Mattel and Universal Hire Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith as Screenwriters for MONSTER HIGH Live-Action Movie
Mattel Studios and Universal Pictures has hired Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith as screenwriters who will adapt the live-action theatrical Monster High movie for the studios as well as Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road, who is producing.
It’s the first big development on the project since the M3GAN films’ Gerard Johnstone boarded to direct last summer. First announced one year prior, the film will be produced by Robbie Brenner, President and Chief Content Officer of Mattel Studios, as well as Goldsman.
Darian Greenbaum is overseeing for Mattel, alongside Greg Lessans for Weed Road, with Universal Pictures’ Senior Vice President of Production Lexi Barta and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell overseeing for the studio.
Plot details for the feature take on Monster High remain under wraps. First introduced via a line of dolls in 2010, the franchise centers around a fictional high school attended by the teenage children of famous monsters, such as Draculaura (daughter of Dracula), Frankie Stein (daughter of Frankenstein’s monster), Clawdeen Wolf (daughter of the Werewolf) and Cleo de Nile (daughter of the Mummy).
Inclusive, in encouraging fans to embrace their authentic selves and what makes them unique, the franchise has expanded over the years via an animated web series, TV specials, movies, and books.
Hafey & Smith are rising voices in film and television whose work has been recognized on the annual Black List three times, most recently with their new spec script Entertaining on this year’s list. Their feature script Rachel Nevada is in development at Paramount, with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort on board to produce. The duo also penned St. Mary’s Catholic School Presents The Vagina Monologues for Amazon Studios, with Tanya Wexler directing and Di Novi Pictures producing. On the television side, the scribes sold Misfit City to HBO Max, with Boom! Studios producing.
via: Deadline