Taylor Morden | Source: Gary Eidsmoe/Popmotion Pictures

Build-A-Bear Workshop is the subject of a new documentary from Taylor Morden, director of The Last Blockbuster.

The experiential retail pioneer known for its furry friends is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and cameras are rolling at the company’s St. Louis headquarters.

“Going into this project I have so many questions,” Morden says. “What is it about Build-A-Bear that resonates with so many people? Why do people line up to stuff their own plush animals, when they can buy them already stuffed? Can experiential retail save the shopping mall as we know it? Or is it too late? I’m hoping the audience will have as much fun as I do finding the answers.”

The film is set to explore the backstory of the company along with its path through the potentially catastrophic era of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to 2021 becoming Build-A-Bear Workshop’s most profitable year to date. Morden says that the film will also hone in on the multigenerational nature of the retailer and how it compares to other companies in the toy and retail spaces.

Related: Build-A-Bear Workshop Celebrates 25 Years of Furry Friendship

“Since 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop has enabled guests around the world to create over 200 million furry friends and countless stories and memories. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are excited to share our own story and memories, as well, and this documentary, led by Taylor, is the perfect vehicle,” says Build-A-Bear Workshop President and CEO Sharon Price John. “From a dynamic founder to a global pandemic, you will learn how a stuffed animal company that started in a St. Louis mall evolved to become an iconic global brand that navigated through one of the most uncertain business and retail periods in modern history to emerge stronger than before all while remaining focused on our mission of adding a little more heart to life.”

Foundation Media Partners is producing the film. No word yet on a planned release date.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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