"Hot Wheels" Movie Adaptation Finds Its Writers

The Mattel live-action adaptation of "Hot Wheels has found its two writers.

Dalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson have been tapped to pen the script of the 54-year-old racecar toys adaptation based on the Mattel franchise and hailing from Warner Bros. and Bad Robot.

Robbie Brenner, EP for Mattel Films, will lead the project alongside VP Kevin McKeon, VP and creative executive Andrew Scannell. Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen are overseeing for Bad Robot. Peter Dodd, SVP of Warner Bros Production is overseeing the project for the studio. Nick and Dalton sold their original sci-fi spec, Endurance, to Netflix with Simon Kinberg producing in a multi-studio bidding war. 

The movie follows a group of AI robots that have been marooned on Mars and begin to turn on one another while setting up a colony for humans. 

Leeb and Jacobson-Larson are writing "The Fall for Amblin" and "Blackmaled" Productions. They also wrote Strongman, a darkly comedic reimagining of the making of the original Star Wars trilogy through the eyes of David Prowse, the English bodybuilder behind Darth Vader’s mask. Strongman’s script earned Leeb and Jacobson-Larson a spot on the 2017 Black List.

Moreover, the Mattel Films development slate features movies based on "American Girl", "Barney", "Magic 8 Ball", "Major Matt Mason", "Matchbox", "Masters of the Universe", "Polly Pocket", "Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots", "Thomas & Friends", "Uno", "View-Master", and "Wish Bone". 

Mattel Films is also developing Christmas Balloon based on all-new IP, and the Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling will hit theaters on July 21.