After Battleship bombed and Universal mostly nixed their plans for a bunch of board game movies (notably Stretch Armstrong, starring Taylor Lautner), you might have thought this toys-becoming-movies trend was on its way out. It’s too bad Sony’s still picking up Universal’s sloppy seconds, and after announcing that Happy Madison would produce a Candyland movie back in January, today, the House That Sandler’s Flunkies Built has been announced as a partner to Sony and Hasbro in producing a Tonka Truck movie. Huh, I wonder if there’ll be any product placement.
The press release, via Collider:
TONKA, the Hasbro brand that for 65 years has stood for its line of toy trucks for children, will bring its TONKA toughness to the big screen in a fully animated motion picture to be produced by Sony Pictures Animation, Hasbro and Happy Madison Productions.
The new TONKA project strengthens the growing ties between Sony Pictures and Hasbro, following the announcements that Sony Pictures is developing motion pictures based on Hasbro’s RISK and CANDY LAND brands. CANDY LAND is also a Happy Madison project.
[The project] will be written by Fred Wolf [SNL’s TV Funhouse].
I seriously hope that Hasbro is paying Sony this time, instead of the other way around. The idea that a movie studio would PAY for the privilege of making them a 90-minute toy commercial is mind boggling, and I don’t boggle lightly. In any case, I eagerly await the sound of a trailer announcer’s voice shouting, Starring KEVIN JAMES, as FARTY THE GARBAGE TRUCK!