Universal's answer to the Barbie movie just passed a major development milestone. Greta Gerwig's Barbie set off a trend in Hollywood, proving that various toy IPs could be the next great content goldmine primed for the big screen. In the wake of the Barbie film's success, movies based on Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and Magic 8 Ball have been given the green light, bringing the toy box to the multiplex like never before.
One of these Barbie replacement projects is Universal's Monster High film. Based on the Mattel toy line of the same name, the upcoming movie will be directed by M3GAN filmmaker Gerard Johnstone and follow the franchise's iconic line of monster-infused dolls. The project was initially announced in 2024, with Johnstone announced in mid-2025.
The live-action Monster High movie has taken another step toward release, locking in a pair of writers to pen the film's script. According to Deadline, Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith have signed on to write the movie for Universal.
Hafey and Smith have been two of the fastest-rising screenwriters in Hollywood over the last couple of years, earning spots on the vaunted Black List three times. Their feature debut, Rachel Nevada, is currently in development at Paramount with backing from Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort. The writing duo also recently sold their pilot script for a series titled Misfit City to HBO Max.
Details on the Monster High film are still being kept under lock and key. The iconic Mattel line of dolls debuted in toy stores in 2010. The brand centers on a group of teenagers attending a supernatural high school, with each doll being the daughter of a famous monster (ie, Frankenstein's, Dracula, and the Mummy).
Previously, the Monster High franchise has spawned 17 animated movies, released either straight to DVD or streaming (Paramount+).
Why Monster High Could Be the Perfect Barbie Replacement?
For fans craving even more from Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, Monster High may be the perfect replacement. Outside of both being based on beloved Mattel products (which the two titles very much are), Barbie and Monster High share another key similarity.
As far as we can tell so far, Monster High will also seemingly continue the Barbie trend of offering fans a little more than a simple adaptation of a beloved childhood toy. From the day Greta Gerwig was announced as Barbie's primary creative force, fans knew they were going to get something more profound than one might expect from a Barbie film. The same could be said about the Monster High creative team.
Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith have proven to be clever comedic forces in modern-day Hollywood, creating subversive titles that defy predisposed genre expectations. Given that the pair is now working on Monster High, one can assume that they will, like Gerwig did with Barbie, bring their unique flair to the well-known IP.
This can also be seen in the movie's choice of director. Monster High has not simply brought in another director for hire. No, the movie is working with one of the most exciting names in the business, Gerard Johnstone, known for the 2022 horror from M3GAN.
Perhaps Johnstone's involvement indicates that the upcoming film will have a horror edge, similar to his previous work, being a fun-filled scare-fest rather than just another run-of-the-mill IP adaptation.
