John Cena has been cast in ‘Matchbox’.
The 47-year-old actor will star in a live-action film produced by Skydance, Apple Original Films, and Mattel Films based on the toy brand’s renowned vehicle line.
Sam Hargrave, the director of ‘Extraction’, will direct the picture, while David Coggeshall (‘The Deliverance’) and Jonathan Tropper (‘The Adam Project’) will write the screenplay.
‘Matchbox’ will be Mattel’s third foray into Hollywood, following the release of the Margot Robbie-starring ‘Barbie’ last year, with its next project, a live-action ‘Masters of the Universe’ blockbuster, due to hit theaters in 2026.
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The former WWE star was most recently seen in Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Jackpot!’, where he acted alongside Awkwafina.
Despite enjoying his time on the set, the ‘F9’ actor revealed he had to take extra precautions for a scene with his co-star, wearing a “prosthetic” nose when Awkwafina punched him in the face.
He shared this with The Hollywood Reporter: “I really think the setup for it was fun and when she actually did it and we did the gag, it looked great and it plays well in the movie.”
The former wrestler told the ‘Shangi-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ actress to simply “swing for the fences,” and she did just that.
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While some of the parts in the film were difficult, Awkwafina stated that she enjoyed creating the film and was grateful for the opportunity to work with Cena.
She told Total Film magazine, “John was very amusing on set. There were a handful of times when John said something that made me completely lose it, and everyone else did as well…”
The ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ star also expressed her admiration for the ‘Jackpot!’ storyline, calling it “unique”.
She explained, “When I initially read the script, I thought it was unusual from the normal, run-of-the-mill, 24-hour action comedies. The film is one-of-a-kind, with genuine emotion.
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