Dolphin Films and IM Global have announced the casting of the principal roles in the first film in the Max Steel franchise, which is slated to debut in 2015.  The plan to create a movie franchise based on the popular Mattel toyline, which has been in the works since 2009 (see "'Max Steel' Movie"), is finally bearing fruit with helmer Stewart Hendler set to direct the first Max Steel movie from a script by Christopher Yost, who wrote the screenplay for Thor: The Dark World.
 
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Winchell, who will be familiar to young audiences from his work on Disney’s A.N.T. Farm and the USA series Necessary Roughness, will play the key role of Max McGrath, a teen with special powers who combines with his alien companion Steel to become the superhero Max Steel.  Ana Villafane, who was in the TV series Los Americanos and the 2102 movie Hiding, will play Max’s romantic interest Sydney Gardner.

 
Mattel’s Max Steel toy franchise has been the #1 toy property in Latin America for over a decade, a success that was the impetus behind Mattel’s re-launch of the property here in the States last year (see "Mattel Relanches 'Max Steel'"), a move that was supported by a new animated TV series as well as line of graphic novels from VIZ Media.