Mattel looks at Harsbro and their financially successful Transformers movies and the upcoming G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA that got today’s kids excited again about Harsbro toys and action figures and Mattel vows to do the same if not better, unfortunately we the audiences are the ones that have to suffer sitting through, watching the adaptations on the big screen.
Back in January, there was announcement in the trades reporting a bunch of toy-based movies that were in the planning stages. Barbie, Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball were some of them and also.. MAX STEEL.
The toy is about a 19-year-old extreme sports junkie recruited by a secret agency after an accident infects his body with nanobots, making him superhuman. The character, featured in a weekly animated TV series on Kids WB and Cartoon Network from 2000-02, targeted boys age 8-to-12 but for some reason, has been way more popular in direct-to-DVD movies in Latin America. I wonder why the South Americans can identify with MAX STEEL more than the kids over here in the U.S.
Hell if it’s more well-received over there, then maybe the movie should be made in Spanish and they should release it only for those audiences, that’ll save us the trouble.
According to Variety, PARAMOUNT Studio is collaborating with super producer Joe Roth (Hellboy 2) to pick up MAX STEEL The Movie. Roth will exec-produce with Waldo and Tim Kilpin, a Mattel senior VP.
Here’s what I find interesting, the article says that Mattel wants to team up with Roth, because they think MAX STEEL character is in many ways similar to the Vin Dielsel XXX franchise Roth launched as the head of Revolution Studios because just like Xander Cage, MAX STEEL is also an extreme sports athlete turned spy. Does that mean they want Diesel for the role? I wouldn’t close that possibility.
I dare you to come up with your own fan-made mash-up trailer of MAX STEEL The Movie using scenes from XXX.
They are currently seeking a screenwriter and director, who will work with the toymaker to develop the film’s characters and storyline to match the company’s plans for the franchise.
Other Mattel property that’s going to get big screen treatment, that are already in the works are He-Man: Masters of The Universe and Major Matt Mason with Tom Hanks and who can forget that silly View-Master project.
Any other toy that you think they should be working on?
