Hot Wheels finally has its driver.
After months of negotiations, Simon Crane has closed his deal to direct the Legendary project based on the Mattel toy line.
Joe Roth, Palak Patel, and Sam Mercer of Roth Films are producing the project along with Legendary.
Wheels is a project that’s been around the block several times and even ended up in the junkyard once or twice, as studios such as Warners and Columbia, directors such as McG, and writers such as Cormac Wibberly (National Treasure) and John Gatins (Flight) tried to find the right take.
Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Iron Man) seemed to have looked under the hood to figure out how to get the project back up and running, writing the initial script for this version, which attracted several directors into a derby. Crane and 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo were the last men standing.
The story centers on a washed-up Illinois State Trooper who, after a dangerous military device falls into the hands of a criminal, fights the man his father once put behind bars.
Paul Attanasio (Quiz Show, The Good German) is now doing a rewrite.
Exec Alex Garcia is overseeing for Legendary.
Crane is considered one the premier second-unit directors in the business and is coming off of some excellent work in World War Z. His other credits include Salt, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Troy and he worked with Roth on Maleficent. Crane is also one of Hollywood’s top stunt coordinators.
Crane is repped by CAA as is Attanasio.
