Mattel has set its sights on the next toy property that will come to life on the big screen. The success ofBarbiecontinues to make the company’s catalog attractive for film studios, more than a year after the release of the blockbuster. TriStar Pictures is currently developing a movie based onWhac-A-Mole, the game based on players smacking plastic moles in the head with a bat. A legacy that was created more than fifty years ago will make its way to the big screen in the near future. Mattel is excited to strike yet another deal with a major film studio, an endeavor the company has taken very seriously over the past couple of years.
Mattel and Warner Bros. managed to scoreMargot RobbieandRyan Goslingto lead the successfulBarbieadaptation that took over the global box office. No talent has been attached toWhac-A-Mole. It might take a while before both the studio and TriStar Pictures choose a director to tackle the endeavor of turning the popular toy into a successful major film. It won’t be hard for the companies to find talented artists who might want to create something new out ofWhac-A-Mole.Greta Gerwigwas eager to directBarbieafter working onLittle Women.
It’s easy to grasp the concept ofWhac-A-Moleas an entertaining toy, but the game has evolved through multiple decades of improvements.Whac-A-Molewas created in Japan in 1975. Five to eight plastic creatures are placed in most iterations of the game, with the player testing their reflexes by hitting the one that approaches the surface. To put it into perspective, people have been playing Whac-A-Mole since before the firstStar Warsmovie even hit theaters. If TriStar Pictures happens to find the right narrative to tell around the game, the studio could have a massive success on their hands thanks to Mattel.
The Next Steps for Mattel
There’s no stopping Mattel Films right now. If it was easy for the company to sell the rights to their intellectual property before,Barbieopened the floodgates for the deals between Mattel and entertainment studios. Amazon MGM Studios is working on aMasters of the Universeadaptation that will premiere in theaters next year.John Cenasigned on to star in aMatchboxadaptation that just recently finished principal photography. There’s no denying that getting the rights to work onWhac-A-Molewas a no-brainer for the team at TriStar Pictures.
No release date forWhac-A-Molehas been set by TriStar. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Source:Variety.
