Mattel, Warner Bros. Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot have enlisted "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu to helm a live-action feature based on the Hot Wheels toy-car franchise. Screenwriters Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, whose credits include "Creed II" and "They Cloned Tyrone," will draft the script, while Chu’s Electric Somewhere joins the producing team. The companies said the action film will showcase “some of the world’s hottest and sleekest vehicles,” but gave no timetable for production or release. Chu’s appointment marks a significant step forward for the long-gestating project. The filmmaker’s first installment of "Wicked" earned 10 Academy Award nominations and has grossed more than $756 million worldwide, capping a run of commercial successes that also includes "Crazy Rich Asians" and "In the Heights" for Warner Bros. Hot Wheels becomes the latest Mattel property to accelerate toward the big screen as the toymaker seeks to build on the momentum of 2023’s "Barbie," which collected about $1.44 billion globally. Other Mattel titles in development include films based on Polly Pocket, Masters of the Universe and the card game Uno.