It was inevitable that Hollywood would get the completely wrong idea from Barbie, with the Mattel adaptation rocketing to over $1.2 billion at the box office on the back of a viral marketing campaign, rave reviews, and the expectations that it would serve an underappreciated section of the theater-going audience.
True to form, it’s beginning to look as though the prognosis made by studio executives all across Tinseltown is that instead of making a good movie that just so happens to be based on an IP, the reason Barbie made so much money is because it was inspired by a toy, and thus every well-known doll, board game, and action figure on the face of the planet must be given similar treatment as a result.
Hasbro has tried and failed several times over to launch itself as a viable cinematic universe, but even after seven Transformers blockbusters, three disastrous attempts at G.I. Joe and the notorious Battleship, it hasn’t happened. And yet, the company ludicrously has upwards of 30 projects currently in various stages of development.
Among them include more Transformers naturally, alongside the likes of Dungeons & Dragons (despite Honor Among Thieves unfairly flopping), Nerf, Play-Doh, Magic The Gathering, Peppa Pig and My Little Pony. Barbie didn’t succeed because it’s a toy everybody knows and loves, it succeeded because it’s a feature film everybody knows and loves, but some folks just can’t seem to get the message through their heads regardless of how many times they’ve been told through dismal reactions and even worse ticket sales.