What if I advised you John Cena is about to launch an explosive new action-comedy filled with quick automobiles and well-known film stars? No, there is not a brand new Quick & Livid film popping out anytime quickly. As a substitute, the invisible wrestler is taking a break from the Toretto household for a wholly totally different franchise: Matchbox: The Film.
This new film, impressed by the Mattel toyline of badass miniature automobiles, would possibly simply be the subsequent Barbie. However even when it isn’t, one factor is evident, director Sam Hargrave (Extraction) had a heck of an excellent time making it.
“I actually wished to lean into the sensible facet of issues and see actual folks driving actual automobiles doing actual stunts,” Hargrave tells Polygon.
For Polygon’s 2026 Fall Preview, we linked with Hargrave over electronic mail and requested him seven monster truck-sized questions on Matchbox. Take a look at the solutions beneath.
7
What’s the ethos of a Matchbox film?
It is simple sufficient to throw collectively John Cena, a bunch of cool automobiles, and a few explosions and name it a day. However what makes Matchbox really feel like the last word Matchbox film?
“To me, the ethos of a Matchbox film is embracing your interior little one, saying sure to journey, and considering ‘contained in the field’ as we preferred to say on set,” Sam Hargrave says. “This was my likelihood to make a “throwback” film, one thing that felt like a 90’s motion movie, a strategy to tip my cap to most of the grasp filmmakers who paved the way in which and impressed me as a child and budding storyteller.”
6
What excited you initially about this film?
“What excited me most about this film was the story; the prospect to flex my comedic muscle groups slightly bit and inform a extremely tender story about love and friendship, all wrapped up in enormous motion film spectacle,” Hargrave says. “I’ve all the time beloved matchbox automobiles and to get to ‘play’ with them in actual life, and full measurement, was an unimaginable honor.”
5
What does John Cena convey to the lead function?
Cena has already turn into one of the vital bankable action-comedy stars in Hollywood. Placing him in Matchbox seems like a no brainer, however what does the wrestler-turned-actor convey to the function that no one else might?
“John Cena brings a degree of attraction, charisma, wit and motion prowess to the display with the character of Sean that I don’t suppose audiences have ever seen earlier than from Cena,” Hargrave says. “It was actually nice to be part of. He’s an unimaginable collaborator. He’s early each day and his first phrases are, ‘How can I be helpful at this time?’ He’s been a fan of Matchbox automobiles his complete life and is a severe automobile fanatic, so he jumped on the likelihood to affix us. We had some discussions early on about how a lot I used to be going to ask of him each day and he by no means backed down from the problem. We pushed one another on set to be the most effective model of ourselves and I’m grateful for that relationship. We turned pals and it was an honor and privilege to work with him. Hopefully we will do it once more quickly.”
Hargrave mastered the fashionable motion film with Netflix’s Extraction films. For his newest problem, he is bringing these abilities to Matchbox whereas injecting a dose of comedy.
“Working within the Extraction world has taught me so many issues about making films, about motion, working with actors, discovering the fitting crew, managing cash, time, and many others,” Hargrave says. “All issues that as a filmmaker you study with time and expertise. I will probably be bringing extra comedy to the display this time, attending to flex that muscle a bit extra, which I actually loved doing. Comedy was an enormous inspiration of mine rising up so I used to be in a position to run with these instincts a bit extra with a movie like this.
3
How have automobile stunts developed over the past 20 years?
Hargrave is pushing the boundaries of motorized vehicle filmmaking with Matchbox. However how have these limits superior previously couple of many years?
“Security precautions have improved and visible results permit us to include extra of these parts that we will later take away in submit,” Hargrave says. “Although, for this movie, I actually wished to lean into the sensible facet of issues and see actual folks driving actual automobiles doing actual stunts.”
This led to some fairly spectacular moments that really occurred for actual on set.
“Whenever you see a automobile roll over 14 occasions within the movie, that could be a actual automobile, pushed by an actual stunt driver,” Hargrave says. “Whenever you see a helicopter fly beneath an underpass that was executed for actual. Once we despatched a semi-truck and trailer off of a 200-foot bridge, we did it for actual! That methodology was very progressive and our particular results group included distant driving know-how to permit them to ‘drive’ the truck off a bridge, from behind the cameras through a distant system. So, we obtained the most effective of each worlds — nobody was damage and, as an viewers, we get to expertise an actual, full-sized semi-truck and trailer crusing off a 200-foot tall bridge. Unimaginable to witness.”
2
Do you’re feeling lots of strain to repeat the success of Barbie?
After Barbie turned the most important film of 2023, toymaker Mattel introduced plans for a number of extra toy-to-movie variations. Matchbox will probably be first to cross the end line. So does it share any DNA with Barbie, or is Hargrave making an attempt to chart his personal path ahead?
“I really don’t really feel strain as a result of Barbie is its personal factor,” Hargrave says. “It was an awesome film and cultural phenomenon based mostly on a HUGELY profitable toy. Matchbox is also its personal factor. It’s extra loosely based mostly on the toys than the Barbie film was and it has a really nostalgic component that I feel followers of motion movies will admire. It’s form of like a love letter to motion films from the 90s in a method. It’s a very totally different film than Barbie for certain. There are most likely extra laughs than folks will probably be anticipating. It’s a enjoyable journey of a film that doesn’t take itself too severely.”
1
Did you will have a bunch of Matchbox automobiles as a child?
Not solely did the director play with Matchbox automobiles, however he is really used them to assist make films previously.
“I did have Matchbox automobiles as a child,” Hargrave says. “I had a black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that I beloved. Amongst many others. Apparently sufficient, I used Matchbox automobiles on a regular basis as a stunt coordinator and 2nd unit director. We carried them in our package and anytime we have been explaining a automobile sequence to the crew, out got here the automobiles and we’d exhibit what was going to occur to the forged and crew. It was tremendous helpful and so superior to get to make use of that SAME method whereas on the set of a Matchbox film!”