Amazon MGM Studios Wins Puerto Rico-Set ‘Bob The Builder’ Feature

Amazon MGM Studios appears to have come out on top in the bidding war for the feature-length Latino-flavored adaptation of children’s tv series Bob the Builder. Mattel Films, Shadowmachine, Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions, and actor-producer Anthony Ramos are all involved in the project.

Other companies that tried to get their hands on spicy Roberto were Netflix and Dreamworks Animation, according to a report in Deadline.

We first reported on this project last January and the details of the film remain the same. It’s unclear whether Amazon will send this to theaters or direct-to-streaming, but for the record, Mattel had originally announced the project as a theatrical feature.

Here’s what we currently know about it:

• The film’s synopsis reads: “When Roberto ‘Bob’ travels to the enchanting Island of Puerto Rico for a major construction job, he takes on issues affecting the island and digs deeper into what it means to build. Bob’s journey will celebrate the vibrant and colorful textures of the Caribbean Latin nations and their people.”
• Felipe Vargas (Rosario, Loteria) is writing the film, which is being overseen by Kevin McKeon, Ivan Sanchez, and Arturo Thur De Koós for Mattel and Natalie Haack Flores for Nuyorican.
• Ramos (Hamilton, In the Heights), who came up with the idea to send Bob the Builder to Puerto Rico, will produce and lead the film’s voice cast. He has said: “For years, Bob the Builder’s characters have inspired young people around the world. I’m proud to partner with Mattel Films, ShadowMachine, Nuyorican Productions, and Felipe Vargas to bring this important message to the big screen, adding elements of life that are inspired by my own. A movie about friends working together, a celebration of a beautiful home they share, and how love can help to conquer any obstacle in your way. Can we fix it? Yes, we can!”
• Producing alongside Ramos are Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico at Shadowmachine, the studio behind the Oscar-winning animated feature Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Co-producers include Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions.
• The series was created by Keith Chapman, and at least 18 seasons of various iterations of the show have been produced over the last 25 years.