Mattel Films, Warner Bros. Partner for Live-Action Hot Wheels Motion Picture

A live-action Hot Wheels movie has been in various stages of development over the past 15 years, but now it looks like it will finally happen. Mattel Inc. and Warner Bros. Pictures Group will team up to bring Hot Wheels to theaters in the first-ever live-action feature film based on the iconic franchise. This is the second major announcement from the newly-founded Mattel Films, following the Barbie feature film starring and co-produced by Academy Award nominated actress Margot Robbie.

Hot Wheels has sold more than six billion individual cars during its storied, 50-year history. With more than 500 million Hot Wheels sold annually, Hot Wheels is the No. 1 selling toy in the world. Even with a low purchase price that averages just one dollar, Hot Wheels continues to crack the annual top 10 best sellers lists in the U.S. Last year, the 1:64-scale mainline Hot Wheels assortment was the fifth best-selling toy in the U.S., according to The NPD Group.

Previous attempts to bring Hot Wheels into theaters date back to 2003, when McG, then fresh off the success of Charlie’s Angels, was slated to direct a version for Sony. Other versions included one from producer Joel Silver (The Matrix) and another from Fast and Furious director Justin Lin.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.