John Cena Joins Next Mattel Movie Following Barbie's $1.44B Success

Mattel’s Matchbox, an upcoming film based on the popular toy line of the same name, has found its first actor. It will be helmed by Extraction director Sam Hargrave, and will have a script penned by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan) and Jonathan Tropper (The Adam Project). The toy line Matchbox has 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 behind Matchbox, have found their first actor for the film, The Hollywood Reporter says. Wrestler-turned-actor John 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 project Matchbox will be.

Cena getting behind the wheel of Matchbox seemingly solidifies the film’s status as the “macho” version of Barbie. The actor is best known for his action roles in franchises like Fast & Furious and the DC Universe, so it seems all but certain that Matchbox will be action-heavy. Barbie, 2023’s billion-dollar hit, took the well-known toy and put her in an adventure with social commentary. While Matchbox might 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 the Transformers franchise 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 generally they have earned millions of dollars across the globe.

The best example of turning toys into movies, however, is Barbie, 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.

It’ll be a hard feat to do, matching that success, but in having a director like Hargrave and a lead actor like Cena, Matchbox is on the right track. The pair sound like a near-perfect match for the film due to Hargrave’s gritty style and Cena’s versatility. The success of Barbie, besides Gerwig’s talent and the performances from Robbie and Gosling, could be attributed to its universal themes. Hopefully, Matchbox will be as inclusive as Gerwig’s hit, delivering messages applicable to kids and adults of all genders and ages.

Source: THR