Mattel Tells Us ‘Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge’ Is Just the Beginning

Aug 14, 2023

Phil Breman and Ted Wu also spoke about 'Barbie's success and their part in bringing parts of it to life.

With the epic box office success of Barbie, everyone is looking at Mattel and wondering what is next for the beloved toy brand. While it is true that the company is looking to bring to life numerous toys from its iconic toy box—including Polly Pocket, Uno, and Barney—they already have several series airing right now which pay homage to the toys that fueled the imagination of multiple generations. Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge is one such series, which invites contestants to transform ordinary vehicles into real-life Hot Wheels cars.

Ahead of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge's season finale, Collider had the opportunity to chat with Mattel's Vice President of Design for Hot Wheels, Ted Wu, and their Head of Live-Action, Phil Breman, about a wide range of topics. We discussed the Easter eggs and details that went into the Ultimate Challenge set, the most impressive vehicles that were created this season, whether Barbie's success has changed the game for where live-action Mattel is headed on television, Wu's involvement in the design of Barbie's Corvette, whether we'll see more synergy between brands, and how Ultimate Challenge came to be.

COLLIDER: Phil, I find the concept of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge so fascinating because it really flips the script on a lot of similar challenge shows. Rather than having people make their own massive Hot Wheels tracks or create their own cars, they're actually turning cars into tricked-out Hot Wheels. I'm curious to know, how did the concept of this show come to be?

PHIL BREMAN: The concept was something that took a lot of development. It was a lot of kind of figuring out which direction was the right way to take this particular brand and this particular concept. Endemol Shine and their development team worked with us to really try to identify what was an open space for Hot Wheels, right? What was the not-obvious way to go with Hot Wheels and something that felt really different, but that would have a big, visual impact? It would also have something where, you know, it combined both a love for Hot Wheels, that fantasy of being able to design your own Hot Wheels, and what would that look like, but then taking a fantasy and putting a fantasy on top of that by making it life-size. Then having that emotional attachment by having it have been a car that was something that was meaningful to you at some point in your life. So, it was really that combination of factors that was a big win for us.

Ted, you've been with Mattel for, I think, two decades this year, which is quite the accomplishment, and I'm sure over the years, you've probably met fans of both Mattel and Hot Wheels—a lot of them—but what was the moment where you realized that your job has a tangible impact on the lives of consumers? Because watching the show and seeing how people react so sentimentally to these vehicles, it has to have some sort of emotional response for you as well.

TED WU: Yeah, absolutely. First off, I've never thought about my time as spanning across two decades, which is horrifying [laughs] but thank you for that moment of realization.

Sorry!

WU: No, no, no, totally not your fault, but you're right. I mean, the show taps into something that I think is what makes Hot Wheels endure, which is that emotional connection, right? I think the fact that the brand has been around for 55-plus years speaks to the fact that there is a real sense of emotion within the brand of Hot Wheels, and what people think of in terms of, you know, their first vehicle and what that means to them. So we've always had, as car designers and car enthusiasts, a love for cars. That's why we do what we do, and I think that's why the brand has stuck around for so long is, it’s not just a toy brand, but it's a brand that really is created by folks with a love for cars and love for automotive, and a love for vehicles.

To see it sort of mirrored back with this show, so pronounced, where these people are coming in, and they've got a story, like, “This is my childhood car, this is the car that I rode in with my dad,” or, “This is the car that…” You know, that piece was so rewarding and fun to see in every episode so far because it just resonated with us as car folks. So it’s something we've known throughout the history of the brand, but I think that this show puts a spotlight on it for people who may not have that sense that this is really what the brand is all about because of the stories that it's telling about the folks and the people on the show.

Is there a car this season that you couldn't believe they pulled off turning into a life-size car? For both of you, which car kind of was like, “Oh my god, I can't believe this is in front of me and life-size?”

BREMAN: I'll take it first. It was last, it was last week's episode, the Monte Carlo. I mean, that with the whole dance floor [laughs], it had so many elements that you're just like– It just blew me away. It was such a showstopper in the respect that you just see that thing roll out, and everything was like, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” So it hits you on all different levels. It hit your senses, you know, visually and then audibly, and it was remarkable for me. So that was one where I just could not believe that they pulled it off in so many different ways.

WU: Yeah, I feel like I agree. That Monte Carlo was phenomenal. I mean, in general, the fact that they build these cars in a week is insane. I think, honestly, it's a little bit of an underrated detail that's in the show. And being very candid, and Phil may jump in and be like, “What are you doing?” I was like, “Oh, this is gonna be TV land, they will really have more time to do it.” No. They really built these things in one week, like, it is insane. They're working around the clock. So the fact that they pull off any of these vehicles is phenomenal.

The Monte Carlo was definitely a highlight. I really liked Arushi [Garg’s] Jaipur Jewel. That one was just, like traditionally, I think you look at that like, “What's going on here?” I don't think I'd be like, “Oh, that is what you think of when you think of a Hot Wheels car,” but the story and all of the detail that she put into it, and the team put into it, to me, really embodied what was so special about this show. It's marrying the story of the person with this meaningful car build.

Then I know we haven't gotten to it, but the finale is phenomenal. So all the cars—and I won't spoil anything—but the cars there are…it's really worthy of a finale. I think everything is jiving at that point, and I feel like it's sort of like next level with those car builds.

BREMAN: One thing, just to add to that, Ted said marrying the story of the people with the cars themselves — that is something that makes this show so unique and makes it really stand out. And you know, the Jaipur Jewel that you mentioned, in particular, was something that was tied to her story with her father. I still get goosebumps just thinking about that moment just because it was so genuine and real. Then also to be able to kind of infuse her culture and her background and her ethnicity into that particular car was just something that was so amazing.

Even that was a little bit, too, with Nick [Harrison] and the Monte Carlo in the respect that there was his history and his life, a part of his story was infused in the car. It wasn't just kind of like, “Oh, the car is cooler now.” No, the car is now part of Nick, you know what I mean? Nick is now part of the car. So that, I think, makes it also something really unique, and that also helps it stand out in a way that you don't expect.

I love that. I went and found all of my old Hot Wheels cars because I was a Hot Wheels girl.

WU: That’s awesome!

Coming into this interview, I found pieces of my track and everything, but it got me thinking about the evolution of the brand from 1999, when I was playing with toys, to now, and I'm curious to know, from the design point of view, how has designing Hot Wheels figures changed over the time?

WU: I think one of the things that, on the design team, we are very cognizant of is like reflecting the culture of the time. So, you think about where the brand came from, it's 1968, it's born out of California custom car culture, it's about going to the beach, it's about everything in California. It's hot rods, it's muscle cars. That was what sort of set the brand apart because there were other toy car brands out there at the time, but that's what made Hot Wheels Hot Wheels. It was a reflection of what's cool, quite frankly. These are super aspirational, these are cars like, “Oh my gosh, I gotta have that!”

So, I think throughout the decades, that sort of sensibility has remained true. Like, what is going on in not just now car culture, but pop culture and culture in general? And how do we reflect that with what we're doing in terms of automotive design? And so whether now that's, you know, really hopping in on trends, whether it be JDM cars or whether it be electric vehicles or supercars, or whatever, I think we're always cognizant of what's hot. What's going on and trending? And then with how we react to things in pop culture, we've got vehicles, and obviously, we work with movie studios and content creators, and we've got cars that have all types of Disney characters on them. That's part of the secret sauce as well. So, all that to say, I think it's really about having a finger on the pulse of what's trending and what's making waves in culture so that we can reflect that and hopefully also drive that forward.

Were you involved at all in the development of Barbie's pink Corvette?

WU: Yeah, so the pink Corvette, the one that's in the actual movie, we do have a Hot Wheels version of that. So yeah, absolutely, that was us, and that was our team. The funny thing about that car is, in the movie, the car is, as you can tell, it's scaled down because it's a Barbie-size vehicle. It is a Corvette ‘59, but it's scaled down so she looks larger in it. So we took that into account when we made the 1:64 scale Hot Wheels.

But yeah, we worked with our partners across the aisle in Barbie. That's one of a few different diecast cars we have from the Barbie world, as well as we've got some– I'm pausing because I'm wondering if, actually, what I'm talking about is out yet, and it might not be. But we are working very closely with our friends over in Barbie, and you may see some fun things soon.

Well, if it's any of the Ken vehicles, I'm very here for that because the Ken vehicles are what I'm looking for!

WU: [Laughs] Okay, great. Great, great, well, you will be potentially pleased in the future.

Very good, very good. Phil, I am curious, with the craze of Barbie this weekend, is that changing how you're approaching both scripted and unscripted television that you're developing? Has it changed anything?

BREMAN: It hasn't really changed anything. We had already kind of made our change a couple of years ago when I got here. We really reprioritized doing live-action. It's the reason I'm here, essentially, is that we were already doing really well on the animation side, and, obviously, our amazing movie team was already well in motion with Robbie Brenner. So the live-action was kind of just a new area for us to really explore and to dive into. And so, you know, myself with my partner in crime, Chynna Weiss, we've really done all we can. We're just trying to find really unique, fun ways to take our IP that, some of it is really well known, some of it is more nostalgic, some of it is maybe not as well known, but there are ways to just redefine it, reimagine it.

And whether that's scripted or unscripted, our approach is really just to try to do it in the same way that– We need to remember that we're a toy company, right? And what we're basing our concepts on are our toys. So how do you make that appealing to both kids and adults so that it's a family event rather than, “Oh, this is just a kid show,” you know? That's not what we do. For us, it's about, you know, in the same way that Mattel appeals across the board for people, for adults and kids. And we want to do the same thing with our programming. If there is any change that we've made, and specific to live-action, is the fact that we're really going after the entire family because we want it to be something that the whole family can sit down for and enjoy together.

I would assume it also means you can dream bigger because it shows people want to see their toys come to life.

BREMAN: I mean, look, the most fun we have, honestly, is just kind of bouncing ideas in a room because it's like you're sitting there and you're talking toys, but then how does that toy, as you said, come to life? How does that toy go beyond the consumer product of the toy? The thing that you're physically holding, how does it take the idea of the toy? Hot Wheels, if you think about it, yes, it's a diecast car, but it's a challenge or spirit. It's a creative adventure, it's a fantasy. So you want to layer in all of those elements, you want to look at each brand and each IP, and say to say to yourself, “What is it beyond just the physical product?” And how do you tap into that? How do you expand that? How do you make that an emotional connection? How do you make that something that resonates with as broad of an audience as possible, with kids and adults? How do you tap into the nostalgia of something, but at the same time [make] it new and fresh and different, or [introduce] it to somebody who's never heard of it before, and still making it resonate?

Something you were talking about there got me thinking about the experience of Barbie, and the marketing strategy was so much more about selling an experience than selling toys. And I think the same thing can be said about—obviously you're still selling toys—but the same thing is in the Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, and also the Barbie Dream House challenges. It's not so much about, “Hey, watch this show and buy a toy tomorrow.” It's about investing an emotional stake in something that matters to you, will matter to your children, will matter to their children. I think that's a really sincere, really interesting avenue to explore for Mattel.

BREMAN: For us, what we are not is a marketing arm. Some people think, “Oh, it's just a big toy commercial.” No, it's not at all. For us, we really want content that is engaging and fun and experiential, and memorable. So for us, we really strive to make sure that the content isn't just, “Hey, here's a toy, go buy a toy.” That should be the very last thing on our minds. It should be that it's creating a feeling, it's creating an emotion, it's creating a connection that, when you maybe happen to see the toy, you're like, “Oh my gosh, that makes me feel good! I want to bring that into my home. I want to share that with my family, with my kids, or whatever.” But at the end of the day, it's about making content that people sit down, they invest the time in, and they enjoy it.

Obviously, we're living in a world [where] viewers have a million choices to go through, and then a million others that they could dig for. So for us, we really have to find ways to stand out, and the way we're gonna stand out is to connect with them on a level that no one else can.

I'm curious, are we going to see synergy between brands at all? I'm thinking about specific cars out right now; there's the race reverse that kind of merges, across the aisle, different IP, but also within Mattel. Are we going to see that in scripted and unscripted television in the future? Is there a crossover between the Dream House and the Ultimate Challenge? Are we going to see things like that moving forward?

BREMAN: I would say anything is possible. That's what makes it fun. For us, I think when the idea is right, that'll be the one that we go after. It's certainly not something that we would ever say no to. It's more just, does it warrant itself for it? If you're doing it for the sake of doing it, then we would never do it, but if we're doing it where we feel like, “Wow, that's a great idea. Wow, that justifies blending these two brands together, bringing them in a much bigger package,” then that's gonna obviously be the idea that we go for. We haven't hit upon that one yet, but it's not to say that we won't, and it's not to say that you won't see something like that. But yes, perhaps in the future. I don't have a definitive answer yet.

Excellent. I know I hit Ted with the in-depth question about multiple years of work somewhere, but I had a similar question for you, Phil. You have this really rich history of involvement in a lot of childhood memories, both at Mattel now, but also at Disney, developing shows. I often think about those shows and how they brought us so much talent – people like Zendaya. When you're looking at creating scripted television, have you thought about how with the new talents you bring into this, this could be the start of a huge global career for them, and how you have that involvement in fostering these amazing talents?

BREMAN: You know, it's funny, you almost Monday morning quarterback it because you just don't know sometimes. I'll never forget when Bridgit Mendler walked in for Good Luck Charlie, it was a no-brainer. You just knew instantly, “Oh my god, that's Teddy.” She's amazing, and she's great, right? We also had a phenomenal casting group there that really identified Disney Channel, beyond what I was able to do there. I mean, the talent group that was there between Judy Taylor [and] that group, they identified some of the greatest young talent coming up, and they fostered that talent…I was just fortunate enough to be able to see them and apply them to what we were we were doing.

You can't predict where someone goes, right? It's like, had you told me that the kids that I was working with would become the biggest stars in the world, and the biggest names in the world, I would have been like, “Really? Okay!” And not to say that they were not talented at all, it's just that you just never knew that that was gonna be a launch pad for something so massive. I'm so vested in what I'm working on with regard to making sure, is this the best show? Is this the best person for this particular show? Is this the best person to play this character? And if that is coming across, then we've succeeded. So I'm never really looking out in the future and saying, “Oh, this person's gonna be the biggest. The next Demi Lovato, or the next…” you know, any of the Disney Channel stars. It's just, you try to find those stars, whether they're kids or adults, who best reflects the character that you're trying to do, who's gonna be someone that you feel like, “Oh my god, that embodies the character that I have in my head.”

So, I know it doesn't quite answer your question, but at the same time, it's like sometimes they're so filled with talent that this is the seed that grows on the ground, and then they just become the giant oak, you know? But sometimes you can't tell if they're gonna become a giant oak or a really nice orange tree somewhere in the grove. [Laughs] But anyway, I've been very fortunate to work with some extremely talented kids and adults, by the way. You know, even at my time at NBC, there were plenty of actors that blossomed, and a lot of that is just their own doing. I was fortunate enough to be a writer on Raising Dad, and Kat Dennings and Brie Larson, who was nine years old, who would have thought she'd be one of the biggest stars in the world? Sometimes it's just luck.

Ted, I always love looking for like hidden details in sets, and I'm curious to know, is there any little lore from Hot Wheels at all worked into the really fantastic set of Ultimate Challenge or maybe a car that's significant in some way?

WU: You know, in retrospect, that would be an amazing thing to do. [Laughs]

[Laughs] Season 2!

WU: “If you looked in Episode 7, two minutes in…” But no, we were pretty– First of all, the set is amazing, and hats off to the creative team that worked on the set, and obviously the set builders. But, you know, not so [much] Easter eggs, but in the actual set, you'll see we've got the Bad to the Blade, which is a full-size vehicle, as well as the Bone Shaker full-size vehicle in the back of every set. And that is very intentional because those two cars are iconic cars within the stable of Hot Wheels’ full-size builds. So that was important, was just showcasing our real life-size builds because we are a brand that, maybe people don't know, but we do build real cars. And so that was important to us.

Then maybe a bit of an Easter egg, if you look closely at sort of the backdrop, as well, you'll notice that there's a cutout. That is the cutout of the silhouette of a Hot Wheels package, so I don't know if you've noticed that. So there's like a cityscape, there's a logo, but if you look at it, the silhouette is actually, it's the $1 car silhouette blister pack back there. Maybe that's the answer.

I love that. Well, thank you both so much for your time this afternoon, I really appreciate it.

BREMAN: Of course, Maggie. It's nice to meet you.

WU: Great to meet you.

I can’t wait to see what else happens with Hot Wheels.

BREMAN: Yes, the finale is coming up. So don't forget, August 1 is our first part of it, and then August 8 is the finale.

As Phil Breman said, the season finale of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge is upon us. Check it out on NBC on August 1st and 8th. While you wait for the finale, check out our recent interview for another one of Mattel's fantastic unscripted series, Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge below:

Maggie Lovitt is the Lead News Editor at Collider and a lover of all things related to pop culture. In addition to reporting on the latest entertainment news, she is also an actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild based out of the Mid-Atlantic Region.She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, a member of the Hollywood Critics Association, Screen Actors Guild, and The Cherry Picks. She has a special taste for horror films that make you think, rom-coms that dole out a healthy dose of Fremdschämen, high-flying action flicks that deliver hits, and has an enemies-to-lovers relationship with superhero movies.In 2020, she co-founded the podcast “Petticoats & Poppies: History Girls at the Movies” with her longtime friend, and North Carolina-based film critic, Nicole Ackman. That same year, Maggie joined as a co-host on the Star Wars podcast ‘Outer Rim Beacon,’ and has appeared as a guest on numerous Star Wars podcasts and other pop culture podcasts. In 2021, she launched “Starbucks Lovers: A Taylor Swift Podcast” which allows her to geek out about her love for Taylor Swift and music. She also runs Millennial Falcon Reviews (@mfalconreviews).While she spends her time writing and editing articles about the entertainment industry, Maggie’s background is in history and anthropology. She earned her Bachelor’s in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington, where she focused on Colonial American history, British literature, and historic architecture. She recently earned her Master’s in Engaged Anthropology at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, where she focused her studies on dark tourism, magic, and the politics of food.