In a reversal of the natural order of things, Warner Brothers is producing an animated movie based on Funko, the company built on making toys based on pretty much any movie that’s ever been made.
Executive VP of Warner Animation Group, Allison Abbate stated:
“Their fresh take on pop culture make these figurines incredibly appealing to fans of all ages.”
Funko CEO Brian Mariotti added:
“We’re thrilled for this opportunity and are committed to make an amazing Funko movie that stands on its own merit. This isn’t about selling toys or building a brand. The team at Warner Animation Group have a unique vision of what the first film should be and we are extremely excited to take this journey alongside them.”
Hmmmm. We’ll see. Warner Brothers’ ‘The LEGO Movie’ was a huge hit that crossed over to older moviegoers. ‘Teen Titans GO! To the Movies’ was also an underrated flick that appeals to older superhero fans. (I mean, where else are we going to get ‘Challengers of the Unknown’ jokes?)
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WB and Funko have collaborated many times in the past. In fact, the first Pops were based on DC Comics characters. In addition, Funko has made Pops and other collectibles based on the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchises.
Presumably, like ‘The LEGO Movie’, the toy representation will be limited to WB properties, so no ‘Star Wars’ or Marvel or other Disney-owned characters will appear in the film.
I’m not sure why movies based on toys are suddenly a thing. I mean, yeah the ‘Transformers’ franchise did extremely well, but ‘G.I. Joe’ did not. And let’s not even discuss the abomination that was done to my beloved ‘Jem & The Holograms’. But Hasbro still wants to bring ‘Power Rangers’ back to the big screen, and maybe ‘Visionaries’, ‘M.A.S.K.’ and more. Mattel is planning movies based on ‘Major Matt Mason’ starring Tom Hanks, ‘Barbie’, starring Margot Robbie, and ‘Hot Wheels’ with Warner Brothers; ‘Masters of the Universe’, starring Noah Centineo, with Columbia Pictures; ‘Magic 8 Ball’ with Blumhouse, and ‘American Girls’ and ‘View-Master’ with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
I guess if the Magic 8 Ball can be turned into a movie, anything can.
Source: Deadline
