Toy company Mattel has announced that it is developing a live-action film based on its American Girl doll line. The film, titled "American Girl," will be produced by Mattel Films, Paramount Pictures, and Temple Hill Entertainment, the production company behind "Twilight" and "The Fault in Our Stars." Lindsey Anderson Beer, the writer of this year's "Pet Cemetery: Bloodlines," has been attached to write the script and produce the film.
This project is just one of many in the works for Mattel Films. Following the success of their first release, "Barbie," the company is currently developing 14 more live-action films based on various toys, including Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, Polly Pocket, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, and UNO.
The idea of an American Girl doll movie has already been spoofed by "Saturday Night Live." In an April sketch, the NBC show featured Ana de Armas in a parody trailer where American Girl dolls from different eras of history were brought into the modern day but kept dying of cholera.
Mattel previously partnered with MGM in 2019 for an "American Girl" movie, but those plans fell through. Since its launch in 1986, over 32 million American Girl dolls have been sold. Lindsey Anderson Beer expressed excitement about telling a story that tackles the issues of girlhood in a real and compelling way, noting that the dolls and their accessories feature historically accurate and immersive backstories that are well-suited for the big screen.
As Mattel continues to expand its film ventures, it will be interesting to see how successful these adaptations of beloved toys will be. With a strong team behind "American Girl" and a proven track record with the "Barbie" film, Mattel Films has the potential to create another successful and entertaining movie for audiences of all ages.