After the trend of adapting Disney classics into live-action versions, the fashion in cinema is to stage the toys of our childhood in feature films. Thus, after the success of Barbie last summer, Mattel is determined to capitalize on this recipe since the toy manufacturer has just announced a project to update honor these toys well known by all the children of the planet with John Cena in the lead role.
After Barbie, Mattel will draw inspiration from many toys for its future films
It is not surprising that Mattel wants to continue to exploit the vein of producing films inspired by the toys that the brand makes. While Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was a hit in the summer of 2023, generating $1.4 billion at the international box office, the company has announced that a new film production project featuring iconic toys known to all children in the world would see the light of day.
Indeed, after announcing films like Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, Uno, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe with Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man or Monster High, it's the turn of the Matchbox toy cars to have the right to a big screen adaptation.
Fast & Furious with John Cena in miniature mode
The American toy giant is banking on these small cars created in 1953 by automobile expert Jack Odell. These sets are scale models of real vehicles. Matchbox became the best-selling children's car brand worldwide in the 1960s. Since then, it has still existed and still offers new models as well as circuits and garages.
To carry this live-action film project, Mattel is counting on the former wrestler and actor of Peacemaker, John Cena. The latter knows Mattel well because the public had been able to see him make a cameo in Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig by being made up as Ken Triton.
On the directing side, it is the director Sam Hargrave to whom we owe the Tyler Rake films with Chris Hemsworth for Netflix who will be behind the camera for this Matchbox film. This Apple Original Films, Skydance and Mattel Films production will be able to rely on the screenwriters David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper. The latter is the creator of the Banshee and Warrior series.
For now, Mattel has only made the official announcement of this Matchbox film project. We don't yet know the story of this feature film which will certainly have action scenes and car races in store for us. A field that John Cena knows quite well because he had already appeared in the Fast & Furious franchise playing Jakob Toretto, the brother of Dom, a character played by Vin Diesel.