'Welcome to Plathville': Times when tragic deaths shook up TLC's Plath family
With the Plath family losing one of its youngest members, let's look back at all the times they had to say goodbye to one of their own
2023-05-10 14:55
Jamie Foxx cast as God in Not Another Church Movie
Jamie Foxx will play the role of God in the comedy film 'Not Another Church Movie'.
2023-08-25 17:17
What is Maggie Sajak’s new project? 'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak’s daughter stuns in tight bodysuit after dad’s replacement revealed
Pat Sajak's daughter Maggie Sajak shared what her new gig is as she rocked a skintight bodysuit in a social media video
2023-07-03 11:55
Andrew Tate exposes bodybuilders in hilarious rant: ‘I will f**king smack you in your mouth’
Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate shared his take on bodybuilders in a new video that has already generated more than 30K views
2023-10-31 15:46
Barbie owners Mattel now want to make films about their other products Polly Pocket and UNO
There were always question marks over which lessons that executives from toy making giant Mattel would learn from the roaring success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Some said it could show the power of giving a top indie filmmaker like Gerwig the budget, time and resources to make a piece of memorable – and at times subversive – cinema which drew on people’s childhood memories. However, it looks like executives have already decided to pick option B: create an intellectual property-driven movie machine, and crank out a film about every toy they can think of to boost profits. Because that’s what people liked about Barbie, right? Mattel wants to create a cinematic universe similar to that of Marvel, following the immense success of its first feature film – and they already have more than a dozen projects in the works. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Products that are already in line to get the Barbie treatment include “Barney”, “Polly Pocket,” and “Hot Wheels”. “Barbie, as a brand, has many different iterations. The product lines of Barbie is a very broad brand. In addition to the main Barbie figure, she has family, she has a lot of elements around in her universe,” Mattel chief executive Ynon Kreiz told Variety. “It’s a very rich universe… It’s a very broad and very elastic brand, in terms of opportunities.” “At the outset, we’re not saying, ‘Okay, let’s think already about movie two and three.’ Let’s get the first one right and make that a success. And if you do that, opportunities open up very quickly, once you establish the first movie as a successful representation of a franchise on the big screen.” “Successful movies lend themselves to more movies,” the CEO added. “Our ambition is to create film franchises.” Robbie Brenner, the Oscar-nominated producer in charge of Mattel’s new film division, said the company was hopeful Barbie would become a box office success, so that it would open the door for franchises like “Masters of the Universe” and “Hot Wheels". “Everybody hopes that when you create a movie that there is going to be a franchise,” Brenner told Variety. “That’s the hope — that it goes on and on and it’s a gift that keeps giving. But, in this day and age, you just want to get the first one right.” Here are the films Mattel wants to make next: Barney Produced by Daniel Kaluuya, the purple dinosaur is going to be made into a live-action movie. Brenner said: I don’t know that it’s necessarily going to be darker. It’s just going to be unique — more of like [Spike Jonze films] Being John Malkovich or an Adaptation." “Any movie that has Barney is not certainly going to be straightforward,” Brenner adds. Referencing the Seth MacFarlane comedies, she quips: “We’re not making Ted. You know what I mean?” The upcoming film will apparently be about “identity and finding who you love and who feels alienated” and “what does it all mean?” Brenner says the film will “be more adult and have adult themes — and sort of be a little bit off-kilter”. Polly Pocket Starring Emily In Paris star Lily Collins, the Polly Pocket dolls will be made into a film directed by Lena Dunham. Brenner said there is already a “great” script, and that Dunham and Collins would be “an amazing collaboration. Lena is so collaborative and rolls up her sleeves and really likes to roll around in notes and listen. She’s incredible”. “Lily is so smart and so specific and so productorial. It’s just been an incredible collaboration, so we are thrilled about it. Hopefully, we’ll be making that at some point in the future.” Hot Wheels This one will be produced by JJ Abrams – because the world needs yet another film about toy racing cars, of course. Abrams has described the adaptation as “grounded and gritty” and said the film will have “real characters that you can relate to, that are three-dimensional, that have emotional journeys”. She added: “Look at any JJ Abrams movie. All of his movies have an incredible story and incredible characters. That was something that was important to him — to make a movie that’s not just going to be fun and exciting, but that has real emotion and real stakes to it.” And plenty more… There is a film about Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, starring Vin Diesel, which could be absolutely bizarre, while another doll franchise movie, American Girl, is “in the works”. Magic 8 Ball will “probably be a PG-13 thriller,” Brenner said, while a Masters Of The Universe film about the superhero He-Man could also become reality. Other projects include Thomas The Tank Engine (yep, that’s right folks) and, in a surprise turn, Uno. How corporate executives think a film about the playing card game will turn out is anybody’s guess. But it’s going to happen. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-27 17:29
Citytv greenlights spinoff series 'Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent' with thrilling plot twist
While the production is expected to start this fall, the series will have its premiere in the spring of 2024
2023-06-06 13:20
When will 'Summer House Martha's Vineyard' Episode 6 release? Bravo show to reveal Alex Tyree's blooming romance
Bravo's 'Summer House Martha's Vineyard' will feature jealousy in the upcoming episodes
2023-06-05 10:28
Tom DeLonge teases Blink-182 are at their 'best' on comeback album
Tom DeLonge has teased fans are in for a treat with their forthcoming album.
2023-07-27 15:55
Who is Katie Moon's husband? Pole vault champ gears up for World Athletics Championships 2023
With her remarkable skills and determination, Katie Moon has risen to become the reigning Olympic and world champion in her discipline
2023-07-28 21:47
'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' takes aim with a crossbow-armed American in Paris
Although the final episode aired 10 months ago, "The Walking Dead" was too valuable a commodity for AMC to let the franchise actually die. Instead, the network has splintered off various limbs under that banner, with "Dead City" now followed by "Daryl Dixon," a slightly undernourished showcase for one of its best characters that could be subtitled "A Crossbow-Wielding American in Paris."
2023-09-08 20:48
Taylor Swift Announces Second North America Leg of Eras Tour
Taylor Swift is adding 15 new shows to her calendar in the Fall of 2024 when she returns
2023-08-03 23:25
'Suits' streaming so successful new show being planned
"Suits" has been highly rated on Netflix and now a new show is reportedly in the works.
2023-10-14 00:29
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