Vin Diesel & Universal Team for Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots Film

Vin Diesel & Universal team for Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots film

After working with the studio for the past 20 years on the hit Fast & Furious and Chronicles of Riddick franchises, Vin Diesel is partnering up with Universal once again to star in and produce a film adaptation of Mattel’s iconic tabletop boxing game Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The action-adventure film is being written by Ryan Engle and will center on a father and son who form an unlikely bond with an advanced war machine. Engle has made a name for himself in the action blockbuster genre, having co-written the Dwayne Johnson-led adaptation of Rampage at Warner Bros. and the Liam Neeson vehicles Non-Stop at Universal and The Commuter at Lionsgate.

Diesel is set to produce the film alongside Samantha Vincent via his One Race Films production banner, which signed a first-look deal with the studio back in 2011, while Kevin McKeon is set to oversee development of the project for Mattel, who will produce with Universal.

Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots is the latest intellectual property from Mattel to enter development on a film project, with Universal working on an adaptation of hit ’90s series Wishbone while Warner Bros. is at work on the Margot Robbie-led Barbie and Hot Wheels, MGM developing American Girl and View-Master, Blumhouse preparing a horror take on the Magic 8-Ball, Marc Forster producing a new Thomas & Friends and many more.

While fans still eagerly await the release of F9: The Fast Saga in June, Diesel’s dance card proves to be quite full already, having signed on to the first two sequels in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, the first of which is currently in post-production and slated for a December 2022 release, set to appear as Groot in Thor: Love and Thunder and the long-awaited third Guardians of the Galaxy and a sequel to his other superhero venture Bloodshot at DMG Entertainment.

(Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)