It’s time for Hollywood to take another stab at the Hot Wheels movie. Warner Bros. and Mattel Films announced today that J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company will produce the upcoming live-action Hot Wheels movie.
According to The NPD Group retail tracking service, Hot Wheels are the #1 selling toy in the world with over 8 billion vehicles sold. As many of us played with the tiny vehicles at some point in our lives, that number isn’t a huge surprise. While we don’t have any plot details for the Hot Wheels movie, it’s being described as a “high-throttle actioner” that will “showcase some of the world’s hottest and sleekest cars, monster trucks, and motorcycles.“
Mattel Vice President Kevin McKeon and Creative Executive Andrew Scannell will lead the Hot Wheels movie for Mattel Films, with Vice President of Production Peter Dodd executive producing for Warner Bros. “As the global leader in car culture, Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations,” said Mattel Films Executive Producer, Robbie Brenner. “Fans of all ages are now in for the ride of their lives with the incredible talent of J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot joining us alongside Warner Bros. Pictures to transform Hot Wheels’ legendary IP into a thrilling story for the big screen.” President of Motion Pictures Hannah Minghella will oversee for Bad Robot, alongside Jon Cohen. “Before Hot Wheels became the global household name it is today, it was the dream of [Mattel co-founder] Elliot Handler, who was inventing and building toy cars at home in his Southern California garage,” added Minghella. “It’s that imagination, passion, and risk-taking spirit that we want to capture in this film.” It’s been nearly twenty years since the initial rumblings of a Hot Wheels movie. During that time, directors such as McG, Simon Crane, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and Justin Lin have circled the project.
