Most people are used to seeing toy line spin-offs from movie and television franchises. George Lucas changed how we think about such merchandising a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away with the successful Star Wars toy line that continues to thrive today.
However, we’ve also seen the reverse, with many movies based on toy lines, as well as board games, trading cards, and roleplaying games.
So we thought it would be fun to see how many of these movies we could find. We have compiled a list of forty-five movies based on physical toy lines, board games, trading cards, and roleplaying games (no video games) with one major stipulation — they had to have had theatrical runs.
For each movie, we’ve included the intellectual property they were based on, as well as the box office gross for each (not adjusted for inflation and as of the date of publication of this post).
Note: We’re fully aware that Pokeman started as a video game. However, the true phenomenon that generated interest in feature movies derived primarily from the trading card game.
45 Movies Based on Toy Lines, Board Games, and Card Games
1. Barbie (2023)
Barbie embarks on a journey of self-discovery and adventure in the real world after being expelled from Barbieland for being less than perfect.
Basis: Barbie by Mattel
Box Office Gross: $1.4 billion
2. Battleship (2012)
A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.
Basis: Battleship by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $303 million
3. Bratz: The Movie (2007)
Four best friends start high school, but their friendship is tested when the different cliques pull them apart.
Basis: Bratz by MGA Entertainment
Box Office Gross: $26 million
4. Bumblebee (2018)
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $468 million
5. The Care Bears Movie (1985)
The Care Bears team up to thwart a young boy's evil plan to take over the world with a magic book.
Basis: Care Bears by American Greetings
Box Office Gross: $34 million
6. Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986)
A new generation of Care Bears must thwart the evil plans of Dark Heart while learning valuable lessons about friendship.
Basis: Care Bears by American Greetings
Box Office Gross: $8.5 million
7. The Car Bears Adventure in Wonderland (1987)
The Care Bears go on an adventure in Wonderland to help a little girl become a princess and to stop the evil wizard who is trying to take over the kingdom.
Basis: Care Bears by American Greetings
Box Office Gross: $2.6 million
8. Care Bears: Oopsy Does It! (2007)
Oopsy Bear accidentally destroys the Care Bears' annual amusement park and must find a way to rebuild it while learning the value of friendship and teamwork.
Basis: Care Bears by American Greetings
Box Office Gross: Released in 140 theaters. No recorded box office numbers.
9. Clue (1985)
Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.
Basis: Clue (Cluedo) by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $14.6 million
10. Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
An evil sorcerer seeks to conquer the world using the power of a dragon, while a group of adventurers try to stop him.
Basis: Dungeons & Dragons by TSR, Inc.
Box Office Gross: $33.8 million
11. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
Basis: Dungeons & Dragons by TSR, Inc.
Box Office Gross: $208.2 million
12. G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
The G.I. Joe team faces off against Zartan, his accomplices, and the world leaders he has under his influence.
Basis: G.I. Joe by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $375.7 million
13. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
An elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.
Basis: G.I. Joe by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $302.5 million
14. Jem and the Holograms (2015)
As a small-town girl catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her three sisters begin a journey to discover that some talents are too special to keep hidden.
Basis: Jem by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $2.3 million
15. The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Batman goes on a personal journey to find himself and learn the importance of teamwork and friendship in hopes of saving Gotham City from the Joker's hostile takeover.
Basis: LEGO by The LEGO Group
Box Office Gross: $312 million
16. The LEGO Movie (2014)
An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied 'Special', is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.
Basis: LEGO by The LEGO Group
Box Office Gross: $468.1 million
17. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
It's been five years since everything was awesome, and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.
Basis: LEGO by The LEGO Group
Box Office Gross: $192.3 million
18. The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
Shunned by everyone for being the son of an evil warlord, a teenager seeks to defeat him with the help of his fellow ninjas.
Basis: LEGO by The LEGO Group
Box Office Gross: $123.1 million
19. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)
Kit Kittredge, a young girl growing up during the Great Depression, overcomes adversity with pluck and determination to uncover a mystery in her hometown.
Basis: American Girl by Pleasant Company (Mattel)
Box Office Gross: $17.7 million
20. Mars Attacks! (1996)
Earth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor, and it's up to a group of unlikely heroes to save the planet.
Basis: Mars Attacks trading cards by Topps
Box Office Gross: $101.4 million
21. Masters of the Universe (1987)
He-Man, aided by his friends, attempts to save the universe from the evil Skeletor after being transported to Earth.
Basis: He-Man by Mattel
Box Office Gross: $17.3 million
22. Max Steel (2016)
Max McGrath discovers that his body can generate the universe's most powerful energy, and with his alien companion, Steel, he must combine his turbo energy with Steel’s alien technology.
Basis: Max Steel by Mattel
Box Office Gross: $6.3 million
23. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
A giant egg is unearthed at a construction site, and the Power Rangers are called upon to save the world.
Basis: Power Rangers by Bandai
Box Office Gross: $66.4 million
24. My Little Pony: The Movie (1986)
The ponies of Dream Valley must stop the evil witch Hydia and her daughters from turning their home into a dark, desolate wasteland with their powerful potion.
Basis: My Little Pony by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $6 million
25. My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
A dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges.
Basis: My Little Pony by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $60.3 million
26. Ouija (2014)
A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
Basis: Ouija by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $103.6 million
27. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business but unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home.
Basis: Ouija by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $81.7 million
28. Playmobil: The Movie (2019)
A young girl journeys through the Playmobil universe to find her missing brother, encountering adventures and challenges along the way.
Basis: Playmobil by Brandstätter Group
Box Office Gross: $16.3 million
29. Pokémon 3: The Movie (2000)
Ash and his friends must rescue a girl's father and thwart the evil plans of the Unown.
Basis: Pokémon by Nintendo/Game Freak/Creatures
Box Office Gross: $68.4 million
30. Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)
In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective.
Basis: Pokémon by Nintendo/Game Freak/Creatures
Box Office Gross: $433 million
31. Pokémon: The First Movie (1998)
Ash and his friends battle Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon, in an epic showdown.
Basis: Pokémon by Nintendo/Game Freak/Creatures
Box Office Gross: $172.7 million
32. Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (1999)
Ash must save the world from destruction when the balance of nature is disturbed by a collector's scheme to capture three legendary birds.
Basis: Pokémon by Nintendo/Game Freak/Creatures
Box Office Gross: $133.9 million
33. Power Rangers (2017)
A group of high-school students, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.
Basis: Power Rangers by Bandai
Box Office Gross: $142.3 million
34. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
A mysterious lone fighter is welcomed into and trained by an ancient Japanese ninja clan called the Arashikage, but his honor and allegiance will be tested.
Basis: G.I. Joe by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $40.1 million
35. The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)
A group of kids discover an unusual garbage can that grants them grotesque but powerful abilities, leading them on a bizarre adventure.
Basis: Garbage Pail Kids trading cards by Topps
Box Office Gross: $1.6 million
36. Transformers (2007)
An ancient struggle re-erupts on Earth between two extraterrestrial clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a young teenager.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $709.7 million
37. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
A mechanic and his family join the Autobots as they are targeted by a bounty hunter from another world.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $1.1 billion
38. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
The Autobots discover a Cybertronian spacecraft on the Moon and must race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $1.1 billion
39. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life, but when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers war.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $836.3 million
40. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
A new faction of Transformers, the Maximals, join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth against the Decepticons and the Terrorcons.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $439.5 million
41. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Optimus Prime searches for his home planet, Cybertron, with the help of an ancient artifact.
Basis: Transformers by Hasbro
Box Office Gross: $605.4 million
42. Trolls (2016)
After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends.
Basis: Troll Dolls by Thomas Dam
Box Office Gross: $346.9 million
43. Trolls World Tour (2020)
Poppy and Branch discover that there are six different troll tribes scattered across six different lands, each devoted to a different kind of music.
Basis: Troll Dolls by Thomas Dam
Box Office Gross: $47.1 million (theatrical, plus significant digital sales due to COVID-19)
44. Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)
The Power Rangers race to save a wizard from the evil space pirate Divatox.
Basis: Power Rangers by Bandai
Box Office Gross: $9.6 million
45. Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light (2004)
Under the watchful eye of Kaiba, Yugi battles a powerful new foe named Anubis.
Basis: Yu-Gi-Oh! by Konami
Box Office Gross: $29.2 million