A British action figure older than most blockbuster franchises is heading to the cinema. UK production studio Working Title is developing an Action Man film with Hasbro, the toy company that owns the licence, Variety confirmed on 3 August 2026. The Hollywood Reporter, Variety's sister publication, was first to break the news.

The script is being written by Simon Hatt and Anthony Sellitti. Hatt is a Los Angeles-based UK filmmaker who served as an executive producer on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Sellitti co-wrote the animated series X-Men '97. Producing is Jeremy Latchem, a former Marvel executive whose credits include Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Age of Ultron Variety.

Action Man launched in 1966, a British answer to Hasbro's G.I. Joe, which had debuted in the United States two years earlier. The original figure was produced by the British toy company Palitoy and initially shared G.I. Joe's moulds, but later models were given uniforms and accessories reflecting British armed forces, giving the toy its own identity. Action Man was reintroduced in 1993, this time based on Hasbro's G.I. Joe Hall of Fame figure. In 2006, Hasbro licensed reproductions of several original figures to mark the toy's 40th anniversary.

The character even had an animated cartoon series, though it never aired on British television in the conventional sense. UK broadcasting rules restricting advertising to children meant the cartoon was released only on video.

This is not the first time Action Man has been pitched for the screen. In 2013, Emmett/Furla Films partnered with Hasbro on a slate of toy-based projects, selecting Monopoly, Hungry Hungry Hippos and Action Man as its first three Variety, 2013. None of those films reached production.

Action Man's American cousin has fared better, though unevenly. G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (2009) grossed $302 million worldwide; G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) reached $375.7 million. The 2021 reboot Snake Eyes, however, took just $40 million globally against a budget reported between $88 million and $110 million. A fourth film, G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant, was in development but has since stalled.

Hasbro has been steadily reshaping its entertainment strategy. In 2023, Lionsgate acquired Entertainment One's film and television operations from Hasbro for approximately $500 million, a sale that narrowed Hasbro's in-house production capacity Variety, 2023. In February 2025, Legendary Entertainment struck a partnership with Hasbro to produce film and television adaptations of Magic: The Gathering Variety, 2025.

For Action Man, the Working Title development puts a toy that has sold to generations of British children into the hands of a studio known for films from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Darkest Hour. No director, release date or distributor has been announced.