I’m trying very hard to think of something witty or snarky to say here, folks, but I think this news might have just broke me for good. MGM and Mattel are teaming up for a View-Master movie, based on the 75-year-old toy that gives users the chance to slam their eyes up against a pair of plastic goggles and look at 3D pictures printed on a paper wheel. And this isn’t the first time Mattel has tried to get a View-Master movie going, because just like a View-Master picture wheel, what goes around comes around.
I blame The LEGO Movie for this. When that project was first announced, everyone scoffed. “A movie about LEGOs? Laughable!” we all said, and then sipped champagne in our tuxedoes. But then the movie came out, and it was pretty good! And then Hollywood got the bright idea to make even more movies based on toys. So thanks a lot, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Thanks to your talent, we’re now getting a View-Master movie. What the hell will a View-Master movie be about? I don’t know. And it doesn’t seem like anyone involved with his project does, either, because the official announcement makes no mention of plot or characters.
“Since the 1940s, View-Master has inspired wonder and joy in children of all ages, creating huge opportunities for storytelling,” said Robbie Brenner, Mattel’s head of film (via THR). “MGM Pictures has tremendous expertise and a proven track record in capturing audiences’ imagination through film, and we’re proud to be partnering with them to bring another Mattel franchise to theaters. This marks another important milestone as we transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”
Jonathan Glickman, MGM’s motion picture group president, added: “View-Master was the first device that allowed families all over the world to escape their reality and take them places they never thought they could go. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Mattel to create a family adventure integrating the old school turn and click stereotypic device with the modern world of virtual reality.”
View-Master was invented in the late 1930s as a way of bringing tourist attractions to people who couldn’t afford to travel. By looking through the View-Master, users were able to look at colorful, eye-popping 3D photos of exotic locals. In the 1950s, the View-Master became a children’s fave due to a licensing deal with Disney, enabling kids to look at reels featuring Disney characters and the newly-opened Disneyland. Now, it looks like View-Masters have become heavily advanced, complete with VR-simulation, apps, and headphones. Kids these days, they’re spoiled, I tell ya!
Back in 2009, rumors of a potential View-Master movie surfaced, with DreamWorks producing and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci potentially writing. That project never happened, but I guess you just can’t keep a good View-Master movie down. Anyway, I’m sure in a few years, View-Master: The Movie will win Best Picture
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