As we first reported on ActioNewz.com, Apple TV has released the first trailer for Matchbox The Movie, a new action comedy from Extraction director Sam Hargrave. Inspired by the iconic line of Mattel toys, it's described as "an action-packed, globetrotting adventure."
The story follows a group of childhood friends who have their lives upended when undercover CIA agent Sean (John Cena), their long-absent former leader, returns to their small town and unwittingly gets them embroiled in a frantic international pursuit to save the world.
While there's a lot of humour in this action-packed sneak peek, the action is clearly the main selling point. That's not a huge surprise given what we've seen from the Extraction movies and Hargrave's work in the MCU as a stunt coordinator on blockbusters like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame.
Overall, it looks like a fun family movie that uses the Matchbox toys as a fairly loose source of inspiration. The cast is stellar, though there's always a risk that this will be one of those titles that falls into the streaming abyss. Then again, for anyone who grew up playing with those, this big-screen adaptation is bound to grab their interest.
"The thing I love about Matchbox is Sam also gets to flex a little range. He gets to tell stories," Cena recently told Collider. "I’m not saying Extraction didn’t have those, but he gets to lean into a lot of character arc. Everyone will be blown away by the action."
"My biggest takeaway from that experience is I gained a friend and a ton of respect for a person in Sam Hargrave. He's somebody that's inspirational to me, somebody I admire. He asks your absolute best every single day, without fail, and I love that about a person who attacks and earns every day. I now know why his stuff looks the way it does, because he just refuses for it to fail."
"I can't wait to work with him again. I really hope I have that luxury and I really hope people enjoy Matchbox," the retired WWE Superstar and Peacemaker star continued. "It is a kick-ass film, and I think he got to lean into his ability to show his depth, to tell a story, not just to perform crazy stunts."
Starring John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, Danai Gurira, Golshifteh Farahani, Corey Stoll, and Bill Camp, Matchbox The Movie is produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Robbie Brenner, Ynon Kreiz, and Jules Daly. Sam Hargrave, Patrick Newall, and Elizabeth Bassin are executive producers.
Matchbox The Movie arrives on Apple TV on October 9.