Polly Pocket is the latest toy line to be getting a film adaptation. Lily Collins will portray the doll in a live-action film that will be directed by Lena Dunham.
Mattel Films, the film division of the toy company, is working with MGM and Dunham’s production company Good Thing Going on the project, which will revolve around a young girl and a pocket-sized woman who form a friendship.
Polly Pocket was first designed in 1983 and are similar to other brands like Barbie and Bratz. The original toys were plastic cases that opened to form a dollhouse or something similar with Polly Pocket figurines inside. A 1998 redesign eschewed the smaller dolls in favour of bigger ones, which are still produced today.
“As a child who was obsessed with Polly Pocket, this is a real dream come true and I can’t wait to bring these tiny toys to the big screen”, said Collins in a statement. Dunham added:
“Polly Pocket was responsible for countless hours of childhood escapism for me – Polly gave me a tiny world of magic and autonomy to narrate, so it’s pretty poetic to be tackling these same ideas now as a director collaborating with the brilliant Lily Collins, Robbie Brenner, Mattel and MGM.
I’m so thrilled to bring to bear both my love of this historic property and also my deep-seated belief that young women need smart playful films that speak to them without condescension”.
There have been a host of films based on toy lines in recent years, including Transformers, Battleship, The LEGO Movie, and Ouija. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are also currently writing a screenplay for a Barbie film adaptation, which is also a Mattel product. Mattel also have films based on its Barney and Hot Wheels toys in various stages of development.
Basing a film on a popular toy line has become the latest trend for studios looking for IP that is already somewhat familiar to audiences. It will be interesting to see how much of a reverence audiences have for Polly Pocket, but Dunham directing should make this is a more intriguing, left-field adaptation than one might expect otherwise.
#Peace.Love.PollyPocket
