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Furby to get face lift over movie look-alike Los Angeles Times Furby, the hot holiday toy that looks like a cross between an owl and a gremlin, will get a face lift next year, industry sources say, following complaints from Warner Bros. that the toy bears too close a resemblance to Gizmo, a character in Warner's "Gremlins'' movies. Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro Inc., which manufacturers the hot-selling Furby line, did not return telephone calls, and a Warner spokeswoman denied a Daily Variety report on Wednesday that Warner had sued Hasbro over the look-alike toy. "That's incorrect," said Warner spokeswoman Barbara Brogliatto. "There was not a lawsuit and there's no settlement. We have a good working relationship with Hasbro." Toy industry sources expect Hasbro to change the popular toy's appearance after the holiday season as well as make a cash payment to Warner. One toy industry insider said that the two companies have been talking in recent months about similarities between the two toy lines. Toy industry players first noticed the resemblance between Furby dolls and Gizmo toys in February after Tiger Electronics Inc., a Hasbro subsidiary, introduced the Furby line at the American International Toy Fair in New York. The Gizmo toy is based on a character in the 1984 movie "Gremlins" and a 1990 sequel, "Gremlins 2: The New Batch." The two movies are available on video, and the Gizmo toy is still being produced. It's unclear how children and collectors would react to a new look for the hot holiday toy. Early in this holiday season, toy and licensing industry experts described Furbies as a one-season hit that would fizzle after the holidays -- like past hits including interactive Tamagotchis and Tickle Me Elmo dolls. Hasbro has said it hopes to extend the shelf life of its popular line beyond the holidays. But it could be more difficult for Hasbro to market the toys if next year's batch looks substantially different from the current toys. It's equally uncertain what word of a face lift will mean for collectors who've scrambled to find the plush toys, which initially sold at retail for about $30. If Hasbro does change the toys, it is possible that collectors will clamor all the more for the originals. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA