It was apparently always the plan, even before Barbie officially became the highest grossing toy movie of all time (almost tripling the next nearest box office hit of 2014’s The Lego Movie), for manufacturer Mattel to dig through its entire IP to create an extended cinematic universe.
Whether that will work out for the company, which has suffered a steady decline in toy sales in the recent decades, is yet to be seen. But according to The New Yorker, it's very much full-steam ahead: 45 films have been commissioned, and 14 movies have effectively been green-lit.
Here’s everything we know so far about what’s been ordered, and what’s next for the Matteliverse:
Polly Pocket
The toy: A teeny-tiny doll living in a variety of teeny-tiny houses with her friends.
The film: Presumably hoping to give Greta Gerwig a run for her money, Girls creator Lena Dunham was confirmed as director back in 2021, saying at the time: “I’m so thrilled to bring to bear both my love of this historic property and also my deep-seated belief that young women need smart, playful films that speak to them without condescension.” Lily Collins was announced in the eponymous role, and she said: “As a child who was obsessed with Polly Pocket, this is a real dream come true, and I can’t wait to bring these tiny toys to the big screen.”
The storyline: It’s a “fun, modern tale” of “a young girl and a pocket-sized woman who form a friendship,” according to a statement from Mattel, while Dunham added that she was going to “have a lot of fun with the idea of what happens when a small person encounters a big world.”
Barney
The toy: A bumbling giant purple T-Rex who adores singing about how much everyone loves each other.
The film: Mattel executive Kevin McKeon has warned audiences to expect the unexpected with this one: “We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids,” he told The New Yorker. The Guardian reckons it’s going to be an “adult”, “surrealistic” and “A24-type” film “inspired by Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze.” Sure. Still, they’ve already got Daniel Kaluuya on board and Beef creator Lee Sung Jin as writer, so it’s got as good a chance as any of not being terrible.
The storyline: More existential dread than Barbie? A Mattel spokesperson said: “It’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney – just the level of disenchantment within the generation.” Meanwhile, Kaluuya added elusively in the 2019 announcement of the film: “Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood.”
Hot Wheels
The toy: Stunt cars with a penchant for jumps, flips and speed.
The film: J.J. Abrams is jumping into the driving seat for this one.
The storyline: Abrams told The New Yorker: “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 … Then we came up with something emotional and grounded and gritty.”
Major Matt Mason
The toy: A ‘60s astronaut who lives and works on the moon. No, us neither.
The film: The novelist Michael Chabon has apparently written a treatment and Tom Hanks is being lined up as the moon-dwelling Major.
The storyline: It’s kind of like Close Encounters of the Third Kind drama for adults, and according to an insider speaking to The New Yorker: “It’s prestige-y and asks really pointed questions about life and our place in the universe.” Deep.
Magic 8 Ball
The toy: The mysterious, fortune-telling black ball.
The film: Are you ready to get dark? But also: laugh? Good, because Cocaine Bear’s Jimmy Warden is currently crafting a comedy-horror about the ball.
The storyline: A Mattel films developer told The New Yorker that it’s going to be edgy, but safe: “It walks the line a little bit…[but] we’re not going to make anything that feels violent, or that is alienating to families.”
Thomas The Tank Engine
The toy: The books about an old-fashioned steam engine and his global train colleagues.
The film: While there have been numerous animations for Thomas, Thomas & Friends is going to be a sort of animation and live-action hybrid, directed by Quantum of Solace’s Marc Forster with a script by Alyssa Hill and Jesse Wigutow.
Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots
The toy: Two plastic robots in a boxing ring who punch each other.
The film: Vin Diesel is going all in on this one, acting in and producing a live action film about the duelling bots. The script has been written by Rampage’s Ryan Eagle. A Mattel exec told Variety: “Vin is excited. We’re working on developing a script and we’re all very excited about it.” Got it: everyone’s excited.
Uno
The toy: A numbers-based card game.
The film: No director yet, but Lil’ Yachty has being touted for a starring role. Which makes a little more sense, when you hear the premise for the plot.
The storyline: A script – by Marcy Kelly – has initially been written for this, which – and this isn’t a joke – is a heist movie set in the Atlanta rap scene, but it’s now being reworked.
Boglins
The toy: Squishy, Gremlins-type puppets.
The film: “Numerous millennial directors and screenwriters have expressed interest in the property,” says a Mattel producer, even though “they’re a little bit gross.”
The storyline: “Gremlins with a twist” is what we’re hearing, with it being lined up to be a Halloween film.
Masters Of The Universe
The toy: Ripped sci-fi superheroes.
The film: A live-action film about the antics of He-Man, She-Ra and boo-hiss, Skeletor, most recently it had the Nee brothers to helm the production and West Side Story actor Kyle Allen mooted to star as the mighty He-Man.
American Girl
The toy: Dolls, dolls and more dolls.
The film: A screenwriter has been employed to create something that’s like Booksmart meets Bill & Ted, apparently, with Variety reporting it will be a family comedy that will: “help girls grow with confidence and develop character.”
Matchbox
The toy: Little cars that your dad probably played with.
The film: David Coggeshall is on writing duties for this car-based action film, which might struggle to differentiate itself from the other toy car-based action film also in production, Hot Wheels. Perhaps the world doesn’t need more toy car-based action films?
Bass Fishin’
The toy: A fishing rod.
The film: Pitched as an “intense sports drama about a cheating scandal in competitive fishing”, it’s yet to get the green light.
Pooparoos
The toy: Surprise anthropomorphised toilet figures. No, really.
The film: An “inevitability”, according to those at Mattel. To which we inevitably sigh.
