Warner Bros. Pictures is reportedly currently in meetings with directors for the film adaptation of Mattel’s “Hot Wheels” toy racing cars, according to THR.
The search for a helmer is underway despite the project not yet having a script. The film’s producers, including J.J. Abrams, are hoping to keep up the project’s momentum going in spite of the strikes, which don’t impact director or producer deal-making.
With the “Barbie” movie proving a billion-dollar success for Mattel, the pressure is on as emulating its success will be a tall order. Barbie benefits from being a toy with multi-generational attachment and being linked to larger cultural conversations about feminism and gender roles.
The same can’t really be said for Mattel’s other projects like Uno or Hot Wheels, even with the name recognition. Nevertheless, CEO Ynon Kreiz says the key to the approach is what happened with Barbie – namely that they realised “people who buy our product are not just consumers, they are fans.”
Other projects in the works include a “Polly Pocket” movie at MGM, a “Rock Em Sock Em Robots” movie at Universal, a “Matchbox” cars project at Skydance, and a “Wishbone film along with the long troubled “Masters of the Universe” adaptation.
