‘Home’ Scribes Ember & Astle Take On ‘Kidrobot’ Pic At MGM

EXCLUSIVE: MGM has acquired the film rights to kidrobot, a collectible art-toy company, and the film company has hired Matt Ember & Tom Astle to write the script for a film that will mix animation and live action. They are coming off the DreamWorks Animation hit Home. The film will be produced by Scott Aversano. The producer and scribes also worked together on the Paramount film Failure To Launch, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. The writers’ other credits are Get Smart and the Chris Wedge-directed Epic.

The attempt to turn the popular Wildbrain-backed brand into a film began at Paramount, which several years ago optioned the property with Aversano the catalyst. Kidrobots are branded collectible character creations. The limited-edition vinyl figures are designed by kidrobot founder Paul Budnitz and then painted by a group of graffiti and graphic artists and musicians. The figures, along with an apparel line, are sold in high-end stores around the country. In this franchise-hungry climate, where we are getting more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a Power Rangers film and a Play-Doh feature being molded by Paul Feig at Fox, why not a kidrobot feature?

Ember & Astle are repped by Verve. Matt Ember’s lawyer is Jared Levine of Morris, Yorn and Tom Astle’s attorney is Jeanne Newman of Hansen, Jacobson.