NERF will eventually get its own movie, but it almost already happened.
According to Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Van Robichaux, he once pitched a rather incredible-sounding NERF movie.
“I pitched a NERF idea I loved a few back they didn't go for,” he said on Twitter. “Get a Rock, a Hemsworth any big action stars. Hire a great action director and do a normal action movie but-every weapon's a nerf weapon.”
“Every bullet is foam,” added Robichaux about his NERF idea. “Never directly address it in the film and play it all straight.”
If that sounds familiar, it’s because the idea is very similar to the paintball episodes in the hit comedy TV series, Community. Here, they did the same thing, playing it straight with paintball guns, to hilarious results.
Still, I can’t help thinking it’s this kind of quirky, outside-the-box thinking that Mattel needs to bring its multitudes of toy-based movies to the big screen. After all, it’s not the toys that are important, it’s the creativity.
It’s no secret that Mattel is pushing forward with its plans for box office domination following the huge success of Barbie. But they’re not the only ones keen to capitalize on the toy-to-movie success.
According to Variety, Hasbro has already set up a new division called Hasbro Entertainment that’s looking to develop its multitude of toy-based IP into big-screen blockbusters.
“We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter, building upon our rich heritage of storytelling to continue delighting audiences across generations,” said President Olivier Dumont. “Gabe [Marano], Zev [Foreman], and I look forward to working with the industry’s best creative talent, studios, and distribution platforms to push the envelope with innovative storytelling that will let fans engage with their favorite brands like never before, while also building exciting new worlds and the next wave of Hasbro franchises for a growing audience.”
Hasbro is said to already be developing a number of projects based on toys such as Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers, GI JOE, NERF, Play-Doh, Magic: The Gathering, Peppa Pig, and My Little Pony.
Want to read more about upcoming toy-based movies? Check out what we know so far about J.J. Abrams’ Hot Wheels movie and find out why experts think not all toys will make great movies.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
