Twenty years after the project was first announced, the live-action Hot Wheels movie has officially found its writers. According DeadlineDalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson have joined the project from Warner Brothers Discovery and JJ Abram’s Bad Robot.
The live-action adaptation of Mattel’s classic toys has been in the works for decades, but it looks like the movie is still moving forward. Its development was first announced in 2003, but has stalled several times along the way with Columbia Pictures and Legendary Pictures. In April of last year, however, Warner Bros. announced that they would be picking up the film along with Bad Robot.
Leeb and Jacobson-Larson have collaborated on a few screenplays in the past. Their original sci-fi spec, Endurance, was sold to Netflix. It follows a group of AI robots who begin to turn against each other after they wander onto Mars and take it upon themselves to establish a colony for humans. The duo also wrote Strongman, a reimagined behind-the-scenes story of the original Star Wars trilogy. The comedy examines the trilogy through the eyes of David Prowse, the bodybuilder behind Darth Vader’s mask. The writers are currently working on Amblin’s The Fall.
The Hot Wheels movie marks the growing growth of Mattel Films based on its classic toys. First introduced in 1986, Hot Wheels is one of the world’s best-selling toy brands. Currently, Mattel also has plans to make feature films based on American Girl, Masters of the Universe, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots and more.
Speaking in a press release last year, Mattel Films executive producer Robbie Brenner said: “Hot Wheels has ignited the challenger spirit in car enthusiasts for generations. Fans of all ages are now in for a treat as the incredible talent of JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot joins us along with Warner Bros. Pictures to transform the legendary Hot Wheels IP into an exciting story for the big screen.”
Mattel is also behind director Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie. The film, which stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, is one of the most anticipated films of 2023. It hits theaters on July 21.
Brenner will lead the project alongside VP Kevin McKeon and VP and creative director Andrew Scannell. Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen are overseeing for Bad Robot, and Peter Dodd, SVP of Warner Bros. Production, is overseeing the project for Warner Bros.
No cast or release window has been announced for the Hot Wheels movie, so stay tuned to all things IGN for any updates.
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Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.
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