Vin Diesel’s Next Big Movie Franchise Gets a Worrying Update (Will It Actually Happen?)

Vin Diesel has become a worldwide icon thanks to his ability to create successful franchises. The Fast Saga is a long-running phenomenon, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the Star Wars of an entire generation, and Diesel even scored a cult-hit with the Pitch Black/Riddick franchise, as well. That said, not everything that Vin Diesel wants to do, cinematically, ends up happening or succeeding. And in fact, one project that Vin Diesel has very much wanted to make, for years, is getting an update, and it’s an interesting one, for sure.

According to the latest reports, Vin Diesel is going to be writing the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots movie for Mattel Studios. This would increase his involvement in the project from starring and producing to writing, starring, and producing, which is pretty much the max trifecta one performer can take on with a major blockbuster project.

Vin Diesel has been attached to a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots project since early 2021, through his One Race Film production house. One Race’s Samantha Vincent will co-produce the film, with Darian Greenbaum and Andrew Scannell attached on behalf of Mattel Studios. In a new statement, Vin Diesel said, “I am excited to expand the Mattel universe by bringing this classic toy from my childhood to a modern audience by telling a story that examines the role of competition in a world often measured by strength and dominance that dares to reveal the power of compassion at its core.”

The actor also got an endorsement from Robbie Brenner, President and Chief Content Officer at Mattel Studios. “Vin is a powerhouse storyteller with an unmatched understanding of action, heart, and world-building. His creative vision for Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots is bold, human, and deeply cinematic—exactly the kind of storytelling we love at Mattel Studios.”

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But will this Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots movie actually come to fruition? Diesel hopping on the script is far from a guaranteed stamp of quality. Diesel has only a few directorial or screenwriter credits, the biggest being his 1997 film Strays, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. He also co-wrote and directed the Fast Saga short film Los Bandoleros, which is a bridge between the events of Fast & Furious and Fast Five.

There’s been more muted enthusiasm for a project like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots due to other films having covered similar ground. The most glaring case is that of Real Steel (2011), the film from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, which starred Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman as a washed-up boxer who gets into robot boxing to make a few bucks, but instead finds the sport is bringing him closer to his estranged son. Real Steel gave Levy a much wider fandom after helming the Night at the Museum movies, precisely because of how he mixed genuine family drama with eye-catching sci-fi action and spectacle. After that film, it’s been hard to really see what a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots movie would be able to offer – especially since the tabletop game isn’t even remotely as popular as it was when Diesel was a kid who cherished it.