A live-action Hot Wheels movie is already in the works and now Mattel’s other tiny toy car brand, Matchbox, is getting a movie of its own.
The new movie “Matchbox” was announced by Apple Original Films on Sept. 17, and it’s set to star WWE personality-turned-Hollywood actor John Cena.
Cena is a genuine car guy, who daily drives a Honda Civic Type R, making him a good fit for a movie about beloved Matchbox toy cars. He also owned an example of the wild Ultima Evolution at one point, and famously got into trouble with Ford for selling his GT early.
Directing the Matchbox movie will be Sam Hargrave, who served as a stunt coordinator for several Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and was a second unit director for Disney’s “The Mandalorian” series. He was also responsible for Netflix’s two “Extraction” movies.
Production will be handled by a joint effort between Skydance and Mattel’s own movie production company.
A release date hasn’t been announced. A plot also hasn’t been mentioned, though inspiration will come from the tiny cars sold under the Matchbox name, Apple Original Films said in a statement. Preparing the screenplay are David Coggeshall, best known for his work on horror and thriller films, and Jonathan Tropper, a novelist with three books that have been or are in the process of being turned into movies.
The Matchbox movie isn’t the only car-related movie backed by Apple Original Films. A Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt and featuring footage filmed during some actual F1 races last year is also coming.
