JJ Abrams teases audiences about 'Hot Wheels' film
JJ Abrams—the filmmaker known for his work on the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises—is gearing up to ignite nostalgia by producing a live-action adaptation of Hot Wheels. Sharing a tantalizing glimpse into the world of Hot Wheels, Abrams, in The New Yorker article, revealed that the team has discovered the perfect concept to approach this project, though a script is yet to materialize.
Why does this story matter?
Mattel—the multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company—is taking over the world of cinema by tapping into its extensive toy collection. Currently, the company is busy preparing for the release of Greta Gerwig's upcoming Barbie film, set to premiere on July 21. Drawing inspiration from the adult-oriented approach of the Barbie film, it seems that filmmaker Abrams's Hot Wheels movie may follow a similar suit.
'Film will be emotional, grounded, and gritty': Abrams
During the interview, Abrams teased fans and also acknowledged that the adaptation had faced challenges in development for several years. "For a long time, we were talking to Mattel about Hot Wheels, and we couldn't quite find the thing that clicked, that made it worthy of what Hot Wheels deserved. Then we came up with something...emotional and grounded and gritty," the filmmaker explained.
Meet the team behind the upcoming 'Hot Wheels' project
To note, the Hot Wheels project has been in development limbo since 2003. Abrams joined the film when his production company—Bad Robot—entered negotiations to produce the film in 2022. Although a script hasn't been materialized yet, the writing duties have already been assigned to Dalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson. Emma Thompson is set to lead the project, which will be directed by Brian Kirk.
Mattel is all set to tap into its entire toybox
After the release of Barbie, there are around 45 more toy adaptations that are in development, reportedly. This includes American Girl, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Matchbox, Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, UNO, and View-Master. These upcoming projects in development will be bankrolled by different production companies. Meanwhile, iconic Barbie will be played by Margot Robbie, and Ken by Ryan Gosling.
