are trying to find a solution that works for both types of collectors.
The hosts suggested a hybrid system with magnets plus a removable support pole. Jon liked the idea, but it was only a suggestion during the stream.
Magnetic eyes will not be used on every figure yet.
Jon said they take a lot of development and prototyping time, so using them on everything would slow production too much.
The simpler glossy-rim bases are not a new universal InArt standard. Jon said bases are still designed depending on the character.
They are also working with outside companies on optional diorama bases.
Some of these can currently be bought using InArt reward points. Jon said they may look at making them available through more partners.
Bale Batman / Bruce Wayne
The Dark Knight Rises Batman shown at Wonder Festival is still being worked on.
The proportions are not final.
Jon said the team has seen the comments about the body shape and suit and will continue adjusting it.
He also said Bruce Wayne’s tailoring still needs more work because it currently looks oversized.
The bases shown at Wonder Festival were not final production-quality pieces.
Jon said the production versions should look better.
There is no confirmed Bale Batman preorder date from this stream.
Batman Begins / Bane
Batman Begins is not a priority right now.
Jon explained that Batman Begins was not as popular in China as The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
Since China is still their main licensed market, that affects which characters they prioritize.
Jon personally wants Bane, but said they have not made him at any scale yet.
His general answer was that they will probably get to Batman Begins eventually, but not anytime soon.
1989 Batman
Jon is interested in Michael Keaton Batman.
He said he is pushing for Queen Studios to try it first.
The reason is partly that 1989 Batman was not as culturally big in China because of when the movie released and how closed-off the market was at the time.
There is no confirmed InArt 1/6 version.
The Dark Knight Returns Batman
The 1/6 Dark Knight Returns Batman shown at Wonder Festival is still very early.
Jon said the base is probably not final either.
A lot of the figure is still open to changes.
Game of Thrones / J&D
InArt approached J&D about collaborating.
They had already contacted J&D before, so this was not a completely new relationship.
The idea is to combine strengths.
For example, J&D might have a sculpt or silicone expertise that InArt can use, while InArt can contribute production, design feedback, licensing, distribution or other parts of the project.
The collaboration is project-by-project.
InArt and J&D are not becoming one company and they still have their own licenses and their own line plans.
The collaboration could also potentially help with availability in different regions because the two companies have different licensing arrangements.
Daenerys
The first Daenerys from the J&D collaboration is expected to be silicone.
Jon said the J&D projects will probably lean heavily toward silicone.
The older Daenerys prototype InArt showed years ago is a completely different project from the current one.
The current figure is intended to be fully poseable.
Jon said Q4 could possibly be a preorder window, but he did not know how far the approval process had progressed.
It still needs Warner approval, so Q4 is not confirmed.
A non-silicone or more traditional InArt-style Daenerys could happen later, but there is no confirmation.
Jon Snow
Jon Snow is in InArt’s line plan.
Jon said they have not gone deeply enough into the Game of Thrones lineup to say they are making a complete line.
So Jon Snow is planned, but a full Game of Thrones character lineup is not confirmed.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon has been discussed internally.
No specific figure was confirmed.
The hosts immediately started talking about Daemon, but that was their request, not an announcement.
Harry Potter
The new Goblet of Fire Harry received a lot of criticism after the first photos.
Jon said the team had not had much time to properly review all the feedback because Wonder Festival had just happened.
He had seen the criticism.
He agreed that Harry’s glasses look too large and said he would pass that feedback on.
He did not confirm that the head sculpt itself would definitely be changed.
InArt is not trying to make every character from every Harry Potter movie in chronological order.
They choose the version of each character they think works best.
They also want certain figures to pair well together, but they do not want to keep making endless versions of the same characters.
Harry and Voldemort
The hosts suggested making another Harry that could display directly with Voldemort.
Jon said he had already seen fans asking for this and that it is a direction they could go.
He said things can appear in a line plan and still take one or two years before actually being made.
So another Harry designed to pair with Voldemort is possible, but not confirmed.
Sirius Black
Sirius Black was heavily teased.
The hosts mentioned that InArt staff had reacted very positively when Sirius was brought up before.
Jon responded with something along the lines of “next plan, maybe.”
So Sirius looks possible, but it was not confirmed.
Other Harry Potter characters
Dobby, Bellatrix, Hagrid, Lucius, Neville and Mad-Eye Moody were all discussed.
Most of these were suggestions from the hosts or chat.
Jon did not confirm them.
The Matrix
Neo should include his sunglasses.
Jon said they were probably left off the Wonder Festival display so people could see the head sculpt more clearly.
InArt spent a lot of time working on the Neo sculpt.
The fact that Neo and Trinity are based on different films does not appear to be caused by licensing.
Jon said the licensing should have allowed them to use the same movie.
He thinks the team simply picked the versions of the characters they preferred visually.
Morpheus
Jon remembers seeing Morpheus in a line plan.
The problem is that InArt’s 1/12 and 1/6 plans can look similar, so he was not sure whether he remembered Morpheus from the 1/12 plan or the 1/6 plan.
He personally hopes they make Morpheus in 1/6.
So Morpheus in 1/6 is not confirmed.
Agent Smith
The hosts asked whether Agent Smith was still on the back burner.
Jon said yes.
That means he is still being considered, but there was no release or preorder information.
More Matrix
Jon confirmed that there should be a lot more Matrix characters in 1/12.
The idea is that collectors should eventually be able to build out the line more fully in that scale.
More Matrix characters could then move into 1/6 later.
InArt had also worked on figures from the most recent Matrix movie at one point but decided not to continue with them.
Lord of the Rings
Most of the Lord of the Rings discussion was about the quality of the figures shown at Wonder Festival.
There was not much new information about future characters.
There was no real Frodo or Sam update in the interview.
Michael Jackson
More Michael Jackson figures are coming.
Thriller was brought up many times by the hosts.
Jon joked along with them, but he did not directly confirm Thriller.
So more MJ is confirmed, Thriller specifically is not.
Bruce Lee
The yellow jumpsuit Bruce Lee prototype has a visible seam on the silicone arm.
Jon said that should be cleaned up on the production version.
The kung-fu outfit version should be coming relatively soon.
A shirtless Bruce Lee is in the line plan.
Jon said the original plan was the shirtless version and that discussions with the licensors are also leaning toward that look.
The hosts specifically asked about the blood and scratches from Enter the Dragon.
Jon did not confirm whether those details will be included.
Wonder Woman
Jon said Gal Gadot’s likeness is difficult.
Sometimes he looks at the InArt sculpt and thinks it looks excellent.
From some other angles, he thinks the likeness is not fully there.
He said it looked very good in person at Wonder Festival.
He also said photos can change the appearance a lot depending on angle and lighting.
Christopher Reeve Superman / Clark Kent
Jon said the current target is around the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.
He had seen comments about the Superman trunks and said he would check where production currently stands.
He said Clark Kent’s hair looked fine in person.
The Wonder Festival lighting made some figures look very different in photos.
Jon repeatedly mentioned that event lighting is something InArt needs to improve.
Terminator
InArt added a second body after collectors reacted negatively to the original Terminator offering.
Jon said this probably cost the company a lot and that they likely are not making much money on that release.
He said sometimes keeping collectors happy matters more than maximizing profit.
The Terminator pants had not been changed for Wonder Festival.
Jon said the difference people saw in photos was caused by lighting.
The T-800 endoskeleton also used an outside 3D artist who specializes in that kind of modelling.
The Walking Dead
InArt has renewed The Walking Dead license for both 1/12 and 1/6.
Another character is likely coming around late 2026 or early 2027.
Jon refused to reveal who it is.
The hosts kept guessing Shane and Michonne, but neither was confirmed.
Rick and Negan were already shipping.
Daryl was still targeted for the end of 2026.
Horror
InArt is interested in horror characters.
Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers were discussed.
Jon said the main problem is licensing.
The rights are spread across different companies such as Warner and Universal.
InArt has contacted different licensors and discussions are happening, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Pennywise
Jon said Pennywise is fairly niche for them and is not one of their biggest sellers.
Part of the reason they keep making Pennywise products is because people at InArt themselves like the character.
Anime and video games
InArt currently sees 1/12 as the safer place to test anime and video-game licenses.
If a 1/12 line performs especially well, they may then consider making the same property in 1/6.
League of Legends is currently planned for 1/12 only.
Jon said it should start around early 2027, possibly around April.
Valorant is also being done in 1/12.
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn has appeared in line plans many times.
Jon said they just never got around to making her.
He does not expect her anytime soon.
His estimate was basically not within the next year or two.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates is difficult because of Disney licensing.
J&D has worked with Disney before, so a collaboration could theoretically help in the future.
Jon said they are not working on it right now.
InArt and silicone
InArt is interested in silicone, but Jon does not think every figure needs it.
Bruce Lee already uses silicone where it makes sense.
They can already get very strong likenesses using traditional materials and rooted hair.
The J&D collaboration gives them access to more silicone expertise.
There is no indication that InArt is moving all future figures to silicone.