Jon M. Chu To Direct ‘Hot Wheels’ Movie At Warner Bros. & Bad Robot

After tackling the land of Oz with the two “Wicked” movies and “G.I. Joe” franchise, director Jon M. Chu has been hired by Warner Bros. and J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot to direct a live-action film based on the beloved Mattel toyline “Hot Wheels.”

The project update hails from Deadline, which once had “Fast & Furious” and “Star Trek” franchise director Justin Lin attached, but it looks like Chu is taking the reins for the car-focused action flick.

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That’s not it as the gestating action pic has a script penned by Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, the writer-director duo behind “Creed II” and the satirical Netflix thriller “They Cloned Tyrone.” That said, the project is a bit of a mystery for the moment and feels like they’ll be coming up with a plot from scratch.

“‘Hot Wheels’ has always been about more than speed; it’s about imagination, connection, and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I’m excited to partner with Mattel Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Bad Robot to create an adventure that honors Hot Wheels’ legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new,” Chu said in an official statement.

This marks a reunion between Chu, Warner Bros, and Bad Robot after their recent collaboration on the animated feature version of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” based on the classic story from Dr. Seuss.

Other Mattel projects include the billion-dollar hit “Barbie” and Amazon MGM Studios‘ “Masters of the Universe” movie remake, which has Travis Knight (“Bumblebee”) in the director’s chair.

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“Hot Wheels” isn’t the only toy car movie in the works, as stuntman-turned-director Sam Hargrave (“Extraction” films) is behind the “Matchbox” movie for Mattel Films and Skydance. Hargrave’s involvement was officially announced back in 2024.