Mattel announces plans for American Girl doll movie after Barbie’s huge success

Mattel, the renowned toy company, is set to bring its beloved American Girl doll line to life with a live-action film. The decision to adapt the American Girl dolls for the big screen comes on the heels of the success of the Barbie movie, which grossed over a billion dollars worldwide.

Lindsey Anderson Beer, known for her work on Sierra Burgess is a Loser and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, has been tapped to produce and write the screenplay for the American Girl doll movie. Expressing her personal connection to the brand, Anderson Beer stated, “Growing up, my sister and I were American Girl girls. They didn’t feel like dolls to play with, rather real people whose worlds we got to imagine ourselves in.”

The American Girl dolls, introduced in 1986, are 18-inch dolls accompanied by novels that provide names and backstories. Representing historical periods and diverse backgrounds, dolls like Kirsten and Molly have become iconic. Kirsten, for example, is a Swedish immigrant in 1854 Minnesota, while Molly lived in Jefferson, Illinois, during World War II.

Having sold over 36 million dolls since its launch, the American Girl brand has expanded to include contemporary characters and dolls representing various points in American history. The upcoming live-action film will be a collaborative effort between Mattel Films, Paramount Pictures, and Temple Hill Entertainment.

Mattel Films is actively engaged in developing live-action films for multiple brands in its portfolio, including Barney, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, and Wishbone. The adaptation of the American Girl doll line into a movie marks another strategic move by Mattel into cinematic storytelling.

While this project marks the dolls’ transition to the big screen, American Girl has previously appeared on screens in made-for-TV and streaming offerings, exploring both historical characters and contemporary Girl of the Year dolls. The 2008 theatrical release, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, focused on the Great Depression-era doll.