Apple TV+ Revs Up October Premiere for John Cena’s Matchbox The Movie
Apple TV sets an October release for Matchbox The Movie, dropping first-look images of John Cena in the Mattel adaptation.
Mattel is still mining its toy box for movies, and the next one up is... Matchbox. Yes, the tiny cars. Apple TV just dropped a few first-look images and put a pin in a global release date: October 9. The hook here is the talent. Sam Hargrave, the stunt-guy-turned-director behind Extraction, is steering, and John Cena is the lead. If nothing else, expect horsepower.
So what is a Matchbox movie, exactly?
Matchbox doesn’t come with lore or characters, which sounds ridiculous for a movie brand but also gives the filmmakers room to invent whatever they want as long as vehicles are part of the fun. The film is an action-adventure billed as a globe-hopping ride about a tight crew of friends who have been inseparable since childhood. Cena plays their long-vanished leader, who also happens to be an undercover CIA agent. When he shows up back in their small town, he accidentally drags the entire group into a high-stakes international chase to stop a world-ending mess.
Cast, crew, and the basics
- Director: Sam Hargrave (Extraction)
- Star: John Cena as an undercover CIA agent and the friends' long-absent leader
- Also starring: Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, Arturo Castro
- With: Corey Stoll, Bill Camp, Danai Gurira, Golshifteh Farahani
- Writer: David Coggeshall (The Family Plan)
- Release: Apple TV set a global date for October 9; first-look photos are out now
- Vibe: 'Globetrotting adventure' with found-family chaos and lots of wheels
Meanwhile at Mattel HQ...
After Barbie exploded, Mattel started fast-tracking film and TV based on just about everything it owns. Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Hot Wheels, and Magic 8 Ball are all in some stage of development. But the next one actually arriving before Matchbox is Masters of the Universe.
Nicholas Galitzine (Mary & George) leads that one, and Apple has already rolled out a teaser that plays surprisingly well — early reaction from fans has been cautiously upbeat. The movie is headed to theaters on June 5. The official setup reads:
'Ten-year-old Prince Adam crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe.'
Bottom line: Matchbox The Movie sounds like an original, big-scale chase flick that just happens to wear a toy label. If Hargrave delivers the stuntcraft we saw in Extraction and Cena brings his usual charm, October 9 could be a fun ride.