Max Steel 2016

Max Steel is a 2016 superhero film based on the eponymous action-figure line by Mattel, which was co-produced by its Playground Productions division with Dolphin Films and Ingenious Media. Open Road Films released the film theatrically on October 14, 2016 in the United States while IM Global handled its European and Asian distribution. Directed by Stewart Hendler and written by Christopher Yost, the film stars Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Ana Villafañe, Andy García, Maria Bello, and Billy Slaughter. It chronicles the adventures of teenaged Max McGrath (Winchell) and alien companion Steel (Brener), who combine their powers to form the superhero Max Steel. Filming began on April 29, 2014, in Wilmington, North Carolina and concluded in late May 2014. Max Steel was panned by critics, who dismissed it as generic, unoriginal and forgettable, while also criticizing the character development, performances, and visual effects. The film was also a box-office bomb, grossing $6.3 million globally and overall against a budget of $10 million. Max Steel figures appear in the 2026 film Masters of the Universe.