Mattel and Paramount Team Up for Next Iconic Toy Adaptation

Warner Bros. saw major success this summer with their smash hit, Barbie. Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, Barbie was the first film project to be released by Mattel Studios.

Not only was the film the biggest hit of 2023, but it was also one of the biggest hits of all time, making nearly $1.5 billion and making it the first movie directed by a woman to earn that record. After its success, it was announced that Mattel was looking into some sort of Mattel Cinematic Universe with a focus on creating more movies featuring some of its most iconic toys and brands. Now, it seems as though other major Hollywood studios took notice of the success of Mattel’s female powerhouse film because a collaboration between Paramount, Mattel, and Temple Hill (the outfit behind Maze Runner (2014) and Twilight (2009)) was just announced for the toy studio’s next major project.

The next line of toys to be adapted into a feature film are the American Girl Dolls! Created in the 1980s, the American Girl Dolls are almost as iconic as Barbie, featuring dozens of dolls who each have their own historical background and are placed within a significant period of history. Each doll also stars in her own series of books that detail various aspects of her life and what the culture and society was like during that time.

Some of the more well-known dolls are Molly, whose story takes place during World War II, Samantha, who details life in the early 1900s, and Felicity, who shows what life was like in colonial Virginia. The line has expanded and diversified over the years, and now includes over 100 different dolls, including Kaya, whose story is centered on life in the Nez Perce tribe in the 1700, and Addy, a fugitive slave girl who escapes slavery to live life with her mother in Pennsylvania during the Civil War. Starting in 2001, the brand also created the Girl of the Year, a limited edition doll that highlights other periods of time, including modern issues and situations.

In the mid-2000s, American Girl released the first of a few feature films inspired by the dolls, with AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia, The Carrie Diaries) starring as Samantha in Samantha: An American Girl Holiday in 2004. Following Samantha’s movie debut, Felicity: An American Girl Adventure was released in 2005, starring Shailene Woodley (the Divergent franchise, Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Felicity. In 2006, a third film, Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, was released, which saw Maya Ritter (Finn’s Girl, Holiday Switch) as Molly. The first American Girl movie to be released in theaters was Kit Kittredge: An American Girl in 2008, and starred Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Zombieland) as Kit, with Stanley Tucci (the Hunger Games franchise, Burlesque), Chris O’Donnell (Batman Forever, Batman & Robin), and Joan Cusack also appearing the film.

As of yet, there is no potential plot or stars signed on, although Lindsey Anderson Beer (Pet Sematary: Bloodlines) is currently set to write and produce the film. Other Mattel projects currently in the works include Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, UNO, and Polly Pocket. It remains to be seen if Mattel will actually created an interconnected Cinematic Universe, or if they plan to dive deep into creating good standalone projects. However, we’re all on board to see the American Girl Dolls get another shot at the big screen.

What do you think of the latest project coming from Mattel and Paramount? Do you think it will rival Barbie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

This post is originally appeared on Inside the Magic.