Mattel Films
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Formerly | Playground Productions (2013–2016) |
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Company type | Division |
Industry | Entertainment |
Founded | September 2018 |
Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Robbie Brenner (executive producer) |
Owner | Mattel, Inc. |
Number of employees | 5 (2019)[1] |
Mattel Films (formerly Mattel Playground Productions (PGP), or commonly Playground Productions) is a division of Mattel. As Playground Productions, it was first part of Mattel Global Brands.[2] It was later transferred to Mattel Creations, itself a division of Mattel, Inc.[3] on September 6, 2018, the division was reformed as Mattel Films.[4]
Background
In May 1970, Mattel had teamed up with producer Robert B. Radnitz to form a joint venture film production company, Radnitz/Mattel Productions.[5] to produce family films including Sounder and “Where the Lilies Bloom”.[6] The film from Radnitz/Mattel was A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich in 1977.[7]
A few properties, Hot Wheels, Max Steel, Masters of the Universe and Monster High have been set up at the various studios. For example, Hot Wheels was first at Columbia Pictures with McG attached to direct, but ended up moving to Warner Bros. and Joel Silver. As of 2013, the property was licensed out to Legendary Pictures, with Joe Roth attached to produce.[8][9] In October 2013, Mattel Playground Productions was launched by Mattel as its new in-house film studio to handle multi-media productions for Mattel's brands.[8]
History
Playground Productions
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Mattel_Playground_Productions.svg/220px-Mattel_Playground_Productions.svg.png)
In October 2013, Mattel Playground Productions was launched by Mattel as its new in-house film studio to handle multi-media production, films, TV shows, web series, live events and games, for Mattel's brands. The intent was to centralize Mattel's disjointed content productions. Its first animated project is “Team Hot Wheels: The Origin of Awesome”. Mattel has under development a live-action Hot Wheels movie at Legendary Entertainment and Universal Studios, a Masters of the Universe and a Barbie film at Columbia Pictures, a Monster High feature with Universal and a Max Steel film with Dolphin Entertainment. Playground Productions was planned to set up three-year storytelling plans that incorporate every part of the Mattel company from toy designers to consumer products and marketing.[8] David Voss was appointed as Senior Vice President of Playground Productions.[8][9]
With WWE in March 2014, Playground launched an online short form series, WWE Slam City, to go along with the toy line.[10] The series was picked up by Nicktoons’ NickSports programming block starting October 22, 2014.[11]
Voss left the division in January 2016 for subscription service, Loot Crate.[12] In March 2016, PGP was placed within Mattel Creations along with the other two Mattel content production units.[3] After failure of the Max Steel movie in 2016, Playground Productions was absorbed into Mattel Creations.[13]
Current formation
On September 6, 2018, Mattel announced the launch of a film division, Mattel Films, that will make movies based on the company’s toy brands. Robbie Brenner was appointed to head the division as executive producer and will report directly to the CEO.[4][14]
The revived division's first two projects are expect to be Barbie and Masters of the Universe films.[15] In early January 2019, Mattel closed the deal with Margot Robbie to star in the Barbie film and Warner and Robbie's production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, to co-produce the film.[16] Mattel Films and Sony revive Master of the Universe film development in January 2019 with many of the prior attempt's director and producers while bringing on board different writers, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway.[17]
In February 2020, Mattel Films and MGM agreed to work on two films, American Girl[18] and The View-Master Movie.[19]
With Legendary Entertainment let the rights option expire to Hot Wheels films revert to Mattel, Mattel Film shopped the property getting Warner Bros. as a partner on a movie for the first time in July 2020.[20] The company teamed up with Universal Pictures for the first time in July 2020 on adaptation of Wishbone to film.[21]
Production
Title | Year(s) | Type | Production partner(s) |
Distributor | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team Hot Wheels | June 7, 2014 | Animated | Mercury Filmworks Titmouse, Inc. |
digital platforms |
|
WWE Slam City | March 17, 2014 | Stop motion | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios[11] | digital platform[10] Nicktoons (NickSports)[11] |
26-episode two-minute shorts series[10] |
Ever After High[22] | 2014 | Legacy Day animated special | Netflix | ||
True Hearts Day 22-minute webisode special | Nickelodeon | ||||
Thronecoming TV special | 44-minute | ||||
Fairy tale web series | EverAfterHigh.com | 22 two-minute webisodes | |||
Max Steel | August 26, 2016[23] | Live action film | Dolphin Entertainment Ingenious Media |
Open Road Films[9] | |
Monster High: Great Scarrier Reef | February 12, 2017 | CGI-animated film | DHX Media Vancouver | Cartoon Network (LatAm) | 61 minutes, Monster High (film series) [citation needed] |
Mattel Films | |||||
Upcoming | |||||
Barbie | [to be determined] | CGI/Live-action film | LuckyChap Entertainment | Warner Bros. Pictures | [16] |
Masters of the Universe | [to be determined] |
|
Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
Hot Wheels | TBD | Warner Bros. | [20] | ||
American Girl | United Artists Releasing | [18] | |||
The View-Master Movie | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | [19] | |||
Untitled
Magic 8 Ball |
Blumhouse Productions | [24] | |||
Barney’s Wishes Adventure | [25] | ||||
Untitled Major Matt Mason film | Paramount Pictures | [26] | |||
Wishbone film | Universal Pictures | [21] |
References
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 28, 2019). "Magic 8 Ball, the Movie? Mattel's New Film Chief on Adapting Toys and Why Barbie Was "Ahead of Her Time"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ Goldman Getzler, Wendy (October 16, 2013). "With profits up, Mattel launches in-house studio Playground Productions". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Tartaglione, Nancy (March 31, 2016). "Mattel Creations Formed To Centralize Toy Giant's Theatrical, TV & Digital Content". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ a b Ng, David. "Mattel creates new film division to turn toys into movies". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ Knapp, Dan. (May 21, 1970). "Mattel, Radnitz Join Hands Archived October 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California). Page F13.
- ^ Nelson, Valerie J. (June 10, 2010). "Robert B. Radnitz dies at 85; Hollywood producer of distinguished family films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ "A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich". AFI Catalog. AFI. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Graser, Marc (November 5, 2013). "Mattel's Bold Plan to Take Control Back From Hollywood". Variety. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Graser, Marc (October 15, 2013). "Mattel to Create Original Entertainment Through Playground Productions Banner". Variety. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c Goldman Getzler, Wendy (17 March 2014). "Mattel and WWE producing 26-episode web series for kids". StreamDaily. Brunico Communications Ltd. Kidscreen. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ a b c Dickson, Jeremy (October 22, 2014). "Nickelodeon takes WWE Slam City from web to TV". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ Castleman, Lana (March 31, 2016). "Mattel centralizes content output in new division". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ Thompson, Luke Y. (September 7, 2018). "Why Mattel's Latest Movie Studio Announcement Doesn't Impress". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Ziobro, Paul (2018-09-06). "Mattel, After Years Toying With Big Screen, Creates Film Division". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
- ^ Townsend, Matthew (September 6, 2018). "Mattel's New CEO Starts Movie Unit to Jump-Start Film Franchises". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin (January 8, 2019). "Margot Robbie's 'Barbie' Film Moves Ahead as Warner Bros. Closes Deal With Mattel". Variety. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2019). "Sony and Mattel Films Tap 'Men in Black' Writers on 'Masters of the Universe' Reboot". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin; Kroll, Justin (February 15, 2019). "'American Girl' Live-Action Movie in the Works With Mattel and MGM". Variety. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Evans, Greg (February 27, 2019). "Mattel & MGM Partner For Movie Based On View-Master Classic Toy". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin (January 30, 2019). "'Hot Wheels' Live-Action Movie in the Works With Mattel, Warner Bros". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin (July 15, 2020). "'Wishbone' Film Adaptation in the Works From Mattel and Universal With Peter Farrelly Producing". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ Rusak, Gary (April 3, 2014). "Mattel plays around with digital distribution strategies". StreamDaily. Brunico Communications Ltd. iKids. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ "Robert De Niro Boxing Movie 'Hands of Stone' Set for August Release". Variety.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
- ^ McNary, Dave (June 4, 2019). "Magic 8 Ball Movie in Development at Blumhouse, Mattel". Variety. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (October 18, 2019). "Barney the Dinosaur Movie in the Works From Mattel Films and Daniel Kaluuya". Variety. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (September 7, 2019). "Tom Hanks, Akiva Goldsman Set Live Action Mattel Adaptation 'Major Matt Mason' at Paramount". Variety. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2019.