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A Mattel toy becomes a film
Matchbox: The Movie is based on the Matchbox brand, which originated in 1953. Its release followed the success of Barbie, which helped draw attention to audience interest in movies based on toys.
Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was both a box-office hit and a critical favorite. It received eight Academy Award nominations and won one, for Best Original Song.
Streaming success despite reviews
Matchbox: The Movie began streaming on October 9 and received poor reviews. Shawn Van Horn wrote that “the stellar cast deserves so much better than this,” referring to the ensemble led by John Cena.
Despite the critical response, the film passed 30 days in Apple TV’s U.S. top ten. It also ranked as the platform’s most-watched movie worldwide at the time reported.
Cast and filmmakers
Alongside Cena, the cast includes Sam Richardson, Jessica Biel, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris and Danai Gurira. Sam Hargrave, director of Extraction, directed the film. David Coggeshall wrote the screenplay. The film’s streaming performance has made it popular even as reviews have been unfavorable.
Key points
- Matchbox: The Movie spent more than 30 days in Apple TV’s U.S. top ten.
- The film ranked as Apple TV’s most-watched movie worldwide at the time reported.
- The Matchbox toy brand began in 1953.
- John Cena leads a cast that includes Jessica Biel and Sam Richardson.