Hasbro has approached Mattel about a merger several times over the past two decades, and could soon do so again. That was the reaction from Columbia business school professor Leonard Sherman, who likened the possibility of Hasbro approaching Mattel about a merger yet again to the poltergeist that haunts the Freeling family in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1982 horror film.

Price targets on toy companies Hasbro and Mattel were each slashed by $2 at Barclays on Wednesday morning, despite a rise in toy sales this holiday season. “With Christmas in the rearview mirror and [fourth quarter] earnings season rapidly approaching, we are updating our estimates for Hasbro and Mattel,” Barclays analyst Felicia Hendrix said in a research note today.