The Hot Wheels live-action movie is officially moving forward. Hot Wheels toys were first released in May 1968. For years, they were a major competitor to the Matchbox cars and are still being sold as toys today. There have been multiple previous adaptations of the Hot Wheels toy franchise. This started as early as 1969, with a TV series called Hot Wheels. There have then been several iterations of this franchise for subsequent generations, including the recent Netflix series Hot Wheels Let’s Race. As per Variety, the Hot Wheels live-action movie is officially moving forward in development. In the biggest development yet, the film will be directed by Jon M. Chu. It will be based on the Mattel toys and produced by Warner Bros. The press release says the film will feature “some of the world’s hottest and sleekest vehicles.” Specific plot details have not been revealed for the movie yet. The screenplay will be written by Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier. It will be produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. Chu released a statement about the movie, which can be found below:
Hot Wheels has always been about more than speed — it’s about imagination, connection, and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I’m excited to […] create an adventure that honors Hot Wheels’ legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new.

What This Means For The Live-Action Hot Wheels Movie

Development On This Film Started 6 Years Ago

A live-action Hot Wheels movie was originally announced in 2019. In 2022, Abrams signed on as a producer, and it had writers attached later that year. The latest announcement seems to suggest that new writers will be replacing the former team. Progress on the Hot Wheels project really picked up two years ago after Barbie became a smash hit. This prompted Mattel to push forward with development on many toy-based movies. With Hot Wheels now gaining a director, it is clear that Mattel is speeding ahead with this plan.

Barbie earned $1.44 billion worldwide in 2023, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year.

Selecting Chu as a director could be a significant boost to the Hot Wheels movie. The director is just coming off of Wicked last year, which was a $756 million, Oscar-nominated success. He will continue the franchise with Wicked: For Good in November of this year, which could be another hit. This recent track record, along with his past directing Crazy Rich Asians, shows that Chu knows what it takes to put together a money-making adaptation. Mattel and Warner Bros. hope that they can repeat this trend with the Hot Wheels movie.
Our Take On The Hot Wheels Live-Action Movie

Chu Has Directed A Toy Movie Before

Hot Wheels represents a fascinating return for Chu in his post-Wicked era. He has become well acquainted with franchise work, but he actually began his toy-based film efforts over a decade ago with G.I. Joe: Retaliation in 2013. As such, it will be interesting to see Chu return to the medium, this time tackling a live-action movie based on a far more kid-oriented toy group. If successful, it could put Chu in an exciting, hyper-specific lane. With Hot Wheels, the next few years could see the director exploring more musical and toy adaptations for different studios. Source: Variety