American Girl Dolls Coming to the Big Screen
By Movieguide® Contributor
From shelves to the big screen, American Girl dolls are slated to get their own movie in the coming years.
“Mattel Films announced plans to produce another toy-centric flick with Paramount Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment, based on the American Girl dolls,” Variety reported.
Lindsay Anderson Beer is set to write the screenplay.
“Growing up, my sister and I were American Girl girls,” Anderson Beer stated in a press release. “I had Kirsten, and she had Molly. They didn’t feel like dolls to play with, rather real people whose worlds we got to imagine ourselves in. They are historically accurate toys and accessories that feature elaborate and immersive backstories uniquely suited to bring to screen.”
“I am so excited to tell a story that tackles the issues of girlhood in a real and compelling way, and proud to partner with Mattel Films, Paramount Pictures and Temple Hill to create the American Girl movie I have wanted to see since childhood,” she added.
“American Girl is a beloved franchise, rich in history and storytelling with millions of devoted fans,” Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Films, said. “Through dolls, books, live experiences, and television movies, the brand has captured hearts for decades. We are excited to continue Mattel Films’ momentum and collaborate with Paramount Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment and Lindsey Anderson Beer to bring American Girl to life on the big screen.”
“The American Girl doll line started in the late ’80s, and features dolls with historically accurate backgrounds, the idea being they represent different eras of American history. The line included supplementary books about the dolls’ lives. The first three dolls in the line — Molly, Samantha, and Kirsten — represented the World War II era, turn-of-the-century America, and 19th century farmland, respectively,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote.
While the movie has great potential to tell a compelling story, the studios and filmmakers behind the project should remember that tradition and moral values made the American Girl brand successful in the first place.
Hopefully, they can hold on to these ideas throughout the movie, as family-friendly movies earn more at the box office.