Barbie was a massive hit. Given all the hype surrounding the Greta Gerwig feature, it wasn’t a big surprise that Barbie captured the hearts of millions worldwide. The film was the highest-grossing film in 2023, grossing 1.446 billion worldwide.
The success of Barbie got Mattel and its executives excited about the future. According to The New Yorker, Mattel has 45 films in development based on their toy brands. 13 have already been announced, including Daniel Kaluuya‘s Barney the Dinosaur and a Hot Wheels film with J.J. Abrams. There’s no guarantee that all 45 films will be released, but one thing’s very clear, Mattel is trying to start a universe with their toy collection. Is this a good idea?
Brands That Have Tried To Copy Marvel Eventually Fizzled Out
Franchises and sequels are nothing new. However, a cinematic universe surely is. Marvel took a huge gamble by crafting an entire universe based on popular Marvel superhero characters from the comics. Iron Man started something that would change the entire game in Hollywood forever. Though the MCU is struggling right now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has generated nearly $29 billion at the box office.
This was historical because none of the franchises were able to come close to collecting so much money. Since the massive success of the MCU, there have been a few attempts to copy the MCU model. The most notable is the DCEU. In fact, James Gunn and Peter Safran will be rebooting the brand for the third time starting with Superman: Legacy.
Universal tried this with their Dark Universe. The first film to come out of this was 2017’s The Mummy. Sony has a little universe going themselves as the studio is trying to capitalize on the Spider-Man property by focusing on his villains. Needless to say, each of these properties has been a failure thus far.
The DCEU was a confusing mess that didn’t have much substance. The Dark Universe flopped because The Mummy focused more on the future than simply making a good film. Financially, Sony’s spin-offs are doing better than they have any right to be, but they’re not highly regarded properties like the MCU.
A Mattel Cinematic Universe Feels Like A Cash Grab
The issue with Mattel trying to craft a cinematic universe of its own is that it feels forced. Studios are only trying to recreate the MCU’s model because they know it’s a huge cash grab. Of course, every business should be trying to figure out how to make as much money as possible. But audiences shouldn’t feel that a film exists simply for monetary value.
A big part of the MCU’s success is Kevin Feige and his documented love of Marvel comics. A good majority of Marvel films in Phases one through four range from good to fantastic. Feige’s love for the MCU pours out through these films based on how comics accurate they tend to be, and just how he was able to masterfully guide an overarching story in ten years. It’s not impossible to make great films from toy brands.
Barbie and The Lego Movie have proven this. However, the producers and filmmakers behind these films need to have the same love and respect for their characters and lore if they’re going to craft an entire universe. It’s not easy making a good film, especially when they don’t have rich material to adapt from.
45 Films In Development Is Crazy
It’s doubtful that Mattel will directly copy Marvel’s brand; meaning that won’t be building to an epic Avengers-style film that features their popular toys. But to have 45 films in development is insane. Can they have the same level of quality as Marvel? Is there truly a dedicated fanbase for all of these brands? Barbie was a runaway hit, but there’s no guarantee that Barney, Hot Wheels or other brands will do the same.
Again, there’s no guarantee that all 45 films will see the light of day. However, should they, then Mattel has to understand that quality triumphs quantity. This is the major reason that the DCEU turned out to be such a big flop. As previously stated, it’s not impossible to make a great toy film.
Kevin Feige had an important eye for storytelling that made the MCU such a special treat. Does Mattel have a figure of that nature spearheading the entire Mattel brand? It’s understandable why Mattel wants to bank off its intellectual property. However, rushing 45 films into development is simply too much. Mattel needs to slow down and do a similar model to the MCU, where two films are released every other year. Right now it just feels like a cash grab, and there’s little chance of success if the brand spits out films that are half the quality Barbie was.
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