While Barbie is aiming to become one of the biggest movies of the summer, Mattel is slowly looking for a way to expand their presence on the big screen. Greta Gerwig‘s delightful comedy about the world’s most famous doll trying to figure out who she is has been drawing plenty of attention to itself over the last few months, prompting the company to start thinking about the future of their brand. In a recent article from The New Yorker, J.J. Abrams provided an update regarding the development of the Hot Wheels film, stating that the team has found the right idea to approach the movie:

For a long time, we were talking to Mattel about Hot Wheels, and we couldn’t quite find the thing that clicked, that made it worthy of what Hot Wheels—that title—deserved, Then we came up with something… emotional and grounded and gritty.

Abrams became attached to the project when his production company, Bad Robot, entered negotiations to produce the movie last year. Every time the filmmaker is involved in a project, his company follows closely, making sure the studios collaborate with Bad Robot in a way that’s effective and suitable for everyone. Even if the update means that Hot Wheels is one step closer to becoming a reality, a script hasn’t been written yet. That doesn’t mean that someone hasn’t been hired already for the task; Dalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson will take the wheel when it comes to penning the new adventure.

Leeb and Jacobson-Larson are currently writing The Fisherwoman, a thrilling action story where a woman interrupts the kidnapping of a teenager, only to realize she’s the only person in the world who can stop the crime from taking place. Emma Thompson is attached to star in the upcoming project, which will be directed by Brian Kirk.

Mattel Is Taking Over Cinemas

Before they can even start thinking about the toys they can adapt in the future, Mattel is busy preparing the release of Barbie. Warner Bros. will be distributing the film all over the world, allowing audiences to see the titular doll (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) leaving their seemingly perfect life behind. But by the time they get to the human world, the Chief Executive Officer of a fictionalized version of Mattel (Will Ferrell) won’t be happy to hear that one of his most successful products is running around town in impressive and colorful outfits.

via Collider