Twenty years after the project was first announced, the live-action Hot Wheels movie has officially found its writers. According to Deadline, Dalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson have joined the project from Warner Brothers Discovery and JJ Abram’s Bad Robot.
The live-action adaptation of the classic Mattel toys has been gestating for decades, yet it seems the film is still forging onward. It’s development was first announced in 2003, but it has stagnated numerous times along the way with Columbia Pictures and Legendary Pictures. In April of last year, though, Warner Bros announced it was picking up the film alongside Bad Robot.
Leeb and Jacobson-Larson have teamed up on a few scripts before. Their original science fiction spec, entitled Endurance, was sold to Netflix. It follows a group of AI robots that begin to turn on one another after they are marooned on Mars and tasked with setting up a colony for humans. The duo also wrote Strongman, a reimagined behind-the-scenes story of the original Star Wars trilogy. The comedy looks at the trilogy through the eyes of David Prowse, the bodybuilder behind Darth Vader’s mask. Currently, the writers are working on Amblin’s The Fall.
The Hot Wheels film marks the growing Mattel Films development slate based on their classic toys. Hot Wheels, which was first introduced in 1986, 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 many more.
Speaking in a press release last year, Mattel Films executive producer Robbie Brenner said: “Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations. 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.”
Mattel is also behind the upcoming Barbie movie from director Greta Gerwig. The film, which stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, is one of 2023’s most anticipated movies. It hits theaters on July 21.
Brenner will lead the project alongside VP Kevin McKeon and VP and creative executive 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 have been announced for the Hot Wheels movie, so stay tuned to all things IGN for any updates.
Thumbnail image credit: NurPhoto / Getty Images
Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.
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