Yahoo Lifestyle Teyonah Parris Joins John Cena in ‘Matchbox’ Movie From Apple and Skydance
“The Marvels” and “They Cloned Tyrone” star Teyonah Parris is jumping into the world of Mattel’s matchbox cars for Apple Original Films’ upcoming movie, “Matchbox.”
The live-action film, based on the die-cast toy vehicle line, stars John Cena and Parris joins an expanding cast that also includes Jessica Biel and Sam Richardson.
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“Extraction” filmmaker Sam Hargrave is set to direct based on a screenplay by David Coggeshall (“The Family Plan,” “Orphan: First Kill”) and Jonathan Tropper (upcoming “Your Friends and Neighbors,” “The Adam Project,” “Warrior,” “See”). The film will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger and Robbie Brenner for Mattel Films.
“Matchbox” will follow a group of childhood friends who must work together to stop an impending worldwide disaster and rediscover their friendship along the way.
The film is inspired by Mattel’s popular toy vehicle line, which were invented in 1953 by automotive enthusiast Jack Odell. Odell’s daughter was allowed to take a toy to school only if it was small enough to fit in a matchbox and when her schoolmates began clamoring for their own “matchbox car,” the brand was born. Today, Mattel reports, two Matchbox cars are sold every second somewhere around the world.
Parris boards the film after a strong 2023, which saw her starring opposite John Boyega and Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s conspiracy caper “They Cloned Tyrone,” directed by Juel Taylor. She also brought MCU superhero Monica Rambeau from “WandaVision” to the big screen, teaming up with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel in Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels.”
The Juilliard graduate’s resume also includes Spike Lee’s “Chi-Raq” the Sundance hit “Dear White People,” “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Candyman,” as well as TV series like “Mad Men” and “Survivor’s Remorse.” She’ll next be seen in the Netflix series “No Good Deed,” which features an ensemble cast led by Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano.
Parris is represented by CAA, Color Creative and Fox Rothschild LLP.
The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.
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