Now the first Barbie… View-Master? Mattel is preparing the next film adaptation of toys

It’s not uncommon for toy-to-movie adaptations to cause a stir when they’re first announced. Although it’s hard to remember now, no one could quite imagine how Warner Bros. would pull off a LEGO movie – it’s now a hugely successful multi-film franchise. The same was true of Mattel’s 2023 adaptation of Barbie dolls, which against all odds became an Oscar-shattering cultural phenomenon the likes of which are rarely seen.

Now Mattel is hoping that lightning strikes will occur again in its next movie. But… a View Master film?

Well… it’s happening! We haven’t been this intrigued since the bizarre Battleship movie starring Rhianna.

Before we had VR headsets or smartphones crammed with streaming services, poor children of the Dark Ages (read: 1940s to 1990s) held a little plastic visor over their eyes, stuffed with little color photos that could be great and viewed through the lenses. They work like an old-school carousel photo projector and can then click a button to rotate through images on a circular disk. From stunning landscapes to Disney characters, there was a View Master disc for everything – but its popularity waned as children’s television became more popular and personal devices became smarter.

Still, the View Master toy has a lot of retro charm, and Mattel is hoping to capitalize on that with this new adaptation. No cast has been announced yet, but Kevin McKeon, Arturo Thur de Koós, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Tony Shaw are on board as producers, with Mattel producing alongside Sony and Escape Artists.

Inspired generations

“View-Master has inspired generations to embark on limitless adventures and offers a wealth of storytelling possibilities for this film,” said Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Films.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Todd Black of Escape Artists to bring this Mattel franchise to life. Their creative and cinematic expertise sets the stage to bring a modern take on this beloved toy to audiences everywhere.”

“View-Master has long been a window to the wonders of the world, inspiring the imagination of children and adults alike,” said a statement from Todd Black of Escape Artist.

“Working with Robbie Brenner and Mattel Films gives us the chance to honor this legacy while creating an entirely new adventure for today’s audiences. We can’t wait to bring the spirit of discovery of this treasured toy to the big screen.”

We’re still racking our brains over how to build a property around the View-Master. Maybe each picture wheel transports a character to a different world? Or will what is seen in the View-Master become real in our world? Or maybe the View-Master itself gets legs and arms and runs around like a bloody toy-based Microsoft Clippy? In any case, it’s reason enough for us to go into the attic and dust off our old View Master CD collection…

Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto