Daniel Radcliffe is a secret agent in the first full Playmobil: The Movie trailer. Originating in Germany in the mid-1970s, Playmobil figures and specially designed limited edition sets have gone on to become big business, with the toys being licensed to a variety of different companies around the world.
Because Playmobil products require some assemblage upon purchase, they have often been compared to LEGO, though LEGO holds a much higher degree of notoriety over Playmobil. While this can be attributed to the fact that LEGO products have been produced since 1949 and the brand is simply much bigger and more well known among children, collectors and fans alike, the series of LEGO films released since 2014 have undeniably done wonders to boost the persona of the toys to a new generation, as well as breathe new life into a brand that shows no signs of slowing down. Film franchises clearly help sell products, and Playmobil has made the decision to raise the profile of their brand with a new feature length, animated film.
Simply called Playmobil: The Movie, the new film has just dropped its first official trailer. In it, Radcliffe voices a suave, yet slightly bumbling James Bond type figure called Rex Dasher, who enlists the help of food truck driver Del (Jim Gaffigan) and savvy civilian Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) to rescue citizens who appear to have completely vanished. You can check out the film’s first official poster and trailer below:
The trailer highlights the film’s humor, which of course will bring inevitable comparisons to the LEGO movies. With that in mind, however, Playmobil: The Movie does appear to have its own charm and feel, which is aided by Radcliffe’s first ever voice acting role. In addition to Radcliffe, Gaffigan and Taylor-Joy, Playmobil: The Movie features the voices of Gabriel Bateman (Child’s Play), Adam Lambert (Glee), Kenan Thompson (SNL) and singer Meghan Trainor. The film is set to be released in the U.S. on Nov. 22, with various August release dates in place for the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.
For Playmobil fans, this latest effort at becoming a more competitive force might lead some to wonder what took so long. While it doesn’t have quite the amount of star power or the huge budget that the LEGO movies have enjoyed, there does appear to be a decent amount of fun, laughs and adventure on display in the Playmobil: The Movie trailer. Given that the film has a late November release date in the U.S. might be problematic, however, as that time frame puts it into the contentious Christmas season release schedule, where such a small scale film will have to do battle with the likes of Jumanji: The Next Level and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Still, if the film finds an audience, it could be the start of big things franchise-wise for Playmobil.
Source: STXfilms