Everything to Know About the Polly Pocket Movie

Move over, Barbie, another popular doll is heading to the big screen! 

Amid the incredible success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie — which scored $155 million in its opening run, marking the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman — Mattel is turning many of their other popular toys into blockbuster films. 

Next on the slate is a movie about Polly Pocket, a popular line of dolls and accessories that was created by Bluebird Toys and acquired by Mattel in 1998.

Like Barbie, the product was later expanded into a media franchise, including animated movies and books. 

The film was first announced in June 2021, and we already have a handful of details about the cast and creative team. 

From the leading lady to the director, here’s everything to know. 

Who is starring in the Polly Pocket movie?

Emily in Paris star Lily Collins is set to star as Polly Pocket herself, a casting decision Collins gushed about in her Instagram post about the announcement.

"As a child who was obsessed with Polly Pockets, it’s a real dream come true to announce this project!” she wrote alongside a childhood photo of herself (which she then flipped to illustrate her inside a Polly Pocket toy).

Who is directing the Polly Pocket movie?

The film will be helmed by Girls creator Lena Dunham, who is also writing the script. “Polly Pocket was responsible for countless hours of childhood escapism for me – Polly gave me a tiny world of magic and autonomy to narrate, so it’s pretty poetic to be tackling these same ideas now as a director,” Dunham said in a statement to Variety.

The statement went on, “I’m so thrilled to bring to bear both my love of this historic property and also my deep-seated belief that young women need smart playful films that speak to them without condescension.”

Who is producing the Polly Pocket movie?

In addition to starring in the film, Collins will also serve as a producer for the project. Robbie Brenner and Kevin McKeon will oversee the project for Mattel Films, while Sandino Moya-Smith and Winnie Carrillo will head things up for MGM. Good Thing Going’s Liz Watson and Michael P. Cohen will also serve as executive producers.

What will the Polly Pocket movie be about? 

Per Variety, the film “will center on a young girl and a pocket-sized woman who form a friendship.” Collins added that the film will “reintroduce Polly to the world in a fun, modern way… bringing these tiny toys to the big screen.” 

Speaking with Variety in July 2023, Robbie Brenner — who runs Mattel Films and is developing the Polly Pocket movie — confirmed that the script is done and "great."

“First of all, they are two of my favorite ladies ever,” Brenner said of Collins and Dunham. “It’s been an amazing collaboration. Lena is so collaborative and rolls up her sleeves and really likes to roll around in notes and listen. She’s incredible. Lily is so smart and so specific and so productorial. It’s just been an incredible collaboration, so we are thrilled about it. Hopefully, we’ll be making that at some point in the future.”

When will the Polly Pocket movie be released? 

The film doesn’t currently have a release date. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in October 2022, Dunham revealed that she was finishing her second draft of the script. “We have a lot of fun with the idea of what happens when a small person encounters a big world,” she teased of the plot. 

With Hollywood on hold amid the WGA and SAG strike, the film likely wouldn’t start filming until late 2023 or early 2024.