Yes, yes, y’all. A Monopoly movie is apparently in the works.
Oh, you know, that Hasbro family board game; a game of luck, chance, and wheeling and dealing.
According to AV Club, a Monopoly film was actually being developed at Universal, Ridley Scott attached to direct at one point. It seems that Scott was trying for several years to use the game as a launchpad for a fantasy adventure, but to no avail as script drafts came and went. The closest effort appeared to be producer Frank Beddor’s pitch for a “Jumanji”-style story about someone sucked into the game and forced to battle corrupt money types.
Alas, Universal objected to Scott’s vision for the film, specifically the part where he said that greed was bad.
And now, Screen Rant is reporting that Hasbro has taken back the rights to the game and will be working with Lionsgate to make the cinematic adaptation happen.
Along with the official announcement, it was also revealed that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Andrew Niccol has been tapped to pen the script. In case you didn’t know, Niccol was also behind the groundbreaking Jim Carrey comedy, “The Truman Show”, and one of our all-time favourite sci-fi flicks, “Gattaca” (Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law). One of his most recent works include “The Host”, the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s young adult novel of the same name.
Here is the synopsis for Monopoly, provided by Lionsgate/Hasbro:
In keeping with a game that has brought so many hours of joy to so many for so long, Monopoly will be a film for all ages, visually sumptuous, heartwarming, and full of action and adventure. The story centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It’s about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!
Hmm. We’re not sure if this is gonna fly or tank, considering the fact that board game film adaptations have been pretty hit or miss. 2012’s “Battleship” was more or less a failure despite Universal and Hasbro’s projection, while 2015’s “Ouija” managed to rake in USD102 million worldwide.
As at time of writing, the Monopoly movie hasn’t got a director, cast, or a release date. So keep checking back with us for more updates!
Psst. The real question is, “Who will play the Monopoly man in the Monopoly movie?” 😉
Sources: Screen Rant, AV Club, cinemablend / Featured image from Flickr.
