American Girl! Magic 8 Ball! Every Upcoming Movie Based on Mattel Toys Following Barbie’s Success

Credit: Shutterstock (2); Mattel (2)

American Girl! Magic 8 Ball! Every Upcoming Movie Based on Mattel Toys Following Barbie’s Success

Following Barbie’s explosive box office success, Mattel is ready to make its iconic toys part of a cinematic universe.  American Girl, Polly Pocket and the Magic 8 Ball all have films in the works — but Mattel’s Hot Wheels adaptation, which will be directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Bad Robot Productions alongside Warner Bros., may be the first to hit the big screen.  In July 2023, Robbie Brenner, head of Mattel Films, told Variety that the action flick — which is set to be released in July 2025 — will have “real characters that you can relate to, that are three-dimensional, that have emotional journeys.” She continued: “Look at any J.J. Abrams movie. All of his movies have an incredible story and incredible characters. That was something that was important to him — to make a movie that’s not just going to be fun and exciting, but that has real emotion and real stakes to it.” Keep scrolling for more about all of Mattel’s upcoming films:

Credit: Shutterstock (2); Mattel (2)

American Girl! Magic 8 Ball! Every Upcoming Movie Based on Mattel Toys Following Barbie’s Success

Following Barbie’s explosive box office success, Mattel is ready to make its iconic toys part of a cinematic universe.  American Girl, Polly Pocket and the Magic 8 Ball all have films in the works — but Mattel’s Hot Wheels adaptation, which will be directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Bad Robot Productions alongside Warner Bros., may be the first to hit the big screen.  In July 2023, Robbie Brenner, head of Mattel Films, told Variety that the action flick — which is set to be released in July 2025 — will have “real characters that you can relate to, that are three-dimensional, that have emotional journeys.” She continued: “Look at any J.J. Abrams movie. All of his movies have an incredible story and incredible characters. That was something that was important to him — to make a movie that’s not just going to be fun and exciting, but that has real emotion and real stakes to it.” Keep scrolling for more about all of Mattel’s upcoming films:

Credit: Mattel

Hot Wheels

Abrams' film is set to hit theatres in June 2025.

"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 — that title — deserved,” Abrams told The New Yorker in July 2023. “Then we came up with something ... emotional and grounded and gritty."

Credit: YouTube

Barney

It was announced in July 2023 that Daniel Kaluuya would star in and produce a film about the large purple dinosaur. That month, Kevin McKeon, the vice president of Mattel Films, revealed that the movie will be “surrealistic” and not intended for children. 

“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids. It’s really a play for adults,” he explained to The New Yorker at the time. “Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being 30-something, growing up with Barney — just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”

Credit: Julian Makey/Shutterstock

Polly Pocket

MGM announced that they would be adapting a film based on the miniature dolls — which were created by Bluebird Toys before being acquired by Mattel — in June 2021. The film will be directed and written by Lena Dunham and star Lily Collins in the titular role. (Collins will also serve as a producer on the project.)

According to Variety, the live-action movie “will center on a young girl and a pocket-sized woman who form a friendship.” Collins added in a July 2023 statement that it will also “reintroduce Polly to the world in a fun, modern way … bringing these tiny toys to the big screen.” 

Credit: Amazon

Major Matt Mason

After the original 2011 project starring Tom Hanks was put on hold, Paramount Pictures announced in September 2019 that the film was moving forward. The studio nabbed Akiva Goldsman to adapt the script from a short story about the character — based on the astronaut action created in 1967 – from Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon. 

Credit: Amazon

Big Jim

Mattel Films revealed in August 2022 that it will be producing a live-action film about the 1970s action figure, which will be developed by Dan Mazer.

Credit: Shutterstock

Thomas and Friends

After the success of the Thomas & Friends television series, which ran from 1985 to 2021, Mattel announced in October 2020 that Marc Forster would direct a film that is expected to be a “four-quadrant family adventure” that blends both live-action and animated elements. Alyssa Hill and Jesse Wigutow are behind the script. 

"Thomas has been a personal favorite of mine since childhood ... I couldn’t be more excited to be working with Robbie and the entire team at Mattel and embarking on this beautiful journey with such a timeless property,” Forster said in a statement at the time.

Credit: Shutterstock

American Girl

The family comedy is based on the world of the classic dolls — and books – and will “help girls grow with confidence and develop character,” Brenner told Variety in July 2023. 

Credit: Mattel

Magic 8 Ball

Brenner told Variety in July 2023 that the Magic 8 Ball movie “probably be a PG-13 thriller” as opposed to a kid-friendly film. The flick will be produced by horror savants Blumhouse Productions. 

Credit: Mattel

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

After making an appearance in 1995's Toy Story, the plastic figurines will be getting their own movie. One Race Films and Universal Pictures are helming the project, with Vin Diesel set to star and produce. 

Credit: Amazon

View-Master

The picture viewer, which was invented in 1939, will reportedly be getting its own flick.

Credit: Shutterstock

Uno

Written by Marcy Kelly, the famous party game is in the works to become a movie, with rapper Lil Yachty reportedly attached to star. 

Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

Chatty Catty and Betsy Wetsy

Jason Bateman's production company, Aggregate Film, is behind a movie featuring the iconic dolls.  

Credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX/Netflix/THA/Shutterstock

Masters of the Universe

The 1987 live-action film of the same name, which is based on the Mattel toy He-Man — and its subsequent comics — was a box office dud. While Netflix acquired the rights in 2021 and planned to release their iteration starring Kyle Allen as Prince Adam and He-Man in October 2024, they dropped the project in July 2023. Mattel is still looking for a new buyer and hopes to make the He-Man films into a franchise, according to Variety.