Among Hollywood’s current trends and obsessions is one abouttoy movies, but the latest addition to it is not only ridiculous, but confusing. The film industry is defined by trends, and that’s not surprising or strange at this point. Some of the ongoing ones are reboots, legacy sequels, and horror versions of children’s stories and characters – look no further than the many horror adaptations ofSteamboat Williethat have been released and are currently in development. However, there’s another current Hollywood obsession that I’ve been skeptical about for a while: toy movies.
One thing is what Pixar has done withtheToy Storysaga, and an entirely different one is what Hollywood has been doing with toy movies in recent years. WhileToy Storyis fully animated and tells original stories (with some well-known toys and other original ones),Hollywood’s toy movie obsession is about real-life toys, and the way it’s adapting some of this doesn’t really sound attractive. WhileBarbieturned out to be great,Hollywood is now making a Toys ‘R’ Us movie, which shows how ridiculous this obsession has become.
Barbie Was Great, But Hollywood’s Toy Movie Obsession Is Odd
Barbie Worked, But Not Everything Will
AlthoughBarbie has gotten many animated movies for years, she got her first live-action one in 2023. I admit I was skeptical about it when it was announced, as it was unclear what the approach would be. However, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach came up with a story that was equal parts funny and deep, and I wasn’t expecting a movie about a Barbie doll to be so emotional.Barbiewas a huge critical and commercial success, becoming thehighest-grossing film of 2023and being one half of theBarbenheimerphenomenon.
The success ofBarbiesparked interest in movies about other toys, and many have been announced to be in development since then.
Of course, talks about a sequel began right away, but at the time of writing, it’s unclear ifBarbie 2will happen or not(but I hope it won’t). Also unsurprisingly, the success ofBarbiesparked interest in movies about other toys, and many have been announced to be in development since then. The most notable projects so far are movies about Barney (you know, the friendly purple dinosaur),a live-actionMasters of the Universeadaptation, an animatedBob The Builderstory, aUnoheist comedy,Hot Wheels, and live-action takes onAmerican GirlsandThomas the Tank Engine.
One of the most intriguing projects announced afterBarbie’s success was aPolly Pocket movie, with Lena Dunham attached to write and direct, and Lily Collins starring and producing. However, Dunham dropped out in the summer of 2024, and the movie’s future is now unclear.Barbie’s success doesn’t mean that other toy movies will have the same luck, and it’s just too weird to see more movies based on toys, regardless of the style and approach.
There’s A Toys ‘R’ Us Movie Now, And I Don’t Know Why
I’m Confused About Why There’s A Toys ‘R’ Us Movie
If all those toy movies in development weren’t enough, another one has joined the list, and it’s an odd one. In April 2025,Varietyrevealed thata Toys ‘R’ Us live-action movie is in development, whatever that might mean. The only details about the upcoming Toys ‘R’ Us movie that have been revealed are that it looks to capture the “spirit of adventure, creativity and nostalgia” that the brand represents. Although the style of the movie is currently unknown,VarietymentionsNight at the Museum,Big, andJumanjias inspirations.
Hollywood also takes a lot of advantage of nostalgia, which is why legacy sequels have been so popular lately, and I feel that’s exactly what’s happening with the Toys ‘R’ Us movie.
While I could see a Toys ‘R’ Us movie as an adventure one set inside the store, very much in the style ofNight at the Museum, I just don’t understand why it should happen at all. Hollywood also takes a lot of advantage of nostalgia, which is why legacy sequels have been so popular lately, and I feel that’s exactly what’s happening with the Toys ‘R’ Us movie and toy movies in general. Surely, it’s possible that the Toys ‘R’ Us movie will be fun, butit feels like the peak of Hollywood’s toy movie obsession.
Will Movies Based On Shop Chains Be Hollywood’s New Obsession When The Toy Bubble Bursts?
Hollywood Is Defined By Weird Obsessions
The success or failure of the Toys ‘R’ Us movie could be what defines Hollywood’s next obsession post-toy movies.
The Toys ‘R’ Us movie could be the first step into a new trend and obsession in Hollywood. There will inevitably come a moment when the audience won’t be interested in toy movies anymore due to an over-saturation of these, so the film industry will have to find another source of inspiration – and why not shop chains, like Toys ‘R’ Us? The success or failure of the Toys ‘R’ Us movie could be what defines Hollywood’s next obsession post-toy movies, but I still feel it’s a very weird obsession that doesn’t guarantee success or quality.
