The Barbie Movie was a massive success for Mattel. As well as bringing the toy maker a windfall in its share of box office revenue plus intellectual property payments, Greta Gerwig’s film helped keep Barbie dolls relevant for a new generation more than 60 years after they were first produced.
It’s understandable, then, that Mattel’s now rummaging around to see what else it can find to bring to the big screen. There are already Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels and Uno movies in the works. That seemed to leave few assets left to milk, but Mattel’s found another candidate sitting dusty and forgotten at the back of its toy cupboard: the View-Master.
Three generations of View-Master 3-D Viewer (Image credit: Fisher-Price via Getty Images)
Just when we thought things couldn’t get any weirder than a movie about a card game, Mattel’s decided to team up with Escape Artists (its partner on the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie) and Sony Pictures to make a film about a stereoscope: a retro device for viewing 3D images.
The View-Master is even older than Barbie, having been first launched in the 1930s. The famous red ‘model G’ was released in the 60s, and it delighted generations of kids with its slide reels, each carrying seven images.
But while View-Masters are lovely devices, they don’t exactly have the personality of a movie protagonist. It also seems a strange choice of star considering that Mattel doesn’t currently list View-Master in its portfolio or sell any View-Master products.
It came to own View-Master mainly by accident in 1997 when it merged with Tyco. It did try to relaunch the brand with Google in 2015 in the form of the View-Master Virtual Reality Viewer, but the smartphone-linked device flopped and was discontinued in 2019.
View-Master® Virtual Reality TV Commercial – YouTube
Mattel Films president Robbie Brenner said in a statement: “View-Master has inspired generations to embark on boundless adventures, offering a treasure trove of storytelling possibilities for this film.” There isn’t any more detail than that, which leaves room for plenty of speculation.
I’m imagining a documentary. A kid picks up her View-Master and is transported to stunning places around the world, where she learns about each location’s fascinating history and geology.
Too educational for Mattel? OK, so how about… it’s 1939, the first View-Master has been released and an explorer has made a reel with seven images that provide clues to the location of the Ark of the Covenant? Only a tweed-suited archaeology professor can can stop the View-Master reel from falling into the hands of the Nazis. Mattel, get on the phone to Lucasfilm now.
OK, OK, so how about a living, talking View-Master gets tired of merely showing spectacular scenes to its owners and decides to venture out into the world to see the seven sites on his reel only to become depressed when it discovers that they don’t look the way they did in 1939 because of overtourism and global warming.
No? I’ve no idea then, but Mattel, if you’re reading, drop me a line if you need a scriptwriter.
Meanwhile, in more movie news, the Wicked poster design continues to stir controversy.
