It’s apparent that there is no filmmaker that will leave a property stone unturned. Whether or not Battleship was a sign that studios should stop seeking out properties to just to turn a profit, it seems that Hasbro is the property to turn to for inspiration. The Transformers name gave way for three very successful films – from a box office standpoint – with a fourth coming in a few years. Battleship, however, proved to be a disastrous tank.
So while Paramount has found success, Universal hasn’t and Sony will dig up the former with an adaptation of Hasbro’s large-scale construction toy line Tonka Trucks. According to Deadline, the film will be produced under the Happy Madison banner. This would be the second time that the production company and Sony have collaborated for a film. The two are currently working on another live-action adaptation of another Hasbro property, Candy Land.
As completely unnecessary as an adaptation of this property is, Sony Pictures President Bob Osher sees some value in making a big screen film based on the toy, and gave a somewhat inspiring reason why they are moving forward with it.
In its 65 years, TONKA has become more than a toy or a brand – TONKA trucks are a rite of passage for kids all around the world. Time spent with these toys creates memories that last a lifetime as kids are inspired to play using the boundaries of their imagination. We look forward to creating a family friendly motion picture that brings the TONKA experience to life.”
Fred Wolf is currently working on the script for the film. If the name sounds familiar, it is because he wrote that atrocious script for Grown Ups and is penning its sequel Grown Ups 2.
[Source: Deadline]
