Film Junk » Toys and Collectibles

Etch A Sketch Movie Now a Distinct Possibility

Sean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15:13 +0000

Someone stop the madness already! This toy and board game licensing thing is already way beyond out of control. Yesterday we reported on Sony's acquisition of the screen rights to the board game Risk, the latest in a long line of questionable movie deals involving branded playthings. The Wall Street Journal followed up with an article on the phenomenon today, addressing the "herd mentality" in Hollywood and the fact that somehow this is all a direct result of the success of Transformers. Go figure. The article also goes on to reveal a handful of other interesting tidbits including:

J.J. Abrams is in talks to produce a Micronauts movie
Will Smith and producing partner James Lassiter are developing a Big Wheel TV series
There might actually be an Etch A Sketch movie!

"The Ohio Art Co., which owns Etch A Sketch, says it has received numerous calls from producers interested in acquiring the rights to make a stand-alone film based on the toy. The company has yet to sign a deal." Can you imagine being the owner of the Etch A Sketch, and one day out of the blue getting like 10 phone calls from Hollywood producers wanting to make a movie? I'm guessing they probably would have just hung up on the first few callers. I have no idea how it got to this point so quickly, but to the outside observer it is absolutely insane. The deals will probably continue until at least one of these movies bombs, causing all studio interest to evaporate. What do you think, is a recognizable brand really that valuable? Can an Etch A Sketch movie possibly give Michael Bay a run for his money?

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Barbie Movie in the Works

Sean — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:28:38 +0000

The parade of moronic movies based on toys continues this week as Universal has picked up the rights to the one and only Barbie after months of negotiation with Mattel. They will turn the popular doll into a live action feature film, with producer Laurence Mark (Dreamgirls, Glitter, Jerry Maguire) heading up the project. Barbie is currently celebrating her 50th anniversary this year, although the movie will clearly not be ready in time to help promote this. You have to wonder, is Universal actually planning on making any of these movies, or are they just buying up brand names so they can sit on them? I fail to see how a Barbie movie makes any sense at all. Then again, they previously did a series of direct-to-DVD animated Barbie movies from Lionsgate, which have apparently sold more than 14 million units as of a few years ago. Hey, if Bratz can make $26 million worldwide, Barbie can probably make twice that... right? All they need is an A-list star to play Barbie. Reese Witherspoon or Amy Adams perhaps?

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Are You Ready for a LEGO Movie?

Sean — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:18:08 +0000

Looks like the whole "movie based on a toy line" trend is only going to get worse after the relative success of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Warner Brothers have announced plans to develop a movie based on the world's most popular building block toy, Lego! Dan and Kevin Hageman (Hotel Transylvania) will write the script, which is being described as both a family comedy and an action adventure that combines CG and live actors. Dan Lin (Terminator Salvation, Shorts, Sherlock Holmes) will produce. To a certain extent, a Lego movie kind of makes sense; there have been a number of fun Lego-based video games, although they also combined popular movie franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Batman. On the other hand, studios have got to realize that there's a big difference between Transformers and G.I. Joe, which have established characters and a built-in storyline, and some of these other toys (ie. View-Master). What do you think, can a Lego movie actually work, or is this just more ludicrous nonsense siphoning money and resources from Hollywood?

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Ghostbusters Ectoplasm Energy Drink

Sean — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:45:54 +0000

From Kanye West to Nelly to Ice T, anyone who's anyone has their own Energy Drink nowadays. It doesn't matter what you put in the stuff, just as long as it has a catchy name. Clearly this is why the Ghostbusters have decided to slap their name on a very special concoction known as "Ectoplasm"! Yep, that's right, you can now buy Ectoplasm in a can for $2.99 a pop from Amazon.com courtesy of Toy Wiz. It's actually made by Boston America, who have done plenty of other licensed energy drinks including the Tropic Thunder Booty Sweat, Resident Evil T-virus Antidote and Star Trek Romulan Ale. This is precisely the kind of stuff Reed Farrington will buy and leave on his shelf unopened for the next 20 years. On a side note, does anyone else think that "slimed" should become the new slang term for "drunk"? (ie. "I got totally slimed over the weekend.") Make it happen people... then we can tell everyone it started right here on Film Junk.

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View-Master: The Movie?

Sean — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:31:01 +0000

I have to admit, this next news story reeks of a prank, especially when it's coming one day after the announcement of an Asteroids movie. Then again, I guess that should make this even more believable. According to Coming Soon, Fringe writer Brad Caleb Kane will be penning the script for a feature film based on another popular retro toy: the View-Master. He announced the project via his Twitter account back on Tuesday of this week. According to Kane, the movie is being set up at Dreamworks and produced by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. He also says it will be "like the old 80's Amblin movies: Goonies, Young Sherlock... In that vein." For those who don't remember, the View-Master is a toy that uses paper disks to view stereoscopic 3-D images. Apparently it's been around since 1939, but I clearly remember having one when I was a kid in the '80s. So, how exactly will this serve as the inspiration for a family adventure film? Your guess is as good as mine. When it comes to movies based on board games or toys, Jumanji is the only thing that comes to mind. Either way, Kane's going to have a lot of freedom to do whatever he wants with it. What do you think... is this idea just kinda stupid or completely idiotic?

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Where The Wild Things Are Toys

Sean — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:45:14 +0000

Whenever you have a movie that is aimed at kids, it's a prime opportunity to sell some toys... but nowadays, movies intended for an older audience can also quite often spawn collectibles of their own. Either way, it seems like a given that Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are will have some serious merchandising behind it, but somehow it still seems weird to me that the first batch of toys from the film seems to be aimed at collectors rather than kids. Previews Magazine recently published a listing for a handful of 2" Kubrick figures based on the characters in the film, including Max and seven of the monsters he encounters. Medicom will also be releasing a series of Vinyl Collector Dolls, in addition to a kick ass 12" RAH (Real Action Hero) Max action figure. They should be available sometime in October, coinciding with the movie's theatrical release. Prices are still TBA. Check out a picture of the 12" Max after the jump.

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Gremlins-Themed Reebok Pump Shoes

Sean — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:41:51 +0000

If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance you're at least a casual fan of Joe Dante's Gremlins. On the off chance you happen to be a collector of custom kicks as well, let's just say it doesn't get much better than this! Reebok is putting out two special edition Reebok Pump sneakers to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of Gremlins called the "Omni Light Monster Pack". The first pair, dubbed the Omni Light (Mogwai) is a tribute to the cuddly side of the Gremlins complete with white and brown fur, while the other, the Omni Light (Stripe), is obviously what happens to a pair of Mogwais when you feed them after midnight, taking on a green colour and scaly texture. I'm not sure how much they cost, but you'll definitely be the biggest Gremlins fan on your block with these bad boys. Look for them in stores sometime later this year. Check out some bigger pictures after the jump. (via Sneaker Freaker)

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Teen Wolf Action Figure

Sean — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:40:11 +0000

Come on, admit it... you want to own this! A design company called The Tarantulas are teaming up with Morpheus to create a 1:6-scale Teen Wolf action figure based on the character played by Michael J. Fox in the 1985 film. This thing is fully articulated and has realistic fur. The only thing I'm not clear on is whether or not this is a one-off custom figure, or if it will be available to buy eventually. Hopefully an action figure of the guy exposing himself in the stands will be up next. Head over to Toys R Evil for more images and information.

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Cobra Commander Unmasked

Wintle — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:15:07 +0000

Not even COBRA can stop the spoilers that result from advance solicitations for movie merchandise. The action figure packaging for the movie version of Cobra Commander has been revealed, and it isn't pretty. According to the file card on the back of the package, "COBRA COMMANDER hides a deadly secret few others know, just as his mask covers disfiguring damage from a fiery accident." I wasted countless hours after school devouring the likes of Transformers, Thundercats and G.I. Joe, but I'm hardly beholden to their memory. It's perfectly understandable when some things have to be cut or altered for the sake of a different medium. I just can't comprehend why anyone would decide to develop a property and discard one of the most compelling images from it. Both of Cobra Commander's masks were elegant and iconic, adding a tantalizing mystery to a character whose origins were shrouded in mystery (G.I. Joe: The Movie and the comic series excepted). Why anyone would trade in the character's original fascist cult leader attire for this generic, overcomplicated get-up is beyond my understanding. Is it just me, or is the cartoon version of G.I. Joe looking more subtle and less ridiculous than the movie adaptation?

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Tom Hanks to Star in Major Matt Mason Movie?

Sean — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:25:54 +0000

Looks like Tom Hanks is going to be putting on a space suit again for the first time since Ron Howard's 1995 film Apollo 13. The difference this time around is that the movie won't be based on a true story, but rather, a Mattel toy line from the 1960s! According to Variety, Hanks is attached to star in a live action movie based on the Major Matt Mason toys, featuring a team of astronauts who work on the moon and live in a space station. Universal Pictures have hired Graham Yost (Speed, Broken Arrow, Boomtown) to write the script. In addition to his action movie experience, Yost has also written episodes of From the Earth to the Moon, the Tom Hanks-produced HBO series about the Apollo space missions, and also the 2000 Brian De Palma film Mission to Mars. I'm not sure I understand this current wave of movies based on retro toys (last month a Stretch Armstrong movie was also announced). Is this all stemming from the success of Michael Bay's Transformers? Something tells me there's a little more behind the widespread appeal of Transformers than just a popular toy line. Either way I'm always down for a movie about astronauts, I'm just curious how to see realistic it will be, or if it will have a fantasy/sci-fi element to it. Thoughts? At least Reed Farrington is excited, right? Photo credit: John Eaton

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