Vin Diesel, best known for the long-running Fast & Furious franchise, may have found a film that perfectly encapsulating his characters’ ethos. AVClub says action superstar signed on to appear in a movie inspired by the game Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with it, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots is a game in which two players control plastic robot boxers – named Blue Bomber and Red Rocker. They furiously mash a pair of joysticks to make them punch each other. The round lasts until one of the players manages to knock off the head from the opponents’ robot. Or until the game falls apart.
Regrettably, Vin Diesel won’t be playing a robot, nor will he spend screen-time competing against other players in the national Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots championship. Instead, he will portray a father of a boy who befriends an advanced war machine. Toy company Mattel is behind the project, looking to expand into the moviemaking business. While Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots movie may sound silly, it pales before its other project. As we wrote some time ago, Mattel is also developing a Barbie movie involving Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale) and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women).
