Mattel is now developing a movie based on the toy, View-Master. Mattel is the toy company behind Barbie, which famously got a 2023 film adaptation that made over $1 billion and became the highest-grossing movie of its release year. The View-Master is another Mattel toy, whose first models were released in 1939. With the classic toy, users can hold their eyes up to the device and click through a series of images that they can view through tiny stereoscopes.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Mattel is developing a film based on View-Master. It will be a live-action movie, whose title has not yet been revealed. The story is said to be a “four-quadrant family adventure film,” though no further plot details were revealed. Mattel Films will develop this with Escape Artists, who are run by Todd Black. Black serves as a producer on the film alongside Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Tony Shaw, Kevin McKeon, and Arturo Thur de Koos. Black released the following statement about the View-Master film:
View-Master has long been a window to the wonders of the world, sparking imagination in kids and adults alike. Teaming up with Robbie Brenner and Mattel Films gives us the chance to honor that legacy while creating an entirely new adventure for today’s audience.
In addition to Black’s statement, Mattel Films president Robbie Brenner also released a comment about the film:
View-Master has inspired generations to embark on boundless adventures, offering a treasure trove of storytelling possibilities for this film. We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Escape Artists’ Todd Black to bring this Mattel franchise to life. Their creative and filmmaking expertise sets the stage to introduce a modern take on this beloved toy to audiences everywhere.”
What The View-Master Movie Development Means For Mattel’s Toy Movie Plans
Mattel Is Making Many Toy-Based Films
Following Barbie‘s success, Mattel revealed multiple plans for a toy-based film adaptation. However, the announcement came with critiques from pundits and film commentators. Several pundits expressed how this was the wrong approach following Barbie‘s success. Rather than looking at it as an accomplishment for women and films after the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that Mattel is accrediting the success due to the popularity of toys. While the toy brand never suggested that was their takeaway, another toy-based movie from Mattel raises the question about their priorities and capitalization on the toys-to-film approach.
Related
Mattel’s American Girl Doll Movie: Everything We Know
After the whirlwind success of their Barbie movie, Mattel has begun work on a cinematic adaptation of their beloved American Girl dolls.
View-Master will be released among an onslaught of toy-based content in development. This includes films based on Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, The Magic 8 Ball, and a Matchbox movie. One of their other upcoming projects, Masters of the Universe, is also set to be a collaboration with Escape Artists, who are working on the View-Master movie. As these movies get released in the upcoming years, it will be interesting to see whether Mattel is right to mass-produce toy movies.
Our Take On The View-Master Movie
View-Master Seems Hard To Adapt
While seeing news of another Mattel Films toy movie does not surprise me, I have to say a View-Master movie is somewhat unexpected. While a View-Master movie has been floated before by MGM in 2019, it seems like one of the less inherently adaptable toys. Dolls, or even robots, can be made into anthropomorphized characters, but a View-Master provides a much greater challenge. This just makes the eventual adaptation even more intriguing as development continues on the project.
Source: THR