Teyonah Parris, known for her roles in The Marvels and They Cloned Tyrone, is all set to star alongside John Cena in the upcoming film Matchbox. She joins the previously announced cast members Jessica Biel and Sam Richardson.
Directed by Sam Hargrave (Extraction), Matchbox is inspired by Mattel’s iconic die-cast toy vehicle line, known for its enduring legacy of over 70 years. The screenplay is penned by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper. The project comes from Skydance and Mattel Films, marking the latest collaboration between the two companies.
Matchbox will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger, and Robbie Brenner for Mattel Films. This will be among the many films announced by Mattel post the success of Barbie (2023), among which are also Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends: The Movie, Bob the Builder, and Hot Wheels.
According to the makers, the upcoming film will follow a group of childhood friends who should join hands to stop an impending worldwide disaster and rediscover their friendship along the way.
The Matchbox story began in 1953 when automotive enthusiast Jack Odell created a toy small enough to fit in a matchbox for his daughter, who could only bring compact toys to school. This simple innovation sparked a global phenomenon, with Matchbox setting high standards of authenticity for toy vehicles. Today, two Matchbox cars are sold every second worldwide, a testament to the brand’s timeless appeal.
Primarily a stunt coordinator for films like Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Suicide Squad (2016), Hargrave has also directed action films like Extraction (2020) and its sequel Extraction 2 (2023). Cena, on the other hand, has Heads of State directed by Ilya Naishuller in the pipeline, which he is also the executive producer for.
Parris is also known for bringing MCU superhero Monica Rambeau from WandaVision to the big screen. She has also worked in Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, the Sundance hit Dear White People, If Beale Street Could Talk and Candyman. Her TV credits include Mad Men, Survivor’s Remorse and will next be seen in the Netflix series No Good Deed.