Just when you thought that a cinematic version of classic toy Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots was already headed to cinemas (called Real Steel and starring Hugh Jackman as a down-on-his-luck boxer who trains humanoid robot fighters), rumours are now flying that Mattel wants to press ahead and get the toy pugilists on to screens in their own movie. Oh, and Wolfgang Petersen is apparently considering jumping aboard to direct.

Pajiba has heard from its usually reliable source that the toy company has teamed up with Mandeville Films to start figuring out how to turn the high concept to into a movie that will allegedly be along the lines of Gladiator meets Iron Man, with a human story at its core about a ‘bot that ends up part man, part machine but all badass fighter. But not Robocop - for contractual reasons, it's important that we make that clear.

For now, of course, this is strictly development rumours since there have been no official announcements about it. And chances are any studio will look to see how Real Steel does before pushing too far ahead with another tale of battling ‘bots.

But given Petersen’s possible involvement and rumoured word of Kurt Wimmer penning the script, it already has some heavy-hitting support.