Lionsgate is Passing Go and Making a MONOPOLY Movie
Hasbro is at it again with another one of its properties coming to the big screen. THR reports that not only is Monopoly getting a movie adaptation, they have some really awesome talent penning the script.
Screenwriter Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, The Truman Show) has been hired by Lionsgate to bring the world of Monopoly to theaters near you. Here is what Lionsgate co-president Erik Feig had to say about working with Hasbro and bringing Niccol on to the project.
"Hasbro is a partner with incredible global reach, one of the most compelling brand portfolios in the world, and a signature brand in Monopoly that has multigenerational appeal. Andrew Niccol is the ultimate world creator...He is an inspired choice to develop this timeless property into a big, crowd-pleasing event film that will appeal to kids, families and anyone who has ever played the Monopoly game."
I acknowledge that I do not see the big picture here, but a movie based on Monopoly does not sound all that exciting. Here is what the current plot of the story will be:
"Monopoly is being envisioned as a family-friendly tentpole. 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 an adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and avoiding jail time."
This may very well be an excellent movie, and I may have to eat my words on this, but there I have some issues with this movie. The main one is: have you ever played Monopoly? It starts out fun, but after hours of playing someone is angry, someone is crying, and at some point someone is going to flip the table over due to the insanity caused by the monotony of the game. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing Monopoly! I am the guy who buys up random properties and makes it so that no one can own complete areas. I find that that causes the chaos to ensue much faster that way. Monopoly insanity is the best.
Here's the thing: Hasbro has had its major successes (The Transformers franchise) and its dreadful failures (Battleship) in the movie department. There really is no telling how this will come out. However, they are ahead of the game with Niccol writing for them. Gattaca and The Truman Show are two of my favorite movies, and a lot of that has to do with how amazing the scripts were. So who knows?
