Mattel, TriStar to Develop Film Based on Whac-a-Mole:
With films based on “Masters of the Universe” and Matchbox toy cars already in development, Mattel Films is adding a live-action/animated hybrid movie based on the classic game Whac-a-Mole to their production slate with TriStar as its partner.
“Whac-A-Mole is more than a game — it’s a laugh-out-loud battle of reflexes that has brought joy and a little chaos to families for five decades. We’re beyond excited to team up with TriStar Pictures to turn the iconic experience into a wild, action-packed ride for the big screen,” Mattel Films president Robbie Brenner said.
Whac-a-Mole was first created as an arcade game by the Japanese company TOGO in 1975, challenging players to hit toy moles that popped out of a series of holes with a soft mallet before they fell back down. The game became a cultural touchstone, often used to refer to futile tasks. Mattel acquired the trademark to the game in 2008 and has released a home version with moles that light up instead of popping out of holes.
I used to joke about making movie treatments for board games and candies.
I’m not joking any more.
So, what will the inevitable PETA protests add to the bottom line? Or will animal rights kinetic activists derail production? Time will tell, but I will probably miss the story and the movie.
(Link via the Springfield Business Journal‘s morning Today in Business email newsletter. Which, strangely enough, is the only email newsletter I read, and I’ve not been a subscriber to the paper version for probably ten years.)
