A Monopoly movie is moving ahead with Kiwi writer Andrew Niccol penning the screenplay. But how successful are movies based on games and toys? Ethan Sills looks at five of the most memorable toy-to-movie adaptations.
The Lego Movie
The idea of a movie based around small plastic figures seemed like a stupid idea, right up until it started playing. Chris Pratt voiced everyman Emmett as he fought to stop Lord Business from getting the Piece of Resistance, and captured hearts and minds around the world.
A scene from The Lego Movie.
It scooped up a number of awards, including the Bafta for Best Animated Film, and was one of the most notable snubs at this year's Academy Awards. A sequel and spin-off films, including Lego Batman, will now follow. RottenTomatoes: 96 per cent Worldwide gross: US$468,760,692 (NZ$699m)
The series about robots that can disguise as modes of transport has been seen in dozens of different forms over its 30-plus year history. The toy brand exploded out of Japan and was seen in animated series and comic books before Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg decided to adapt it into a live-action franchise (yes, the director of Schindler's List is responsible for these movies). 2007's Transformers got mixed reviews, but the approval ratings have gone down with each subsequent sequel.
Optimus Prime in Transformers : Age of Extinction
However, it continues to grow at the box office, with last year's Age of Extinction grossing more than $1.1 billion. Perhaps Monopoly will see the water works violently explode? RottenTomatoes: 33 per cent (average) Worldwide gross: US$3,761,212,649 (NZ$5.6b) (franchise total)
Battleship
This one points towards it being a tougher nut for Hasbro to crack. The 2010 blockbuster opened with high expectations, being based on a popular and beloved board game.
Taylor Kitsch in Battleship.
The end result proved nothing like the game though, seeing the navy fighting against alien invaders in a more Transformers-esque feature. The film only made $66 million at the US box office, which, on top of the harsh negative reception (which included multiple Razzie nominations) meant this franchise was a flop. RottenTomatoes: 34 per cent Worldwide gross: US$303, 025, 485 (NZ$451m)
Jumanji
Since we're talking about toys, why not mention a movie based around a fictional game? The Robin Williams film featured a board game more prominently than any other movie: the fictional safari game is unleashed on the real world, causing animals to go wild.
The movie was not a critical darling like Lego, but back in 1995 when it was released, Jumanji was a box office hit and stands as one of Williams' most memorable movies. It does show a movie with a board game for a plot can work for the most part - maybe Monopoly can take a leaf out of their book and set the thimble loose on mankind? Zathura, based on a book by the same author as Jumanji, saw a similar plot but was based around a space-set game. RottenTomatoes: 50 per cent Worldwide gross: US$262,797, 249 (NZ$391m)
The Future
Monopoly is not the only toy set to be adapted for the movies. In September, Adam Sandler and friends return to the big screen in Pixels, which has a Jumanji-esque plot involving aliens in the form of 80s arcade games attacking Earth (doesn't make that thimble idea seem so crazy now, does it?)
And while the idea of Play-Doh movie sounds like the worst idea ever, that is happening as well, with a big name director is attached to it. Paul Feig, the man behind Bridesmaids, Spy and the highly anticipated Ghostbusters reboot is giving this idea some serious credibility, and will likely attract some proper celebrities to star (Melissa McCarthy will undoubtedly lead).
Another big name, Oscar winner Diablo Cody, is currently writing a screenplay for a new Barbie movie, while Toy Story 4 is apparently moving ahead.
And even if Monopoly fails, Hasbro is reportedly working on a Hungry Hungry Hippos adaptation as well. It probably won't be an existential drama about the hippos evaluating why they are constantly eating white balls all the time, but it definitely has more plot potential than Monopoly.
