Hasbro still wants to make a movie based on Monopoly, but it turns out that Universal has no interest. So, the project has moved on to Lionsgate and Andrew Niccol has been hired to write the screenplay.
Lionsgate and Hasbro Allspark Pictures are producing, with Lionsgate financing the film. According to Variety, the plot will center on a boy from Baltic Avenue trying to make a fortune.
“Andrew Niccol is the ultimate world creator responsible for such disparate and imaginative films as The Truman Show, Gattaca and The Terminal,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erik Feig said in a statement. “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.”
Niccol was nominated for an Oscar for writing Peter Weir’s The Truman Show. Should Hasbro and Lionsgate have trouble finding a director, Niccol does have some experience. He helmed The Host, Lord of War and Good Kill.
Hasbro currently has the Transformers franchise at Paramount, but has been doing more work with Universal lately. Ouija became a low-budget hit and Jem and the Holograms is coming in October.
Universal and Hasbro began working on a Monopoly movie back in 2008 and Ridley Scott of all people was attached to direct. In 2010, Hasbro said that Scott was still interested and that the movie would be out by 2013. Well, that didn’t happen and Universal has clearly given up.
While Monopoly is still played around the world, a recent book suggested that the story Hasbro has been telling for years - that it was invented by Charles Darrow - might not be true. The story of the game’s creation would probably make a better movie than one based on the game itself.