Matchbox Movie Cast Adds Jessica Biel to Star Opposite John Cena

The Matchbox movie cast is growing, with Deadline reporting that Jessica Biel is in talks to star alongside John Cena in the upcoming movie based on the legendary Matchbox brand.

Biel will appear alongside Cena — who was cast in the film earlier this year — in the movie that’s set to be written by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper. Like its name suggests, the movie will be based on the iconic real-world die-cast toy vehicle line from Mattel.

Biel rose to stardom in the late 1990s-early 2000s, where she starred in the hit family drama series 7th Heaven. Since then, she’s starred in a number of high-profile projects, including the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2012’s Hitchcock, and more.

In 2017, she starred in the USA Network limited drama series The Sinner, which earned her a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination.

What do we know about the Matchbox movie?

The live-action Matchbox movie will be directed by Sam Hargrave, who’s best known for helming Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction movies. Matchbox was created by automotive expert Jack Odell in 1953 for Lesney Products. In 1997, the toy brand was officially acquired by Mattel. The screenplay is co-written by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan) and Jonathan Tropper (The Adam Project). It hails from Apple Original Films, Skydance, and Mattel Films, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, and Robbie Brenner serving as producers.

“For nearly 70 years, Matchbox has carried enormous cultural relevance and inspired generations of kids to unleash their imaginations, combining what they see in the world every day with what they dream their own world to be,” Brenner said in a previous statement when the project was first announced back in 2022. “We look forward to working with our incredible partners at Skydance Media to craft a story for the big screen that evokes the same, imaginative spirit of this beloved Mattel franchise and delights fans of all ages.”

(Source: Deadline)