LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mattel,
Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) have
partnered to develop a live action motion picture based on Mattel's
classic American Girl® line of books and dolls.
Mattel Films, MGM and PICTURESTART's Erik Feig will produce the film. Cassidy Lange, MGM's Co-President of Production
and Robbie Brenner, Mattel Films'
Executive Producer will oversee production.
American Girl characters were first introduced in 1986 and have
since offered an inspiring world of dolls, original content, and
experiences that nourish a girl's spirit and help develop her
strength of character. Over 32 million American Girl dolls and 157
million American Girl books have been sold through the company's
catalogue, retail stores and website to date. American Girl's
popular character stories have previously been adapted into several
successful films made for television and culminated in Picturehouse
and New Line Cinema's feature adaptation of the Kit Kittredge
character with Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, starring
Abigail Breslin.
Ynon Kreiz, Mattel's Chairman and CEO said: "American
Girl is a beloved, story-driven franchise lending itself perfectly
to a feature film. In MGM and Erik we have world-class partners and
we look forward to working with them to give our passionate
American Girl fans of all ages another way to connect with this
iconic brand. This is another example of Mattel continuing to
execute on our strategy as we transform Mattel into an
IP-driven, high-performing toy company."
"American Girl is a timeless and iconic brand that is part of
the fabric of families all over the world. We look forward to
working with our partners at Mattel and PICTURESTART to bring this
cross-generational film to audiences all over the globe," said
Jonathan Glickman, MGM's President,
Motion Picture Group.
Mattel recently announced an upcoming Hot Wheels®
live action motion picture and the Barbie®
feature-film starring and co-produced by Academy Award®-nominated
actress Margot Robbie, both in
partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures. Mattel has also partnered
with Sony Pictures for a reimagining of Masters of the
Universe, based on Mattel's beloved toy line which became a
successful animated television program.
MGM recently released Steven Caple
Jr.'s Creed II, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, setting the record for
highest grossing live action opener across Thanksgiving. Upcoming
on the MGM film slate is Fighting With My Family, a
comedy-drama written and directed by Stephen Merchant, based on the true personal
story of WWE Superstar PaigeTM and her family of
professional wrestlers, starring Florence Pugh, Vince
Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson, in
New York and Los Angeles on February
14, 2019, expanding wide on February
22, 2019; The Hustle, a hilarious new comedy starring
Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway
and Rebel Wilson, which will be released in theaters on
May 10, 2019; the feature adaptation
of Nicola Yoon's best-selling novel
The Sun Is Also A Star with Warner Bros. Pictures, directed
by Ry Russo-Young and starring
Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton, in theaters on May 17, 2019; Conrad
Vernon and Greg Tiernan's
animated adaption of The Addams Family featuring the voices
of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn
Wolfhard, Nick Kroll,
Bette Midler and Allison Janney, in theaters on October 18, 2019; the 25th installment
of EON Productions, MGM and Universal Pictures' James Bond film directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Daniel Craig which will be released theatrically
in the U.S. on February 14,
2020; Legally Blonde 3 starring Reese Witherspoon in her return to the beloved
character Elle Woods, is scheduled
for release on May 8, 2020; and
Candyman, a re-imagining of the 1992 horror
classic, directed by Nia DaCosta and
written and produced by Jordan
Peele, in theaters on June 12,
2020.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global children's
entertainment company that specializes in design and production of
quality toys and consumer products. We create innovative products
and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children
through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic
franchises, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®,
Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and MEGA®, as well as other
popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global
entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television
content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations
and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with
the world's leading retail and technology companies. Since its
founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in
exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach
their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
About Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Metro Goldwyn Mayer is a
leading entertainment company focused on the production and global
distribution of film and television content across all platforms.
The company owns one of the world's deepest libraries of premium
film and television content. In addition, MGM has investments in
numerous television channels. For more information, visit
www.mgm.com.
Media Contacts
Mattel
Dena Cook
dena@brewpr.com
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Kristine Karaca
kkaraca@mgm.com
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SOURCE Mattel, Inc.