Hot Toys Anakin Skywalker

WETA Planet of the Apes

Licencing

There's an interesting YouTube video by Budget Stark where he explains how the licence holder (e.g. Disney) and the actor have to approve how the figure looks, the features/expression and even the accessories - before Hot Toys can release the figure.

This licencing requirement can often delay production because Hot Toys cannot release any figure without licencing approval.

Collectors often complain about the final product but Hot Toys don't have the final say. The licencer does.

Hot Toys

One thing that I like about Hot Toys is that the figures quite often look way cooler than the actor ever did.

A great example is Anakin. I found Anakin to be whiny and weak in the prequel films but awesome in The Clone Wars cartoon. His Hot Toys sculpt captured a facet of the actor that wasn't readily apparent in the movie.

Similarly, Darth Maul doesn't look precisely like Ray Park did in The Phantom Menace but it nicely captures the essence of Maul.