Matchbox: The Movie is a 2026 action comedy inspired by the Mattel Matchbox toy cars. It was directed by Sam Hargrave, who is also known for the Extraction films, and written by David Coggeshall. John Cena plays Sean, and Jessica Biel plays Aimee.
Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, Danai Gurira, Randeep Hooda, Corey Stoll, Bill Camp and Golshifteh Farahani are also in the cast. The crew shot the film in Hungary, Morocco and Slovakia, with more work reported in Los Angeles. If you like big action stunts with a bit of comedy, this movie has plenty of both, and you can find more titles from Apple TV on our site.
A group of childhood friends has their lives turned upside down when Sean, their long-lost former leader, comes back to their small town. Sean is secretly an undercover CIA agent. Without meaning to, he pulls his old friends into a race around the world to save the day. The story starts in a quiet American town and then jumps from city streets to deserts and highways.
Matchbox: The Movie came out on October 9, 2026.
The film is an Apple Original Film and is streaming on Apple TV. It was made by Apple Studios, Skydance Media and Mattel Studios. The producers include David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger and Robbie Brenner, as listed on Wikipedia.
Table of Contents
When and Where Was Matchbox: The Movie Filmed?
| Film Name | Matchbox: The Movie |
|---|---|
| Genres | Action, Comedy, Adventure |
| Filming Locations | Budapest (Hungary), Casablanca, Erfoud and Merzouga (Morocco), Žilina and Kysuce (Slovakia), Los Angeles (reported) |
| Filming Dates | January 2025 to April 2025 |
| Cinematography by | Pedro Luque |
| Release Date | October 9, 2026 |
Cameras started rolling in Budapest in early January 2025, and the crew then moved to Morocco in March 2025. After that, the team spent late March and early April 2025 in northern Slovakia for the big road stunts. Local reports said the Slovak shoot was finished by April 7, 2025, as noted on Wikipedia.
The cinematography was done by Pedro Luque, according to Wikipedia and The Viewer’s Guide. Los Angeles was also planned as a stop, but we could not find dates for it. If you enjoy film trips across the continent, our Europe page has many more.
📍Budapest, Hungary
Budapest was the first stop, and it is where principal photography began on January 2, 2025, according to Tonboriday. The report names the Széchenyi Chain Bridge over the Danube and the Hungarian National Museum. The Cinemaholic adds that the museum scenes were shot in its garden at Múzeum körút 14-16. We could not find an official list of scenes, so please treat the exact places as reports.
Budapest is a favorite with Hollywood, and the same chain bridge also shows up in our guide to Borderlands. The city’s big squares have been busy too, since Mayday turned Heroes’ Square into Moscow, and Pretty Lethal used studios in the city. To see everything shot in the country, browse our Hungary collection.
📍Derb Omar, Casablanca, Morocco
In March 2025, the crew moved to Casablanca, and the main spot was the Derb Omar market district. Social media posts from the area showed John Cena shooting car action scenes there, as reported by Le Matin. Hespress says shops and alleys were closed for a time under heavy security, and that some scenes were shot around iftar to avoid big crowds. Derb Omar is a busy commercial area near the port, so it made a lively backdrop for a chase.
📍Erfoud, Merzouga and Gara Medouar, Morocco
After Casablanca, the team went to the desert in southeastern Morocco. Scenes were also shot in Erfoud and Merzouga, which sits next to the tall Erg Chebbi sand dunes.
Tonboriday also lists Gara Medouar, a round rock formation near Errachidia, but we did not find a second source for it, so please treat it as a report. Hespress also mentions Ouarzazate, a town known for its film studios, but it does not say what was shot there.
📍Žilina and the Kysuce Region, Slovakia
The biggest road action was filmed in northern Slovakia. According to the Slovak Spectator, crews arrived in late March 2025 and closed the Poľana and Svrčinovec tunnels on the D3 and the Žilina and Ovčiarsko tunnels on the D1. They also used helicopters, stunt teams, fast cars and big trucks.
The same report says a truck broke through the guardrail and fell off a motorway bridge in a planned stunt, and the production paid the national highway company over €440,000. The Prague Reporter adds that a high-speed chase took place on the D1 between Hričovské Podhradie and Lietavská Lúčka.
📍Strečno Castle, Slovakia
Strečno Castle sits on a hill above the Váh River. Slovak media said Jessica Biel visited it during the shoot, and that her great-great-great-grandfather Moritz Biel came from the area before moving to America in 1888. That is the only link we found. We have no proof that any scene was filmed at the castle, although Tonboriday lists it as a location.
📍Vychylovka Open-Air Museum, Slovakia
The Slovak Spectator calls the Vychylovka open-air museum a favorite of filmmakers in the region, but it does not say the crew filmed there. A few sites have listed it for this movie, so we are treating it as unconfirmed for now.
📍Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles was planned as a stop after the overseas shoot, and one report says it was used for stage work and a few city roads. No exact streets or studios have been shared. If you want to see more of the city on screen, visit our Los Angeles page.
Matchbox: The Movie Behind the Scenes
Apple has shared first-look images and a trailer, but we could not find an official set photo gallery. Please check the movie page on Apple TV for the latest pictures.
Sam Hargrave likes to do stunts for real instead of using computer effects. Jessica Biel said, “He likes to do things practically,” and Cena said Hargrave “pushes the envelope in every metric,” as shared in a Philstar interview. One big stunt has an 18-wheeler flipping over a 300-foot bridge while Cena’s character hangs from the edge.
In Slovakia, locals spotted John Cena in cafés, and the Prague Reporter says he posted a cryptic Slovak-language Instagram story during the shoot. That report also embeds an Instagram reel by @thisisslovakia that shows the leaked truck-stunt footage, so please note we could not open the reel ourselves to check it.
In Casablanca, the team planned some scenes around iftar to avoid crowds. Posts from locals showed Cena filming in Derb Omar, but we could not find who shared them.
We will add more cast and crew Instagram posts and set photos here as soon as they are shared.
Is There Any Trailer Available for Matchbox: The Movie?
Yes, the official trailer is available. Apple Original Films unveiled it in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026, as announced on the Apple press page.
You can also watch a Trailer in Apple+’s Official YouTube channel. The movie came out on October 9, 2026, and it is available on Apple TV.
FAQs
Q1: Where was Matchbox: The Movie filmed?
A1: Matchbox: The Movie was filmed in Budapest, Hungary, in Casablanca, Erfoud and Merzouga, Morocco, and in Žilina and Kysuce, Slovakia. Los Angeles was also reported.
Q2: When was Matchbox: The Movie filmed?
A2: Filming began in Budapest in January 2025, moved to Morocco in March 2025, and finished in Slovakia by about April 7, 2025.
Q3: Was Matchbox: The Movie filmed in Morocco?
A3: Yes. The crew shot car action scenes in the Derb Omar district of Casablanca, and scenes were also filmed in Erfoud and Merzouga.
Q4: Where was the truck stunt in Matchbox filmed?
A4: The truck crash was filmed on a motorway bridge in northern Slovakia, near Žilina and the Kysuce region.
Q5: Was Matchbox: The Movie filmed at Strečno Castle?
A5: Not confirmed. Jessica Biel visited the castle during the shoot, but we found no proof that scenes were filmed there.
Q6: Where can I watch Matchbox: The Movie?
A6: It premiered on Apple TV on October 9, 2026.
Matchbox: The Movie takes its toy-car fun around the world, from the bridges of Budapest and the busy lanes of Casablanca to the Sahara dunes and the tunnels of Slovakia. Using real roads for its stunts gives the movie a big, hands-on feel. If you like fast, funny escapes, you can find more in our adventure and movies sections. We will keep adding new filming-location guides, so check back soon.
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