{EXCLUSIVE} Mattel Is Interested In A “Dino-Riders” Film

〉Mattel is ready to harness the power of dinosaurs

Solipsist Film and Mattel have teamed up in order to bring some competition to Hasbro’s Transformers franchise. A DINO-RIDERS movie is in development, with Alissa Phillips and Stephen L’Heureux producing for Solipsist.

For those of you who may require a recap of the Dino-Riders mythology: In a futuristic war, the evolved human race known as the Valorians are trying to save the galaxy from Krulos and his army of mixed-species Rulons. In an effort to escape a Rulon onslaught, Questar, the leader of the Valorians, turns on a machine that takes them all back in time to prehistoric Earth. Once there, the war continues with the Valorians using their psychic abilities to convince dinosaurs to aid them, and the Rulons using machinery to enslave dinosaurs to fight for them. The series was originally developed in a marketing effort to sell a line of Tyco toys (now owned by Mattel) by the same name.

The premise seems about as believable as robots that turn into cars, and could give the multiple Transformers sequels and spinoffs currently in development a run for their money–assuming a solid script can be crafted out of the 14-episode animated series. Sources tell us that the angle would target the family demographic, with a strong action-adventure storyline.

Producers are currently looking for the right scribe to give their take on the concept, but as of today, there is no news of it being set up at any studio. Universal would be a great choice, since they already distribute all of the home-video adaptations for Mattel’s Barbie, Monster High, and Hot Wheels toy lines, but they’re likely preoccupied with another dinosaur-centric franchise, Jurassic World. Perhaps a rival studio seeking to cash in on some of that terrible lizard-love could present some competition in the dinosaur space.

—TO SEE ALL THE PROJECT DETAILS CLICK HERE—

Lance Boyle | Staff Writer

THE TRACKING BOARD

Hollywood's Insider Information