M. Night Shyamalan will direct a scripted, live-action TV show based on Mattel’s famous Magic 8 Ball toy.
The project is written by Brad Falchuk, the co-creator of “Glee,” “American Horror Story,” the “911” series and more television titans.
Shyamalan, the horror master behind “The Sixth Sense,” “The Village” and last year’s “Trap,” made the announcement on Instagram, posting a script that reads: “Magic 8 Ball Season 1 ‘Pilot.’” He and Falchuk serve as co-creators on the series, which is produced by Mattel Studios.
“Been working on this for a couple years… Who’s in?” Shyamalan asked in the caption, with the hashtag “It Is Certain,” nodding to a popular response from the fortune-telling device.
It’s unclear who will distribute the “Magic 8 Ball” series, or whether talent is yet attached.
Invented in 1946, the Magic 8 Ball is a black sphere that, when shaken, provides “advice” in response to yes-or-no questions. After you ask the toy a question and shake it, an answer will appear. Responses range from affirmative (“Without a doubt”) to neutral (“Ask again later”) to negative (“My sources say no”).
Mattel has buffed up its film and television divisions after the launch of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” a $1.4 billion-grossing blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the plastic toys. Mattel Television had previously produced various TV shows based on Barbie, Polly Pocket, Masters of the Universe, Thomas the Train, Pictionary, Hot Wheels and other IP.
On the film side, the company is producing the “Masters of the Universe” movie starring Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes, due in 2026. Plenty of other projects are in development, including a Hot Wheels movie; a Barney film written by Ayo Edebiri and produced by Daniel Kaluuya; a live-action Matchbox movie; a Polly Pockets film with Lena Dunham and Lily Collins; and a Vin Diesel title based on the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots toy.
variety.com
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