'Hot Wheels' Live-Action Film Steered By 'Wicked' Filmmaker Jon M. Chu
Though plot details have not been revealed, Mattel Studios president and chief content officer Robbie Brenner explained his rationale for choosing Chu: 'Jon's ability to craft rich, elaborate worlds with a distinct point of view makes him the ideal storyteller to bring Hot Wheels to life. His films are visual spectacles — true eye candy — but what sets them apart is how he weaves unforgettable narratives within those stunning frames.'
Meanwhile, Chu said in a statement, 'Hot Wheels has always been about more than speed — it's about imagination, connection, and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I'm excited to (…) create an adventure that honours Hot Wheels' legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new.'
The film, which was first announced over three years ago, will be produced by J. J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions and Chu's Electric Somewhere. Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, who have previously collaborated on Creed II and Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone , are to be the screenwriters.
The choice to adapt the Mattel toy line into a live-action film comes hot on the heels of Barbie's massive commercial success, which grossed US$1.44 billion in worldwide markets. With the newfound potential to convert children's toy lines into profitable ventures, Mattel has quickly gotten to work, slating Barney, Polly Pocket, the Uno card game, and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot for film adaptations as well. Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, and Ariana Grande behind-the-scenes on Wicked (2024)
Choosing Chu to take the helm for this new project may certainly prove to be the right decision for Mattel to achieve their money-making blockbuster vision, given his recent success with Wicked: Part One, which grossed US$750 million worldwide and garnered 10 Oscar nominations. Chu's repertoire is already expanding, with his name being attached to various projects in development, such as a Play-Doh animated film, a Britney Spears biopic, and a stage-to-screen adaptation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat .
Though Chu looks to have his hands full with the countless new projects he will be involved in, fans can look forward to him gunning his engine as he steers Hot Wheels towards commercial success.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Hot Wheels Jon M. Chu wicked movie Wicked Part 1
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4 hours ago
- Geek Culture
Fourth Time's The Charm With Fantastic Four Reimagination That Leads Directly Into ‘Avengers: Doomsday'
It's not often that a director gets invited to play around with a massive superhero universe, much less twice, but for director Matt Shakman, his second trip into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a departure from his original tenure with Marvel Studios, when he directed the Disney+ series, WandaVision (2021). The longtime television director, who directed all nine episodes of the series which marked the MCU's first foray into television, gets to reboot Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Fou r after two previous failed big-screen live-action incarnations (three if you count producer Roger Corman's unreleased 1994 version, and four if you count that there was a sequel for the second attempt) for the MCU. But instead of the film taking place in the MCU's Sacred Timeline, or main universe aka Earth 616, the events of The Fantastic Four: First Steps occur on Earth 828 in a separate reality, and there are no references to any existing events or characters from the massive 17-year-old franchise. In other words, audiences don't have to watch or read up on over 550 hours of content to get up to speed on things. Which gave Shakman, a long-time fan of Marvel Comics' First Family, a chance to get things right from the start, without the need to launch off an origin story for the superhero quartet. 'Yeah, I'm a huge Fantastic Four fan. Have been since I was a kid, so it was an honour to get to bring these characters to the MCU,' said the 49-year-old former child actor during a press conference for the movie, which marks the 37th overall film in the MCU, and the first film in Phase Six of the franchise. Director Matt Shakman on the set of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps . Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL. While the first two live-action incarnations were from 20th Century Fox, Marvel Studios couldn't include them in the MCU until parent company Disney acquired Fox in 2019, and by this time, another origin story would be counter-productive. Instead, the decision for the latest version was to bring the family back to the 1960s, as an homage to the comics which debuted in 1961. In fact, the reference to Earth 828 is also a tribute to Fantastic Four comic book artist and Marvel Comics' legend Jack Kirby, who was born on 28 August 1917 – 828 (in the United States, the month precedes the date when writing in numerical form). 'They're such public figures. They're sort of the leading lights of their age and their era that we would've heard about them if they were in the regular Marvel timeline. So we had to put them on a different universe and a different earth, which meant we had the chance to build this retro-future 1960s.' And building a retro-futuristic 1960s aesthetic wasn't new to Shakman, who learned from his time on WandaVision when the series revisited the different eras of sitcom television. 'The same energy and effort that we put into WandaVision to build all these specific sitcom realities, we put into building this incredibly authentic 1960s retro-future world that was a combination of Jack Kirby and Stanley Kubrick's 2001.' Though it might seem counterintuitive to build a new universe when there is already an established one as his playground, the approach was supported by Marvel Studios' head, Kevin Feige. 'We had a refrain that Matt would often use about, 'There's no homework required'. Everything you need to know about the Fantastic Four, you learn in the first 10 minutes of this movie, which is, they're a family, and they're humans, and they're emotional, and they have flaws, and they love each other, and they want to help,' says Feige. 'Vanessa [Kirby] said it's counter-culture, which is totally right. And it's sort of also counter-culture to take these very cool characters, and Pedro Pascal, who's arguably the coolest human alive, and make him cool in this movie because he's smart. And it was the combination of Shakman, his world building and the story that focused on family over the superpowers of heroes that drew the cast, led by Pedro Pascal ( The Last of Us ) as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby ( The Crown ) as his pregnant wife Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach ( The Bear ) as Ben Grimm / The Thing, and Joseph Quinn, ( Stranger Things Season 4) as Sue's younger brother, Johnny Storm / Human Torch. 'The first conversations Matt and I had were, you know, he already had for years had a vision of putting it into the '60s. And I remember being so blown away because the idea of trying to distil decades of stories into one movie for 2025, I mean, how do you choose?', recalls Kirby. 'I think Matt was so clear about that being at the heart of the comics as well as fundamentally wanting to tell a story about two parents and the fears that they have when their baby is coming along.' In building that family and friendship amongst the four actors, kismet also played a small part. Quinn was offered the role of Johnny, previously played by two MCU stars before they entered the franchise – Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan – when he was filming Gladiator II alongside Pascal. Filming took place between June 2023 and January 2024, with a gap caused by the 2023 Hollywood labour disputes. 'I had a walk with Pedro when we were doing the actors' strike. And I was in London and I was telling him about this offer that I had for this role, and I was very excited. And we walked from his hotel to my flat. And you were very gracious and very supportive. And it was a big opportunity for me, so I was very excited about doing it,' says Quinn of Pascal, who chimed in by adding, 'And (I was) swallowing my envy.' And as fate would have it, Quinn later learned that Pascal was in the running for the role of Reed, and there was a text exchange where, well, nothing was said. 'There was a text exchange, that Joe goes, 'Psst.', and I go, 'Shh', and he goes, 'You shh'.' says Pascal, to laughs from those in attendance at the press conference. 'When the wheels were in motion, I came up to him in Malta. I was like, 'Are you gonna do it?', and he was like, 'I think I'm gonna do it'. And I was just delighted. We got on so well in Malta and doing Gladiator II together, and so the prospect of doing this, going on this journey together, you know, there are worse people, far, far worse people to walk down a road with, I'd say,' explains Quinn. Perhaps what's fantastical about this journey is that The Fantastic Four: First Steps , the fourth version of Marvel's first superhero family, opens in the same month as Superman , the fourth live-action version of DC Comics' first superhero, and both are tracking well with audiences. James Gunn's new take on the iconic hero has grossed over US$400 million globally, and Shakman's iteration is tracking to perform as well, if not slightly better than Superman , in the coming weeks. Both have been viewed by fans as being faithful to the comic book source material, in their own respective ways, and it helps that the writers have had over 70 years of comic book stories to mine, including modern takes that stay faithful to the original incarnation, without angering the fan base. There's no greater example than in Kirby's Sue Storm, who is more than just a force-field-wielding scientist, but also an excellent political diplomat, loving partner, emotionally grounded leader, and most importantly, a pregnant mother. As the star shared during the global press conference, 'It always seemed to me kind of revolutionary to have this mother at the centre of this family, but also be absolutely part of the team, never left at home on her own.' Her performance draws from a decades-long evolution of the character, who was initially more passive and sidelined, though modern adaptations empowered her as time passed. Here, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps , she's front and centre, her motherhood not a liability but a superpower in its own right. 'I was already so passionate about her,' says Kirby. 'But it was so exciting to me, this idea of having this pregnant superhero, this working mother… Matt and Kevin were such huge champions of having her be as complex and as fierce and as loving and warm and all the things that I think the feminine really is.' Throughout the movie that sees the quartet battle Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, Shakman leans into the family dynamics in a 1960s setting inspired by Jack Kirby's original art and the sleek vision of Stanley Kubrick, and nowhere is this more visible than in Pascal's take on Reed Richards. 'My favourite thing about it was actually that this person who is so brilliant… doesn't really know how to understand the much more complex equation of relationships,' highlights The Last of Us star. This Reed is a man trying to baby-proof the cosmos because he's afraid to sit in the raw discomfort of vulnerability. He invites dangerous possibilities into his mind only because he seeks solutions to them, to safeguard his loved ones. Rather than being the aloof, emotionally detached genius seen in many comic arcs, Pascal's Reed is closer to the fragile Reed of Jonathan Hickman's run; brilliant, yes, but wracked with self-doubt. 'At the core,' Pascal remarks, 'Reed… is an incredible codependent. Without them, he doesn't know how to function. He's lost to his own brain.' Quinn, meanwhile, finds unexpected dimension in Johnny Storm, a character typically depicted as a brash, flame-flinging showboat. Here, however, the actor channels a more introspective energy. 'He's a bit of a searcher,' explains Quinn. 'He's looking for answers… All of these four characters are kind of sentenced to this idea of responsibility and superpower. And I think that he's looking for answers outside of it.' That existential yearning – a yearning for more than celebrity status and combustion – evokes later comic book arcs where Johnny struggles with identity in a world that treats him like a brand. Johnny is a character who has grown throughout his various runs in the source material, maturing not only as a person, but as a hero and a leader, and Quinn's take may already be giving us the beginning of that character journey. For Ebon Moss-Bachrach, the transformation into Ben Grimm, The Thing, was both literal and deeply emotional. '(There's) this tension between this, frankly, monstrous outside, and this very human, loyal, kind person on the inside,' Moss-Bachrach explains. 'Trying to put his inner life out there and be understood and hold onto his humanity is inherent to this character.' It's a sentiment rooted in Fantastic Four #51 , an early comic issue that explored Ben Grimm's characterisation, studying what it means to remain human when the world only sees the external appearance of a monster. Across the panel, that theme of identity and belonging resonated, not just in character, but among the cast themselves. Their off-screen relationships, apparent in their interactions during the press conference itself, mirror their on-screen dynamics. They rib each other, compliment each other, and most of all, trust each other. So sure is Marvel Studios' of this family, it has already signed the case for future appearances, but this time within the larger MCU Earth 616. Already, the film's mid-credits scene reveals what's to come, and with the production of the next Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday , some of the cast from earlier entries have already started filming, including those from this film. In fact, the cast had to take a break from that film to do publicity for this film, which ties directly into that one. 'Everybody here is tired because they've already shot half of their next appearance as these characters in Avengers: Doomsday ,' says Feige. In other words, there's no need for any homework to catch this movie, but be sure you watch this one before watching that one. Make Mine Marvel. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close.
Geek Culture
5 days ago
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'Borderlands 4' Nets Nintendo Switch 2 Version A Month After Main Release
Gearbox Entertainment's upcoming looter-shooter sequel, Borderlands 4 , has now landed a Nintendo Switch 2 version, with the game headed to the hybrid console on 3 October 2025, just one month after its main release. Taking to X/Twitter, Gearbox head Randy Pitchford announced the game's Nintendo Switch 2 launch date in his signature casual style, reminiscent of his previous reveal of the title's early release. In the clip, he addressed fan concerns that the Switch 2 version would not arrive anytime soon due to the lack of pre-order announcements, and cheekily set up the notion that it would not release this year, only to drop the reveal of its October launch right at the end. The announcement of Borderlands 4's Switch 2 launch date within the year will certainly be great news for fans eager to take the mayhem with them on the go, especially considering Gearbox's previous statements that the version would arrive later than other platforms. This was in part due to the team's decision to make a dedicated Switch 2 version of the game over a simple port, with Pitchford explaining that the hybrid console was 'a joy to work with' and that it was 'pretty astonishing how perfect [the] platform is for Borderlands 4 .' With Borderlands 4's early launch date of 12 September 2025 on the PlayStation, Xbox and PC, things are already looking pretty promising for the upcoming shooter sequel, which looks set to ramp up the mayhem fans know and love, with Pitchford and Gearbox Global Creative Executive Officer Andrew Reiner explaining during a previous interview with Geek Culture how the team is bringing the series back to its roots while expanding on core concepts. Now, with an early-than-expected release date on the Nintendo Switch 2, the game will also attract a brand new legion of fans when Borderlands 4 drops on the hybrid console on 3 October 2025. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Borderlands 4 Gearbox Entertainment Nintendo switch 2
Geek Culture
5 days ago
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Review
Superhero team movies resonate due to the diversity of powers and abilities, as well as the mash-up of personalities that bring group dynamics to the next level. From The Avengers and The Guardians of the Galaxy to The Incredibles, there's no denying that audiences love more than just a team-up, but also a strong group effort that shows results. And after three failed attempts at bringing Marvel's First Family onto the big screen, The Fantastic Four: First Steps homes in on that family connection to deliver one heck of a thrill ride to give the team the recognition it deserves. Marvel Studios' latest entry comes in as the second reboot of the film franchise and the 37th instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it also ushers in something absent from the massive franchise for a while – a story that needs no homework or knowledge to embrace the action and adventure on the big screen. After all, it's a familiar comic book adventure that has graced the big screen three times, minus an unreleased 1994 feature by B-Movie director Roger Corman – the Tim Story (Barbershop) duology in 2005 and 2007, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis, and Josh Trank's widely-panned 2015 reboot with Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell. Unlike its predecessors, this entry from director Matt Shakman (WandaVision) eschews an origin story for a new one that begins four years after the titular quartet assumes their heroic mantle. The switch-up is equal parts bold and fresh, fleshing out the more human aspects of balancing heroics with family drama, alongside some tweaks to characterisation. While a handful of missteps stand in its way, the film establishes an optimistic future for the superhero team, topping all previous releases to become the best on-screen portrayal of the Fantastic Four to date. With a simple recap of the quartet, audiences are introduced to Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us), his pregnant wife Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby, The Crown), Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear), and Johnny Storm / Human Torch (Joseph Quinn, Stranger Things Season 4), who return to Earth with powers after encountering a cosmic storm in a space exploration mission gone wrong. Now the protectors of the 1960s-inspired alternate universe known as Earth-828, they must defend it from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ralph Ineson, The Office) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner, Ozark). What sets this film apart isn't their special abilities, but that they form a family unit comprising two biological siblings, a husband-and-wife pair, and a long-time friend, and are as close-knit and accurate a definition of a superpowered family can be, accompanied by their fair share of dysfunction and eccentricities. Saving the world is a heavy responsibility to shoulder, so it certainly makes sense that superheroes aren't the shining example of the family ideal. What makes the Fantastic Four resonate is that while there are more things to worry about when lives are at stake, audiences are drawn to the vulnerability and emotional toll that these four constantly find themselves grappling with. Shakman's take shows it's also where their strength lies, as this is not the found family trope that brings a group of misfits plagued with unresolved trauma, emotional repression, and nearly every other unhealthy coping mechanism available (case in point: The Thunderbolts aka New Avengers, and some of The Avengers). Case in point? The calculative Richards knows what's at stake when Galactus sets his sights on Earth, and must balance his practicality and his love for his wife, while Sue must grapple with her brilliant husband recognising that there will always be an option when the needs of the many outweigh those of the few or one. The film pulls off its narrative through a retro-futuristic aesthetic, which it makes no secret of, with finesse, painting a whimsical picture representative of its colourful comic book nature. Those with background knowledge will also be familiar with the other part of the equation that sets Galactus and the Silver Surfer after the quartet: young baby Franklin, who makes his live-action debut here. Without giving anything away, the child of Reed and Sue harbours powerful potential, and that's never a good thing in the world of superheroes and supervillains. It's hardly the only instance of deviance, either. The main four are a little different from their previous counterparts, with Sue bringing some bite to her emotional intelligence and the usual archetype of a caring, goody mother. Meanwhile, her younger sibling adopts a more mature and smarter outlook that extends beyond his womaniser and 'himbo' personality established in the 20th Century Fox films. Ben is more self-assured, and Reed exudes a more dispassionate, almost-detached air than before. Maybe it also helps that the four are played by well-known and beloved actors who share the screen instead of hogging the limelight for themselves. Fundamentally, though, they are still the beloved characters fans have come to know and love: Reed, for instance, is sincere but struggles with personal connections, Johnny never misses a chance to work his charm or wit, Ben remains the same gruff, grumpy softie, and Sue is no less empathetic. In theory, the contrasting personalities of Reed and Sue are an ideal match. As cemented in the comic books and previous films, the former is the balm to the latter's instinct-driven approach, and both Pascal and Kirby command a strong presence in their respective roles – individually, at least. The pair work well enough together in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but their on-screen chemistry doesn't come across as electrifying, as compared to, say, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in James Gunn's Superman, but instead, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach's dynamics feel a lot more organic, from ribbing each other to exchanging mutual high-fives when things go their way. The shift to a family-oriented angle also offers room to explore the less glamorous and flashy aspects of superhero life, alongside glimpses into their everyday lives. Basking in their popularity and the warm support from the public, the superheroes are forced to live with the consequences of a difficult decision, which puts a strain on their relationship and brings them to a new low. Throw the stress of parenthood into the mix, and tensions are bound to run high. Of the four, the Storm siblings are the scene-stealers. Johnny gets to show off his intelligence, which was neglected or glossed over in the existing big-screen depictions, and Sue has her own moment that reinforces a parent's unwavering love for their child. It's a shame that they don't share many scenes, but the sense of domesticity during such moments lends itself nicely to the theme of family. A surprise standout here takes the form of H.E.R.B.I.E., the adorable robot voiced by Matthew Wood (Star Wars movies), who scuttles around the Fantastic Four's headquarters and helps out in day-to-day matters, from analysing scientific samples to even babysitting duties. Humour, too, contributes to the dysfunctional energy in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Although not as prominent or chaotic as expected, it gives personality to each of the characters: Ben is the master of deadpan delivery, Johnny's features a mix of dry and outright wit, and eye-rolling is Sue's go-to response. Not every joke sticks its landing, however, and some may find some of them too cheesy for their tastes. The focus on emotional storytelling highlights a chink in the armour, and that's the lack of superpowered action scenes – arguably the bread-and-butter of any comic book movie. Marvel's latest isn't the adrenaline fix that many have come to expect, and at first, seems to be saving the high-octane excitement for the end, only to fall short. A major chase scene with the Silver Surfer sees the complete absence of superpowers, as Marvel's first family flees in a spaceship, and the climax doesn't pack nearly enough weight. Make no mistake, for these sequences can be thrilling; it's just not enough of them, so action-seeking audiences will have to temper their expectations. And speaking of the Herald of Galactus, this character isn't the same one from the earlier attempt. Making her live-action debut is Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner, Ozark), whose comics counterpart is the love interest of Norrin Radd, another Silver Surfer incarnation who appeared in 1994's Fantastic Four. Garner slips into the role deftly, with her expressions conveying a nuance that colours her backstory and adds to the theme of sacrifice. There's little doubt that the special effects in The Fantastic Four: First Steps are impressive. Barring a particular scene where Johnny's flames look unpolished, the outer space sequences are an arresting sight to witness, especially on an IMAX screen. Previously introduced in 2007's The Rise of Silver Surfer as an underwhelming cosmic cloud, the Devourer of Worlds now returns in his comic-accurate, mighty form, brought to life through Ineson's severe, intimidating tone. Alas, the story proves to be its weakest link. While it's hardly the top priority for superhero flicks, serving as more of a welcome bonus than a core requirement, the film reveals a handful of narrative holes that counteract its efforts to avoid them. Case in point: a major scene uses the common tactic of baiting the enemy, only to turn it on its head. Elsewhere, though, the inconsistent subversion invites the usual pitfalls and tropes, including overly convenient resolutions, villain monologues, plot armour, unrealistic turnaround of time-consuming solutions (yes, superhero movies aren't meant to be realistic, but even this is still a bit of a stretch), and the flimsy unravelling of the Silver Surfer's motivations and actions. For all of its minor shortcomings, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is easily the best on-screen homage that Marvel's first family deserves. Buoyed by strong individual performances, impressive visual effects, and a fine balance of humour and heart, the comic book romp delivers an enjoyable watch, although action-seekers may leave the cinemas craving a little more adrenaline. GEEK REVIEW SCORE Summary What time is it? It's clobbering family feels time! The Fantastic Four: First Steps turns a well-trodden trope into a spectacle of emotional storytelling, fresh-yet-familiar characterisation, and heart, compensating for its reduced superhero action volume. Overall 8/10 8/10 Story - 7/10 7/10 Direction - 8/10 8/10 Characterisation - 8.5/10 8.5/10 Geek Satisfaction - 8.5/10 8.5/10
