Hollywood, get ready—because Danai Gurira and John Cena are about to team up for the most high-stakes, toy-inspired cinematic masterpiece since someone decided to give Barbie an existential crisis.
Yes, you heard that right! The 46-year-old Wakandan warrior and the 47-year-old king of invisible memes (seriously, has anyone actually seen John Cena?) are joining forces for Matchbox, Apple Original Films’ upcoming live-action adventure based on the iconic Mattel car toys. Because why let Hot Wheels have all the fun?
🎬 Directed by Sam Hargrave (a.k.a. the guy who made Chris Hemsworth do insane stunts in Extraction), the movie is described as an “action-packed, globetrotting adventure”—so expect explosions, car chases, and at least one dramatic slow-motion scene where John Cena walks away from fire without looking back.
But wait—there’s more! This isn’t just about cars doing sick drifts. The plot follows a group of childhood friends who reunite to stop a worldwide disaster (because obviously, only people with a shared history of eating glue in kindergarten can save the world). Along the way, they’ll rediscover the true meaning of friendship, which is code for at least one emotional speech and a nostalgic flashback scene.
And it’s not just Gurira and Cena in this turbo-charged rollercoaster—Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro are also jumping in on the action. If this cast were a Matchbox set, it’d be the Limited Edition, Extremely Cool, Collector’s Pack—not that one random, slightly dented toy car stuck at the bottom of the bargain bin.
Filming kicks off this winter in Hungary and Slovakia, which means we’ll get beautiful European backdrops, possibly some exotic car chases, and at least one scene where someone dramatically says, “We’re running out of time!” in a crowded city square.
For the record, Matchbox cars have been around since 1953 and joined the Mattel family in 1997. So, if you spent your childhood launching tiny metal cars off furniture ramps while making explosion sounds with your mouth, congrats—your childhood nostalgia is now a major motion picture.
Fasten your seatbelts, because Matchbox is coming, and it’s about to hit the gas on pure, action-packed ridiculousness. 🚗💨
