The humble Slinky--the metal spring toy--is getting the Hollywood star treatment. Variety is reporting that director Tamra Davis (Billy Madison, Half Baked) will be helming an upcoming film all about the Slinky, and the movie will be eschewing a Toy Story-like whimsical approach to instead focus on its inception and creation.

　　The Slinky was co-invented in the 1940s by couple Betty and Dick James. Said Davis in a statement: "I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to tell the story of Betty James; a female inventor, business woman and dedicated mother who with her husband Dick James invented the Slinky… Betty James' life is a moment in American history where women proved they could not only survive in the face of despair but flourish when the opportunity presented itself."

　　The film is co-written by Chris Sivertson (Wash Me in the River), Ann Carli (Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-12), and Cristina Curbelo (Fast Food Nation). Joanne Rubino (Hollywood Divas) will produce, and principal photography is expected to begin sometime in 2021.

　　The Slinky movie, which might seem a tad WTF? at first glance, is actually part of a well-established trend of films based on popular toys--admittedly with mixed results historically. There's been 2012's forgettable Battleship, 2014's smash hit The Lego Movie (and its 2019 sequel), and a number of G.I. Joe movies including the upcoming Snake Eyes. And who could forget the Monopoly movie, which was first announced in 2015, and is supposedly still in the works.

　　David Wolinsky on Google+