{"id":452150,"date":"2026-02-03T23:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T23:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/452150\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T23:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T23:37:07","slug":"mattel-is-making-a-tony-the-tattooed-man-movie-for-some-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/452150\/","title":{"rendered":"Mattel Is Making A Tony The Tattooed Man Movie, For Some Reason"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barbie maker Mattel announced that it\u2019s planning to make a live-action movie based on Tony the Tattooed Man, one of the company\u2019s biggest flops ever. It\u2019s yet another example of the toy giant tossing everything at the wall as it desperately tries to create another Barbie<\/a>-sized movie success.<\/p>\n

On February 3, Deadline confirmed that Mattel<\/a> has teamed up with up-and-coming director Tracie Laymon to develop a live-action film based on the toy maker\u2019s failed 1992 product. The toy, which was quickly pulled from shelves after parents complained<\/a>, allowed children to cover a nearly nude man in tattoos that could also be applied to kids themselves.<\/p>\n

Making a movie out of this toy is a wild idea that seems destined to fail, assuming it ever even happens. But things get even wilder and funnier when you read the quotes Mattel and the director provided to Deadline about the toy and the film. These are all real, folks!<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter seeing Bob Trevino Likes It [Laymon\u2019s recent Sundance flick] and the specificity and emotional depth that Tracie brings to her characters, I knew that she was the perfect person to develop Tony the Tattooed Man,\u201d said Robbie Brenner, Mattel Studios\u2019 President and Chief Content Officer. \u201cIt\u2019s a story that feels especially relevant today, one that explores looking beyond first impressions and leading with empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, we are talking about a toy that nobody remembers, that Mattel only released in an odd attempt to appeal to boys, and which flopped so hard that buying these figures online is tricky, as they are considered somewhat rare and collectible. With that in mind, let\u2019s check out what the film\u2019s director and writer had to say about the project:<\/p>\n

\u201cI was immediately drawn to Tony the Tattooed Man from the minute I saw his name and then learned about his short-lived journey as a discontinued toy,\u201d said Laymon. \u201cHis story is a reminder of the healing power of second chances and not judging a book \u2013 or a person \u2013 by their cover, a message I believe the world needs right now. It is an honor to partner with Mattel, who are true allies for artists, on a film that will help restore our faith in humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read those last few words again and truly ponder them. A movie based on Tony the Tattooed Man will \u201chelp restore our faith in humanity.\u201d We really do live in the weirdest and worst timeline, huh?<\/p>\n

Perhaps this is all just a way for the people involved to try to get folks talking about the movie. If that\u2019s the case, it worked. Then again, I\u2019ve heard plenty of execs talk earnestly about the dumbest stuff, so I know all of this could also be genuine. Well, as genuine as this crap can be. It all feels like this is a deleted scene from Apple TV\u2019s The Studio<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anyway, good luck, Mattel. I bet this movie will definitely match the success and cultural impact of 2023\u2019s Barbie<\/a>. I mean, I won\u2019t make that bet, but if you want to waste your money on it, go ahead. I\u2019ll be there to see whatever arrives in theaters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Barbie maker Mattel announced that it\u2019s planning to make a live-action movie based on Tony the Tattooed Man,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":452151,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[4527,49,48,75,48145,337,185934],"class_list":["post-452150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-barbie","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-mattel","tag-movies","tag-tony-the-tattooed-man"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=452150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/452151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=452150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=452150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=452150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}