Sony Pictures Entertainment and Mattel Studios officially snagged Zootopia screenwriter Phil Johnston to pen the script for their upcoming View-Master movie. Johnston is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who has served as a writer, director, producer and voice actor throughout his storied Hollywood career. Aside from his work on Zootopia, he’s also known for writing Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, its sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s dark buddy cop comedy, The Brothers Grimsby.
Based on the children’s toy that has whisked users away into a 2-D — and later 3-D — world of intriguing images from around the world since 1939, the unexpected flick will be produced by Robbie Brenner on behalf of Mattel and Todd Black, Steve Tisch, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw of Escape Artists Productions.
“View-Master was one of my favorite toys when I was a kid (still is), because it gave me a chance to explore faraway worlds without ever leaving my room,” Johnston said, per Deadline. “I would escape into those slides for hours at a time, and no one would yell at me for staring. I want to bring the wonder I felt as a bowl-haired kid in the ’80s to the big screen now.”
Senior Executive of Film for Mattel, Tom McNulty, called the View-Master “simple,” yet “pure magic,” as it opened up a “world beyond imagination” to those who used it.
“It’s an incredible honor to have the brilliant Phil Johnston, one of the most soulful and inventive storytellers in film, at the helm of the View-Master reimagining. Building on our wonderful collaboration with Todd and Jason at Escape Artists on Masters of the Universe and now joining forces with Sony Pictures Entertainment, we’re thrilled for the opportunity to bring a timeless classic into a bold new era—and to inspire new audiences to see the world with wonder.”
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
