Danai Gurira, known for her roles in Black Panther and The Walking Dead, is set to star alongside John Cena in Matchbox, a live-action film based on Mattel’s classic car toy line. The film, which is being produced by Apple Original Films, Skydance, and Mattel Films, will be directed by Sam Hargrave, best known for his work on the Extraction movies.
The movie is an action-packed, globetrotting adventure that follows a group of childhood friends who reunite to prevent an impending worldwide disaster and rekindle their friendship. The cast includes Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro.
Filming is currently underway in locations around the world, including Hungary and Slovakia. The screenplay has been penned by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper. Matchbox was first introduced in 1953 and was acquired by Mattel in 1997, competing with Hot Wheels in the die-cast car toy market.
Gurira recently reprised her beloved role as Michonne in the AMC limited series The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, where she also served as an executive producer and writer. In addition to her film and television career, Gurira is a Tony Award-nominated playwright and the first African female writer to have a play on Broadway.
The film is being produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger, alongside Robbie Brenner for Mattel Films and Jules Daly.