J.J. Abrams‘ production company Bad Robot has jumped on board a planned live-action Hot Wheels movie.
A Hot Wheels movie has been gearing a start for years now; Legendary Pictures had a project going way back in 2013. Things got a fresh new start when it was announced back in 2019 that Warner Bros. and Mattel were teaming up for a film that would take the iconic and timeless toy racing car brand to the big screen. As announced today, Bad Robot is now on board to produce the picture, which is being described as a “high-throttle action film” that will “showcase some of the world’s hottest and sleekest cars, monster trucks and motorcycles.”
Said Robbie Brenner, Executive Producer, Mattel Films: “As the global leader in car culture, Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations. Fans of all ages are now in for the ride of their lives with the incredible talent of J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot joining us alongside Warner Bros. Pictures to transform Hot Wheels’ legendary IP into a thrilling story for the big screen.”
While no director or screenwriter has been named as yet, the overseeing team has been announced. Leading the project for Mattel Films are Vice President Kevin McKeon and Creative Executive Andrew Scannell; Warner Bros. Pictures’ Vice President of Production Peter Dodd will be leading for WB; and Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen will be overseeing it for Bad Robot.
“Growing up, Hot Wheels were more than just cars, they were vehicles for our imaginations,” said Dodd in a statement. “Today, we at Warner Bros. are thrilled to bring that imagination to the big screen with Robbie Brenner and the creative team at Mattel along with the ingenious minds of J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella and the team at Bad Robot.”
Added Minghella, Bad Robot’s President of Motion Pictures: “Before Hot Wheels became the global household name it is today, it was the dream of Elliot Handler, who was inventing and building toy cars at home in his Southern California garage. It’s that imagination, passion, and risk-taking spirit that we want to capture in this film.”
Mattel Films and Warner Bros. Pictures have also partnered on the upcoming Barbie movie, with Margot Robbie in the lead role and Greta Gerwig at the helm and co-writing alongside Noah Baumbach. Mattel Films has a number of projects in the pipeline. Apart from Barbie, their development slate includes features based on American Girl, Barney, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, UNO, View Master, Wishbone, and Christmas Balloon, the latter based on all-new IP.
Bad Robot’s slate of projects includes a mysterious new Superman movie and DC Comics adaptation Zatanna, the latter to be written by Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman Oscar writer-director Emerald Fennell.
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