The Fast and the Furious star Vin Diesel is adding writer to the list of jobs he'll take on for Mattel Studios' Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots movie. Diesel was initially attached to the project back in 2021 as a producer and lead actor, and now Mattel has confirmed he'll also be behind the script.
"Vin is a powerhouse storyteller with an unmatched understanding of action, heart, and world-building," says Mattel Studios president and chief content officer Robbie Brenner (via Deadline). "His creative vision for Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is bold, human, and deeply cinematic - exactly the kind of storytelling we love at Mattel Studios."
Even if you never played Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots as a kid, you probably know its core mechanism, which has been adapted to feature numerous pop culture characters alongside the Red Rocker and the Blue Bomber, the two fighting robots who started it all. Each player uses a rudimentary control stick to make their robot punch and move, winning by punching the enemy bot square in the jaw, causing its head to pop up off its shoulders.
"I am excited to expand the Mattel universe by bringing this classic toy from my childhood to a modern audience by telling a story that examines the role of competition in a world often measured by strength and dominance that dares to reveal the power of compassion at its core," says Diesel.
By hiring Vin Diesel to write the film alongside his other jobs, it seems as though Mattel is aiming for the same kind of auteur approach that made Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie a cultural sensation back in 2023. Whether that will succeed with Diesel at the wheel remains to be seen, but the action star certainly seems to have some kind of vision for the film.
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots doesn't have a release date yet. In the meantime, stay up to date on all the most exciting new movies coming in 2025 and beyond.
