‘Action Man’ Movie in the Works as Iconic British Toy Heads to the Big Screen

One of Britain’s most famous action figures is heading to the big screen. After decades as a popular toy, ‘Action Man’ is officially being developed into a live-action movie, giving the classic character a chance to reach a whole new generation of fans.

According to Variety, the project is currently in development at Working Title, one of the United Kingdom’s biggest film studios, together with Hasbro, which owns the rights to the brand. The announcement marks the latest effort by Hasbro to expand its toy properties into movies following projects based on franchises like ‘Transformers’ and ‘G.I. Joe.’

The screenplay is being written by Simon Hatt and Anthony Sellitti. Hatt previously worked at Marvel Studios, where he served as an executive producer on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Sellitti is known for his work as a writer on Marvel Animation’s ‘X-Men ’97.’ Their experience with action and comic book-style storytelling makes them an interesting choice to bring the famous toy to theaters.

Jeremy Latcham is producing the film. Latcham is another former Marvel executive with an impressive list of credits that includes ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ and ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.’

Action Man first arrived in stores in the United Kingdom in 1966. While many people remember it as a uniquely British toy, its origins actually go back to Hasbro’s ‘G.I. Joe’ action figure, which launched in the United States two years earlier. The original Action Man was based on G.I. Joe but was redesigned for British audiences with uniforms, accessories, and military themes inspired by the United Kingdom’s armed forces.

Over the years, the brand continued to evolve. Hasbro relaunched Action Man in 1993 with a more modern design inspired by the G.I. Joe Hall of Fame collection. In 2006, the company celebrated the toy’s 40th anniversary by releasing reproduction versions of several classic Action Man figures for longtime collectors.

The character also appeared in an animated television series. However, according to Variety, the cartoon was only released on home video in the United Kingdom because of broadcasting rules surrounding children’s advertising at the time.

While Action Man has never received a live-action adaptation before, its American counterpart has already made several trips to theaters. The first film, ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,’ debuted in 2009 and earned around $302 million worldwide. A sequel, ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ followed in 2013 and performed even better, reaching approximately $375.7 million globally.

The franchise later returned with the 2021 spin-off ‘Snake Eyes,’ but that film struggled at the box office, earning only about $40 million worldwide despite carrying a reported production budget between $88 million and $110 million. Plans for another movie, titled ‘G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant,’ have since stalled.

Even so, Hasbro continues looking for new ways to bring its toy brands to film audiences, and Action Man now joins that growing list of adaptations.

Few story details about the new movie have been revealed, and there is currently no director, cast, or release date attached to the project. It also remains unclear whether the film will have any connection to the existing ‘G.I. Joe’ movies or tell a completely standalone story.

Variety reported the project is still in its early stages, while its sister publication, The Hollywood Reporter, was first to break the news that the movie was in development.

For fans who grew up with the iconic British action figure, the announcement represents the biggest step yet in bringing Action Man to cinemas. As development continues, more information about the film’s story, casting, and production timeline is expected to be announced in the future.

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