Mattel’sMatchbox,anupcoming film based on the popular toy line of the same name, has found its first actor. It will be helmed byExtractiondirector Sam Hargrave, and will have a script penned by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan) andJonathan Tropper (The Adam Project). Thetoy line Matchboxhas an interesting lore. Automotive enthusiast Jack Odell designed the first car for his daughter, whose school only allowed toys that could fit in a matchbox, hence the clever name. The movie was first announced in early 2022.
Apple Original Films, Skydance, and Mattel Films, the studios behindMatchbox, have found their first actor for the film,The Hollywood Reportersays. Wrestler-turned-actorJohn Cena has signed on to the project. Details are still being kept under wraps, but this will mark the first time Matchbox has been developed into a movie. Another toy car brand from Mattel, Hot Wheels, also has a movie in development with JJ Abrams' Bad Robot.
What This Means For Matchbox
Matchbox Will Likely Lean Into The Action
Even now, years after the brand was first created, Matchbox remains a recognizable IP in the toy world and continues to sell a great deal of toys. It’s an extremely popular, inspiring brand, so, in a way, it isn’t surprising that Hollywood wants to make a movie based on it. Plot details are a mystery so far, but Cena’s casting can provide a hint about what kind of projectMatchboxwill be.
Cena getting behind the wheel ofMatchboxseemingly solidifiesthe film’s status as the “macho” version ofBarbie. The actor is best known for his action roles infranchises likeFast & Furiousand the DC Universe, so it seems all but certain thatMatchboxwill be action-heavy.Barbie, 2023’s billion-dollar hit, took the well-known toy and put her in an adventure with social commentary. WhileMatchboxmight end up being a more straightforward action movie, it could also feature some timely themes to help elevate it.
Our Take On Cena’s Matchbox Casting
Can Matchbox Match The Success Of Other Toy-Related Movies?
Hollywood is no stranger to making movies based on successful toy lines.The Lego Movie, Trolls,and theTransformersfranchise are all prime examples of turning popular toy brands into movies, especially the latter, which is releasing a new, highly anticipated film this week,Transformers One. All have been met with varying success, but generallythey have earned millions of dollars across the globe.
The best example of turning toys into movies, however, isBarbie, a film based on another popular brand from Mattel.Directed by Greta Gerwig, the whimsical comedy, led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, saw spectacular critical and commercial success. It was funny, lighthearted, and, at times, profound and heartbreaking. The film currently holds an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and an 83% from audience members, it made a whopping $1.4 billion at the global box office, and it performed well during awards season.
Hopefully, Matchbox will be as inclusive as Gerwig’s hit, delivering messages applicable to kids and adults of all genders and ages.
It’ll be a hard feat to do, matching that success, but in having a director like Hargrave and alead actor like Cena,Matchboxis on the right track.The pair sound like a near-perfect match for the filmdue to Hargrave’s gritty style and Cena’s versatility. The success ofBarbie, besides Gerwig’s talent and the performances from Robbie and Gosling, could be attributed to its universal themes. Hopefully,Matchboxwill be as inclusive as Gerwig’s hit, delivering messages applicable to kids and adults of all genders and ages.
