Mattel, MGM Ready to Bring View-Master to the Big Screen

Barbie, Hot Wheels, American Girl, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe… now add View-Master to the list of Mattel properties being readied for the big screen. The El Segundo toy maker entered into another deal with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) with plans to bring the famed 3-D viewer to life as a major motion picture.

Mattel Films and MGM will co-produce the film. Robbie Brenner, Mattel’s head of film and Cassidy Lange, MGM’s co-president of production will oversee production.

“Since the 1940’s, View-Master has inspired wonder and joy in children of all ages, creating huge opportunities for storytelling,” says Brenner. “MGM Pictures has tremendous expertise and a proven track record in capturing audiences’ imagination through film, and we’re proud to be partnering with them to bring another Mattel franchise to theaters.”

MGM is already working with Mattel on American Girl. Masters of the Universe is set up at Sony, and Warner Bros. has Barbie and Hot Wheels. Mattel Television is also ramping-up plans for 22 animated and live-action series based on 20 properties in the Mattel portfolio.

This news is the latest move in Mattel’s quest to transform itself into an IP-driven high-performing toy company.

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.