Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) has partnered with Universal Pictures and Academy Award-winning producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldsman under his banner, Weed Road, to develop Monster High, a live-action theatrical film featuring an original story based on the popular fashion dolls imagined as the children of legendary monsters.
First introduced in 2010, Monster High immediately became a beloved expansive universe rich with inclusive storytelling and doll play, fostering a fandom that spans generations. The brand continues to encourage fans of all ages to embrace their authentic selves and what makes them unique.
Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Films, said, “Monster High helps fans discover the great beauty in being true to yourself and celebrates the unique sensibilities at the core of who we are as individuals. We’re proud to partner with Universal Pictures and the brilliant Akiva Goldsman to usher this important message to audiences worldwide.”
Goldsman, who is also a producer on Mattel Films’ Major Matt Mason starring Tom Hanks, added, “I’ve been fascinated by Monster High since my daughters were obsessed with the dolls as kids. I’m thrilled to once again join forces with Robbie Brenner and our friends at Mattel to help bring this iconic property to life.”
Goldsman is the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of A Beautiful Mind, whose critically acclaimed projects range from creator of The Crowded Room, showrunner of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and screenwriter of Cinderella Man, to producer of several films in the blockbuster Paranormal Activity franchise and the upcoming sequels to Constantine and I Am Legend.
Producers of Monster High are Brenner and Goldsman. Overseeing the project are Kevin McKeon and Arturo Thur De Koos for Mattel and Greg Lessans for Weed Road. Universal Pictures’ SVP of production Lexi Barta and creative executive of production development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project for the studio.
Mattel Film’s vision is to collaborate with leading filmmakers to make standout quality movies based on its iconic brands that will resonate in culture and appeal to global audiences. In addition to Monster High, Mattel Films has feature films in development for its IP including American Girl, Barney, Hot Wheels, Bob the Builder, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, UNO, View-Master, and Wishbone. Mattel Films is also developing Christmas Balloon, a holiday family drama based on all-new IP.
Goldsman is represented by CAA, TFC Management, and Hansen Jacobsen Teller.
Harvey Weinstein hit with new sex crime charge in New York
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new sex crime charge in New York, as he awaits retrial in his landmark #MeToo case.
Details of the new allegations were not immediately available. He was charged with committing a criminal sex act.
The jailed ex-movie mogul has long maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on additional sex crime charges that weren't part of the case that led to his now-overturned 2020 conviction. But the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment.
Prosecutors have said that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults — two in hotels in the Tribeca neighborhood and one at a lower Manhattan residential building. The purported incidents took place from the mid-2000s to 2016, prosecutors said.
But it's not clear whether any of those allegations underlie the new indictment.
While bracing for the new charges, Weinstein also is awaiting retrial after New York state's highest court this spring overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges involving two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, ordered a new trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the then-trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Prosecutors have said they'll seek to fold the new charges into the retrial, but Weinstein's lawyers say it should be a separate case.
Weinstein, who also was convicted in 2022 in a Los Angeles rape case, remains behind bars while awaiting his New York retrial.
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