Max Steel movie: Mattel action figure to get big screen treatment The popular cartoon and toy line hero Max Steel is set to take his turbo-energy powers to the big screen. Mattel is teaming up with Dolphin Entertainment and Open Road Films to develop a live-action feature film based on the character, the companies announced Wednesday. The "Max Steel" film will be written by Christopher Yost, who recently worked on "Thor: The Dark World" as well as several Marvel cartoon series, and directed by Stewart Hendler ("H+," "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn"). The film will be produced by Dolphin and distributed by Open Road. For the uninitiated, "Max Steel" tells the story of teenager Maxwell McGrath and his alien pal Steelis - a duo that can combine "turbo-energy powers" to generate the superhero Max Steel. The character has been around in various incarnations since the late 1990s, when Mattel introduced the toy line. An animated TV series soon followed in 2000, as well as nine direct-to-video movies over the next decade. Capitalizing on the current superhero craze, Mattel rebooted the global franchise earlier this year. A new Max Steel cartoon series launched on Disney XD in March, and a new toy line hits shelves this fall. The live-action movie is slated for theatrical release in late 2014. Bill O'Dowd, CEO of Dolphin Entertainment and a producer on the film, said in a news release that Max Steel was a good candidate for movie adaptation because it is a "story of the power of friendship and teamwork, with a heavy dose of humor." O'Dowd will co-produce with children's entertainment veteran Julia Pistor ("The Spiderwick Chronicles," "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius"), who said the movie will tell Max Steel's origin story "in an authentic, visually compelling way." "Max Steel is an action-packed, character-driven story that fits perfectly into the creative movie-making mold," Pistor said in the news release. Who should play Max Steel on the big screen? Leave your casting suggestions in the comments section below. "Ben 10": The Jeremy Lin of the superhero world? Life-size Lego X-wing Starfighter on tour "TMNT" remake ends Megan Fox-Michael Bay feud "I Declare War" brings kids" war games to life Who would be a better Batman than Ben Affleck? "Ender's Game" director Gavin Hood on sci-fi battles