A live-action feature film based on the popular 1980s animatronic toy, Teddy Ruxpin, is officially in development at Amazon MGM Studios. The project brings together two major production companies, with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions partnering with Dmitri M. Johnson and Michael Lawrence Goldberg’s Story Kitchen to produce the film. The script is set to be written by the duo of Chris Hazzard and Mike Fontana. The news was first reported by Variety.
Details of the film’s plot are currently being kept confidential, however, the project was reportedly secured by Amazon following a competitive bidding situation among multiple studios. The pitch for the film’s tone has been described as a blend of “‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ meets ‘Elf’,” suggesting a family-friendly adventure with a mix of live-action and CGI elements that will bring the talking, bear-like creature to life for a new audience.
Teddy Ruxpin was created by former Disney Imagineer Ken Forsse and first released by the toy company Alchemy II in 1985. It was distinguished as the world’s first animated talking toy and became a cultural phenomenon, selling over eight million units globally. The toy’s success led to the creation of a massive franchise, estimated to be worth $7 billion, which included the animated television series “The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin,” numerous books, and interactive games. The character is canonically an “illiop,” a bear-like species from the land of Grundo.
The production team for the film is extensive. From Story Kitchen, Johnson and Goldberg will serve as producers. Representing Seven Bucks Productions are producers Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia, with Kimberly Bialek overseeing the project for the studio. Additionally, Timothy I. Stevenson is attached to the project as an executive producer.
The Teddy Ruxpin film marks another collaboration between Seven Bucks and Story Kitchen, who are also partnered on a film adaptation of the popular video game “It Takes Two,” which is also in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Both production houses have a full slate of upcoming projects designed to adapt popular intellectual property for the screen.
Seven Bucks Productions’ upcoming film schedule includes the A24 drama “The Smashing Machine,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, and Disney’s live-action remake of “Moana,” scheduled for a 2026 release. Story Kitchen is currently executive producing a “Tomb Raider” series for Amazon, a show based on the video game “Life is Strange,” and is producing a film adaptation of “Split Fiction” starring Sydney Sweeney.
