As master toy licensee, Mattel will take on Speed Racer and the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight—both out next summer—in categories including: vehicles, action figures, action play, remote control vehicles, handheld electronics and games and puzzles.
Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix creators), Speed Racer is a live-action adventure film based on the classic anime series, first created by Japanese anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshido in the 1960s as a manga series, following the adventures of the young race car, a Mach 5 race car. Inspired by Mach 5, the Hot Wheels brand will offer a wide assortment of die-cast vehicles, race sets and track sets as well as additional R/C vehicles, modeled after the famous car, from Tyco. Radica, Mattel’s games and electronics division, will develop a line of games and puzzles, including a special-edition UNO card game. Speed Racer products are expected to arrive in retail late March 2008.
[Playthings.com]