By Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — Fresh off the resounding success of "Barbie," Mattel is partnering with Universal Pictures to develop another live-action film based on its top-selling dolls.
The El Segundo-based toy company and the studio giant announced Wednesday that they are joining forces for "Monster High," a big-screen feature inspired by the fashionable, plastic descendants of classic creatures.
Universal and Mattel have tapped Akiva Goldsman — an Oscar winning screenwriter known for "A Beautiful Mind" and "Cinderella Man" — to produce the picture under his banner, Weed Road. Goldsman said in a statement that he has been "fascinated" by the Monster High dolls since his daughters were "obsessed" with them as kids.
"Monster High" is one of many film projects in the Mattel pipeline derived from popular playthings, including American Girl dolls, Hot Wheels, the Magic 8 Ball, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Polly Pocket. (MGM is developing the latter with "Girls" creator Lena Dunham and "Emily in Paris" star Lily Collins attached.)
The toy factory is hoping to repeat the commercial and critical triumph that was Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," which grossed $1.4 billion at the global box office last year and landed eight Oscar nominations.
And Mattel isn't the only one looking to score its next toy blockbuster.
Margot Robbie, who produced and starred in "Barbie," is working on film adaptations of the Sims video game and the Monopoly board game through her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment.
May the best "Barbie" alum win.
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