Looking to get in on the -- well -- game, Universal has partnered with Hasbro to develop feature films based on at least four of their branded properties. Those include Monopoly, Candy Land, Clue, Ouija, Battleship, Magic, the Gathering and Stretch Armstrong. The move comes after Paramount snatched up Transformers and G.I. Joe, which means neither is part of this new deal. There's already been talk that Ridley Scott will direct a film based on the Monopoly board game, and the director even spoke about it recently -- but the others are all completely up in the air as of now.

Out of these, I could honestly see a very cute Wonka-ish film coming from Candy Land, and Stretch Armstrong could be fun if it was developed as a comedy for someone like, say, Jim Carrey. Clue was already made into a film, so the framework is there, and Battleship could go a number of different ways (though ship movies never seem to excite us all that much unless Leo DiCaprio is involved). I don't know much about Magic, the Gathering, except that it's very popular and would probably entice the teen audience, and Ouija could go either the comedic route or the haunting thriller route. As much as I'd like to trash this entire deal, fact is I really can see some potential in these games, assuming they bring onboard the right talent, the right director and the right creative minds.

What about you? Which game could you see becoming the next big motion picture?

It seemed completely strange to me when I heard that Ridley Scott wanted to make Monopoly into a movie. I mean, it's no Clue. There's no crazy characters to bring to life (no, an iron is not a crazy character), and a less novel-like gameplay. Yet I'm still intrigued, and will have to be for a while longer. While talking with Empire, Scott said that the project is still in development and that he doesn't know "where we're going to go with that." That doesn't sound good.

He did discuss, however, what draws him to it. It "underscores the mean side of people. Monopoly changes people, the nicest person becomes a monster -- as soon as they buy Park Lane, that's it, they've all changed. I'm trying to figure out what tone of comedy it could be. It could be a really big film." First, does this mean we'll have Monopoly UK-style? Either way, a group of people are going to get confused over the names. Secondly, what's with this monster thing? I've had some lively Monopoly games, like the time my little cousin wiped the floor with me, or when conglomerations were made to try to take down the big guys, but in my experience, it's been whoever is losing that gets a little mean or snarky. How about your Monopoly experiences?

In other news, Scott discussed the upcoming Nottingham picture, which he calls Robin Hood -- I don't know if that's just his name for it, or if the title was changed. Whatever the case, once Leo and Russell are done with Body of Lies, and all the strikes are settled, Scott will kick the film into gear. He says Crowe is still tapped for the lead, and he's scouted some locations. Now I'm not sure if Scott said something else about the project that wasn't posted, but Empire says that the Sheriff twist previously reported "appears to have either fallen by the wayside or Crowe fancies reprising his conflicted bad guy schtick again." Such confusion!

It looks like everything is up in the air, so we'll have to continue to wait and see what Scott has in store.

I have a favor to ask of Ridley Scott: please, sir, can you stop announcing movie projects until you're in the middle of shooting Monopoly? That's the only one I really want to see you committed to right now. So, just finish up with Body of Lies, then begin production on Monopoly, and then you may announce other gigs, including this new project, Stones, which The Hollywood Reporter now tells us you're set to direct. Sure, the film sounds really interesting -- its a supernatural thriller that deals with ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids -- but how can you be thinking about mystical places when you need to be concentrating on Rich Uncle Pennybags and how you might integrate the thimble and scotty dog into your board game adaptation.

Yes, the American Gangster director has too many films in the pipeline. And Monopoly isn't even one of the projects listed on the IMDb, which shows only the Robin Hood-based Nottingham and the Cormac McCarthy adaptation Blood Merdian as being lined up after Body of Lies. Other Scott-attached projects we've written about in the past include Child 44 and Gladiator 2, but those were both a long time ago. We know Scott has confirmed involvement in Monopoly, so where's the greenlight? Doesn't Hollywood know how huge this thing will be? Oh well, I guess we can take a little peak at what this Stones thing is all about. Scripted by Matthew Cirulnick (Paid in Full), the movie features the destruction of ancient religious structures throughout the world and the revelation that they are all tied together, with Stonehenge being the central site, and that they all retain supernatural powers meant for a specific purpose.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that following Body of Lies, Scott will head straight into Nottingham, while Stones will have to await the end of the Writers Guild strike, because Cirulnick has not finished writing it. The trade also mentions another mythical project written by Cirulnick titled Elysium, which deals with Greek mythology, and going by the title, I presume it focuses on the afterlife.

Although it was once a bizarre rumor, director Ridley Scott has confirmed his plans to work on a movie based off the popular board game, Monopoly. Speaking to The LA Times, Scott says: "Monopoly is still the most popular board game -- I might be misquoting! -- in the world. So it's really finding the universe for that game. Because clearly it ought to be humorous and for the family -- the funny way it brings out, particularly when your uncle suddenly gets Park Lane and -- in England, we have Park Lane, Mayfair and Barclay Square, what's it in America? Park and Madison? So you watch people change. You're witness to Jekyll and Hyde. Somewhere in that is a hysterically amusing and I think rather exciting film." I imagine he's referring to Park Place and Boardwalk -- two of the most expensive and lucrative spots in the American version.

Aside from trying to imagine what a Ridley Scott version of Monopoly would look like (keep in mind this is the guy who brought us Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and the upcoming, sure-to-be-Oscar-nominated American Gangster), I also wonder if there's a way to make this a family-oriented movie. Even the LA Times asks whether the film will focus on "our gilded age of greed," to which Scott replied: "That as well. Isn't that comical?" I have not played one game of Monopoly that hasn't ended in a fight (one came close to ending in a fist fight), so to bring this down to a level that kids and adults can relate to -- well, it could be tough. On whether Scott will look to the big-screen version of the board game Clue as a reference, he admits to not "really" seeing it, but at the same time says: "But I think it was quite clever." Personally, I think it will all come down to the characters. And no, I don't think the game pieces should be characters that talk. A thimble? C'mon. Do you think a Monopoly movie could work?

Who knew that toy companies had agents? This is what I wondered earlier this month when Variety reported that Hasbro had switched from CAA to William Morris. Then, it was announced that the switch would lead to a live-action G.I. Joe movie and a "contemporizing" of brands such as Clue, Trivial Pursuit, Ouiji, Candy Land and Monopoly. We've already seen a great movie made out of one of those games (Clue) and the Ouiji board features in countless scary movies. Now there's word from Down Under (their source is the Sunday Times of London) that Monopoly will be made into a major motion picture, and it will actually be directed by the great Ridley Scott. Oh, and it may have a lot of big stars, as Hasbro has been promised by the agency that the movie will feature the cream of the crop of William Morris' talent. According to the article, Scarlett Johansson and Kirsten Dunst have already been offered roles. Hmmm, is today the Australian equivalent of April Fool's Day or something?

I don't doubt that Monopoly could be a movie, but I do wonder if it could be an entertaining one. Despite the fact that the game is the most popular board game in the world, it is also one of the most time-consuming, most unfinished (I'm guessing) and most boring (I'd much rather play Trivial Pursuit or Candy Land). I can only imagine that Monopoly: The Movie would be about 3 hours long and filled with non-cinematic scenes involving lengthy real estate deals. Maybe, just maybe, if they can get Wilfred Brimley as Uncle Pennybags and then adapt the thimble playing piece into cute a CGI character, then I would check it out, but otherwise I just don't see it being any good. Scott, who directed Alien and Blade Runner and Gladiator and Thelma and Louise, for goodness sakes, hopefully has too much else in the pipeline to bother with directing Monopoly (he might only be a producer on the thing), such as another collaboration with Russell Crowe, this one involving Robin Hood, called Nottingham. He also has on his plate Body of Lies (aka Penetration) with Leonardo DiCaprio, a thriller called Child 44 and a western called Blood Meridian. His latest, American Gangster, opens this fall. I guess for a whole lot of money he could be wooed off these great projects for a board game adaptation, but he might want to make sure that money is real. It could be ...

[via Fark.com]