Stretch Armstrong Movie Probably Won’t Happen Anytime Soon

The long-delayed Stretch Armstrong movie is officially dead in the cinematic waters.

Although the folks at Hasbro and Relativity Media wanted to bring the classic character to the big screen, the project just can’t seem to find a foothold. According to Variety, the toy manufacturer and the production company announced the movie’s demise in a set of recent statements late last week.

Relativity spokesman David Shane explained:

“Stretch Armstrong is an incredible character who will make an amazing movie, and we know that Hasbro has some new ideas they are looking at. Relativity and Hasbro have a tremendous relationship, and we decided to focus on other projects. We look forward to continuing to work together.”

In a separate release about the proposed Stretch Armstrong movie, a spokesperson for Hasbro suggested that the company isn’t completely giving up on the character. Judging from comments made in the company’s press release, the bendable hero still has a future in entertainment.

“Stretch Armstrong is an incredible character who will make an amazing movie, and we have a number of new ideas that we are actively pursuing,” a Hasbro representative explained.

The Hollywood Reporter explains that the toy company and Universal Pictures originally got the ball rolling on the project back in 2008. Despite having the Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner in the lead role, the studio wouldn’t commit to the project.

After several release date changes, Universal finally decided to ditch the Stretch Armstrong movie. Although things certainly looked grim for the flick, Relativity Media picked up rights to the character in January of 2012. The project wouldn’t crash and burn there as well.

Stretch Armstrong originally hit toy store shelves back in 1976. Unlike other action figures, kids could bend the muscle-bound hero into impossible poses. When they had finished twisting and pulling, the guy’s body would return to its original shape. The character enjoyed a resurgence in popularity during the 90s.

Are you disappointed that the Stretch Armstrong movie probably won’t happen?

[Image via Hasbro]