Warner Bros. is revving up their engines for its upcoming live-action Hot Wheels movie. The studio has hired screenwriters Neil Widener and Gavin James to write the script for the film. They previously worked on San Andreas and Now You See Me 3. They’re also working on a retelling of Romeo and Juliet titled Verona that is set up at Columbia.
It’s explained that Widener and James got the writing gig by coming out on top of “a bake off in which the studio asked for several scribes, or teams, to come up with a treatment. Widener and James beat out several more established players.”
We still don’t have any details to share regarding what the story will tell, but it will be interesting to see what kind of story these two talents came up with. Ynon Kreiz, Mattel’s chairman and CEO, previously shared his excitement for the movie, saying:
“We are excited to bring the thrill of a Hot Wheels live-action feature film to the big screen in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures. Mattel Films has great momentum as it continues to execute on our commitment to bring global audiences new ways to experience the brands they love as we transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”
This isn’t the first time a Hot Wheels movie has gone into development. Back in 2003, directors such as Simon Crane and McG jumped in the driver’s seat. Then in 2016, Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) was going to direct the movie for Legendary Entertainment.
It’s looking like the Hot Wheels project might actually happen this time and I hope that the film project actually turns out to be something that Hot Wheels fans will enjoy.