Mattel is making room in the backseat of its Hot Wheels movie for writers Dalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson. The duo is responsible for writing the toys-to-screen adaptation based on the time-honored Mattel franchise, hailing from Warner Bros. and Bad Robot. The toy-making company is exploring several projects based on popular toylines, including American Girl, Barney, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Matchbox, Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, Rock’ Em Sock’ Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, UNO, View-Master, and Wish Bone. In addition to the properties mentioned above, Mattel is also developing Christmas Balloon and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
According to The NPD Group retail tracking service, Hot Wheels are the #1 selling toy worldwide, with over 8 billion vehicles sold. As many of us played with the tiny cars at some point in our lives, that number isn’t a huge surprise. While we don’t have any plot details for the Hot Wheels movie, the description for the project suggests it’s a “high-throttle actioner” that will “showcase some of the world’s hottest and sleekest cars, monster trucks, and motorcycles.”
Nick and Dalton are steadily making a name for themselves after selling their original spec script for Endurance to Netflix. The package was so hot it sparked a multi-studio bidding war. The duo is also writing The Fall for Amblin and Blackmaled Productions.
Mattel Vice President Kevin McKeon and Creative Executive Andrew Scannell will lead the Hot Wheels movie for Mattel Films, with Vice President of Production Peter Dodd executive producing for Warner Bros. “As the global leader in car culture, Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations,” said Mattel Films Executive Producer Robbie Brenner in an interview with Deadline last year. “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.” President of Motion Pictures Hannah Minghella will oversee for Bad Robot alongside Jon Cohen. “Before Hot Wheels became the global household name it is today, it was the dream of [Mattel co-founder] Elliot Handler, who was inventing and building toy cars at home in his Southern California garage,” added Minghella. “It’s that imagination, passion, and risk-taking spirit that we want to capture in this film.” It’s been nearly twenty years since the initial rumblings of a Hot Wheels movie. During that time, directors such as McG, Simon Crane, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and Justin Lin circled the project.
Are you excited about Hot Wheels coming to the silver screen? Do you have a favorite car you hope will be part of the movie? Feel free to let us know in the comments.