A film based on the flexible, stretchable toy “Stretch Armstrong” is still alive – but it has changed studios and lost its star says Reuters.
Three years ago came word that Universal Pictures was creating “Stretch Armstrong 3D”, a project based on the toy that would use a script by Steve Oedekerk (“Bruce Almighty”) and be produced by Brian Grazer.
The toy was launched in the 70’s and was a 13-inch, blond-haired, bulky muscled figure in a speedo whose limbs could be stretched to nearly four feet. Naturally an actor who looked nothing like it, “Twilight” hunk Taylor Lautner, was confirmed to be starring in the film approximately two years ago.
The project was one of over a half dozen projects Universal and Hasbro were developing together, the first being the big-budget “Battleship” opening in May. Last Summer it appeared as if Universal was essentially culling all its Hasbro game & toy adaptations in development including “Monopoly,” “Ouija,” “Clue,” “Magic: The Gathering” and “Candy Land”.
Now, Hasbro and Relativity Media have come to a new partnership to work together with ‘Stretch’ being the first cab off the rank and already setting a April 11th 2014 release date.
Lautner however will no longer be headlining the project due to scheduling conflicts. Ryan Kavanaugh, Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir will produce.
About The Critic
