Matchbox movie trailer puts John Cena behind the wheel at Comic-Con
Apple TV and Mattel debuted the first look at the John Cena and Jessica Biel toy-car adaptation, due Oct. 9.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
The first Matchbox movie trailer has rolled into San Diego Comic-Con, with Apple TV and Mattel unveiling the footage Saturday in Hall H for their action adaptation of the classic toy-car line.
Matchbox: The Movie is set to premiere Oct. 9 on the streamer, according to Deadline. John Cena and Jessica Biel lead the cast in a world-spanning adventure built around the miniature vehicles that Mattel first released in 1953.
The film marks another screen swing from Mattel, this time turning the small die-cast cars into a full-scale action story. The Hall H debut gave Comic-Con fans the first public look at how the toy brand is being blown up into a globe-trotting movie.
What is Matchbox: The Movie about?
According to the film’s official story details reported by Deadline, Matchbox follows a group of lifelong friends whose quiet small-town lives are disrupted when Sean, played by Cena, comes back home.
Sean is an undercover CIA agent and the group’s former leader. His return accidentally pulls his old friends into an international chase tied to a mission to save the world.
That setup puts the movie in road-trip action territory, with the toy-car hook serving as the launchpad for a bigger spy-adventure plot. The film is described as inspired by Mattel’s long-running Matchbox brand rather than a direct adaptation of a specific story.
Who is in the Matchbox cast?
Cena stars as Sean, while Biel is billed among the film’s leads. The ensemble also includes Arturo Castro, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, Danai Gurira, Golshifteh Farahani, Corey Stoll and Bill Camp.
Sam Hargrave directed the movie from a screenplay by David Coggeshall. Hargrave is also listed as an executive producer alongside Patrick Newall and Elizabeth Bassin.
The producer roster includes David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Robbie Brenner, Ynon Kreiz and Jules Daly, according to Deadline.
Why Matchbox is getting a movie
Matchbox began as a line of toy cars in 1953 and became one of Mattel’s best-known vehicle brands. A movie version gives Apple TV and Mattel a familiar name that can be turned into a broad action release with cars, spies and an ensemble cast.
The Comic-Con launch also places the film in front of one of pop culture’s loudest fan crowds months before its Oct. 9 streaming debut. For now, the new trailer is the clearest sign of what Mattel’s tiny cars look like when scaled up for a CIA chase around the world.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.