J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot has joined the production team on a new live-action movie based on Hot Wheels, Mattel’s iconic toy car franchise. The movie was first announced in 2019 as a partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures and Mattel Films.

VP Kevin McKeon and creative executive Andrew Scannell will lead the project for Mattel Films, along with Peter Dodd, VP of production at Warner Bros. Pictures. Bad Robot’s head of motion pictures Hannah Minghella will now oversee the project with executive producer Jon Cohen, who also worked on Bad Robot’s 2018 horror film Overlord.

After two decades of establishing itself as a major film and TV prodco—focusing on live-action sci-fi, adventure and drama projects—Bad Robot has been branching out into new genres and ventures lately, including kids and family content.

In addition to the new Hot Wheels pic, the studio is currently producing Dr. Seuss adaptation Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, its first animation project. In 2021, Bad Robot announced that it had raised US$40 million in Series B funding for its Bad Robot Games division (formed in 2018). And later the same year, it opened a new podcast division called Bad Robot Audio as a part of a multiyear deal with streaming giant Spotify.

Meanwhile, Mattel is on a hot streak, posting an overall net sales increase of 19% to US$5.45 billion in 2021. Hot Wheels was one of its leading categories, with worldwide gross billings (Mattel’s reporting metric) up 12% to US$1.06 billion.

In addition to Hot Wheels, Mattel Films has partnered with Warner Bros. and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment for an upcoming live-action movie based on Mattel’s powerhouse doll brand Barbie. The film is currently in principal photography and will hit theaters in 2023.

Mattel is also producing Christmas Balloon (its first movie not based on a toy), and projects based on American Girl, Polly Pocket, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends and UNO are in development.