Summary
Monster Highwill be followingBarbieto the big screen. The latter title, which was a Greta Gerwig-directed live-action comedy starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll, was a worldwide phenomenon when it was released in 2023. TheBarbiebox officeballooned to $1.45 billion by the end of its theatrical run, breaking records and becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year. In the wake of the movie’s success, other movies based on Mattel toys have either gone into pre-production or progressed further in development, includingPolly PocketandRock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
PerTheWrap, thelatest Mattel toy to join these movie properties is Monster High. The characters in the toy line, which was launched in 2010, are supernatural, fashion-forward teenagers inspired by classic monsters from throughout the horror genre, including Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy. The upcoming live-actionMonster Highmovie, which will be a collaboration between Mattel and Universal, is set to be produced byA Beautiful Mind’s Akiva Goldsman.
Monster High Could Be The Perfect Barbie Follow-Up
The Media Franchise Is Ready For The Big Time
AlthoughBarbiewas a runaway success, its box office gross doesn’t necessarily mean that any movie based on a toy line is an automatic box office slam dunk. For every success at the level ofBarbieorTransformers, there is a flop like 2019’sUglyDolls, which earned $32.5 million worldwide against a roughly $45 million budget, or the 2021 G.I. Joe movieSnake Eyes, which made $40.1 million against an even larger budget estimated to be around $100 million. However, of theupcoming Mattel movies,Monster Highseems likeone of the most likely to succeed as a live-action blockbuster.
Other movies based on Mattel toys and games that are currently in development includeHot Wheels,Uno, andAmerican Girls.
One reason for this is the fact thatMonster Highis already a robust multimedia franchise. In addition to the toy line, the franchise boasts multiple books, video games, and animated movies, as well astwo live-action movies which were released by Nickelodeon in 2022 and 2023. The features, which were both directed by Todd Holland, starred Miia Harris as Clawdeen Wolf, Ceci Balagot as Frankie Stein, Nayah Damasen as Draculaura, Jy Prishkulnik as Cleo de Nile, and Case Walker from theMax comedyThe Other Twoas Deuce Gorgon.
In addition toMonster Highboasting a long-standing franchise similar toBarbie’s run of animated movies, the upcoming feature could capitalize on a recent trend of horror titles aimed toward children and young adults. This includes Netflix’s hitWednesday, which is based on the titularAddams Familycharacter, as well as the animatedHotel Transylvaniafranchise. Ultimately, while it may not be a hit at the level of the Gerwig movie, it comes with a robust fan base that is already familiar with approaching narratives revolving around the toy characters, which may provide it with a huge boost.
