M.A.S.K. to be turned into film franchise directed by F. Gary Gray

[Popnfresh98]

Paramount has made a deal with F. Gary Gray to team with Hasbro to develop and direct MASK. The live action film will be built based on the ’80s Kenner action figures and the animated series. The film will be produced by Hasbro, and Gray. They will ‘move quickly to set a writer to hatch a contemporary subculture movie with a youth empowerment angle.’

Gray is coming off $1.2 billion global grossing The Fate of the Furious and Straight Outta Compton, and he is in pre-production on the untitled Men in Black reboot for Sony Pictures that will star Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. That film, produced by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald and exec produced by Steven Spielberg, begins production in June for May 17, 2019 release. Gray sparked to MASK because ‘it is a vintage property that could be revamped and have something to say to a contemporary audience.’

MASK is an acronym for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, a task force led by Matt Trakker whose goal is to take out the criminal organization VENOM.

So.... What does a “contemporary subculture movie” mean exactly?

I also didn’t realize the MiB movie had cast Hemsworth and Thompson.

 

[Niltusk]

Love the idea, guess we'll see how its execution goes down.

 

[Caped Baldy]

I can't even recall if I used to watch this as an 80s child. It jogs my memory somewhat but... yeah I probably did watch at least one episode.

 

[a-dev]

So.... What does a “contemporary subculture movie” mean exactly? .

No idea. I wonder did the Transformers franchise have to be pitched using similar drivel terminology and talk of ''youth empowerment''.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

Heh. I had a little action figure of the grey guy ... and another yellow one that looked like Marty McFly's radiation suit. They were maybe 2-inches tall, with removable helmets. Played with them enough that I remember them (I think my kids still mess with them every now and then).

Never could figure out what cartoon or action figure line they were from, though. Now I know, I guess.

SnakeDoc

 

[Johnny1378]

Heh. I had a little action figure of the grey guy ... and another yellow one that looked like Marty McFly's radiation suit. They were maybe 2-inches tall, with removable helmets. Played with them enough that I remember them (I think my kids still mess with them every now and then).

Never could figure out what cartoon or action figure line they were from, though. Now I know, I guess.

SnakeDoc

I used to love those toys! I remember the grey guy was Matt Tracker. I can’t remember the yellow guy’s name, but if I’m thinking of the same one, he came with the green motorcycle that turned into a little helicopter.

 

[Niltusk]

No idea. I wonder did the Transformers franchise have to be pitched using similar drivel terminology and talk of ''youth empowerment''.

Funny you bring that up, in one of the later version of MASK, their tech is based on Transformers tech recovered by humans. Wonder if this will have any link like that?

 

[screamingmetal]

I'm more interested in what they do with this than I was with Transformers and GI Joe.
I had a few of the sets growing up, never got Matt Tracker and his flying Camero the Thunderhawk. One of my friends had another friend who was rich and had all the sets, spoiled little S*** wouldn't even let me pick up and look at his Thunderhawk.

What you wanna bet they completely abandon the original vehicle models or at least the modern versions of the models to make a deal with some automaker and change the vehicles into something completely unrecognizable? Also how often the filmmakers will find an excuse to needlessly remove the actor's masks in this?

 

[Johnny1378]

I'm more interested in what they do with this than I was with Transformers and GI Joe.
I had a few of the sets growing up, never got Matt Tracker and his flying Camero the Thunderhawk. One of my friends had another friend who was rich and had all the sets, spoiled little S*** wouldn't even let me pick up and look at his Thunderhawk.

What you wanna bet they completely abandon the original vehicle models or at least the modern versions of the models to make a deal with some automaker and change the vehicles into something completely unrecognizable? Also how often the filmmakers will find an excuse to needlessly remove the actor's masks in this?

I know what you mean! I remember I had Venom, Miles Mayhem’s blue jet that turned into a helicopter. That was the only one of those toys that I had, that was very big. But we had a friend whose parents bought him anything he wanted, and he had the boulder Mountain playset and the Semi truck. I think he also had more of those than any of the rest of us.

As much as I liked those toys as a kid, it’s hard for me to imagine younger people having much interest in a movie about M.A.S.K. I know there is a comic book from IDW now, but for non-comic book readers there really would be no point of reference.

On the other hand, they made a movie out of “Battleship,” so I guess once they make up their minds to turn a toy property into a movie, probably nothing is going to stop them.

 

[EVILFACE]

Had the Camaro, GTO and 57 Chevy one as a kid.

I can see this being a pretty kewl movie if it's nothing like Pacific Rimjob Sequel.

 

[Khev]

This was the only one that I had:

Though I did name my Autoduel character (Apple II game) "Dusty Hayes" after a M.A.S.K. character because I just thought it sounded like a badass road warrior type name, lol.

 

[Gruson]

Better use the classic song and theme. My favorite 80s cartoon song for sure. Had all the toys too.

 

[YoNoSe]

So.... What does a “contemporary subculture movie” mean exactly?
.

It means fatties with the box art memorized gonna have sadzzzz.

 

[GasparZizou]

Funny you bring that up, in one of the later version of MASK, their tech is based on Transformers tech recovered by humans. Wonder if this will have any link like that?

Didn't they intend to do the whole universe thing?

I mean, like, who cares but, that's what I read.

 

[screamingmetal]

I know what you mean! I remember I had Venom, Miles Mayhem’s blue jet that turned into a helicopter. That was the only one of those toys that I had, that was very big. But we had a friend whose parents bought him anything he wanted, and he had the boulder Mountain playset and the Semi truck. I think he also had more of those than any of the rest of us.

As much as I liked those toys as a kid, it’s hard for me to imagine younger people having much interest in a movie about M.A.S.K. I know there is a comic book from IDW now, but for non-comic book readers there really would be no point of reference.

On the other hand, they made a movie out of “Battleship,” so I guess once they make up their minds to turn a toy property into a movie, probably nothing is going to stop them.

Had the Camaro, GTO and 57 Chevy one as a kid.

I can see this being a pretty kewl movie if it's nothing like Pacific Rimjob Sequel.

This was the only one that I had:

Though I did name my Autoduel character (Apple II game) "Dusty Hayes" after a M.A.S.K. character because I just thought it sounded like a badass road warrior type name, lol.

I had the Condor, the Piranha, Hurricane, Firefly, and my favorite that I owned, the Raven.

<-- Me when I just now found out that they made a Lambo Mask Vehicle!
Great picture archive here:
https://www.transformerland.com/wiki/mask/original-mask-series/

 

[karamazov80]

Loved the helicopter/motorcycle as a kid. Zero interest in any Fast and the Furious-inspired movie bastardization that may result.

 

[screamingmetal]

Yeah I loved the color scheme of the bike and figure's costume of the Condor aka: helicopter bike.

Looking at the toys makes me want to hunt down the ones that I never had as a kid, but I know it'll never be the same.

 

[Johnny1378]

Anyone get the Matt Tracker G.I. Joe figure that they put out a few years ago as part of the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line? I was hoping they would release a few more M.A.S.K. toys as part of that line, but they ended up canceling them shortly after the wave that had Matt Tracker, I think.

 

[MegaPrime33]

I had a bunch of the toys and was a fan of the show. There are ways to do this movie where it will work really well, but I guarantee you they won't make it in any of those ways at all.

 

[screamingmetal]

Anyone get the Matt Tracker G.I. Joe figure that they put out a few years ago as part of the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line? I was hoping they would release a few more M.A.S.K. toys as part of that line, but they ended up canceling them shortly after the wave that had Matt Tracker, I think.

I never saw one to pick up, at the time my interest in Joes was waning so I wasn't looking well enough, but the Tracker figure I would've swooped up.