After the catastrophic misfires of Battleship and Ouija, it comes as a surprise that Hollywood has earmarked another well-loved tabletop game for adaptation. This time it’s best-selling multiplayer board game, The Settlers Of Catan, as early reports indicate that Gail Katz (Pawn Sacrifice, The Perfect Storm) has acquired the film and television rights.
The original game was created by Guido Teuber in Germany and has since spawned several varying expansion packs. As it stands, it’s currently available in over 30 different languages in 50 countries spanning the globe. There have been 22 million boards sold to date, with downloads of the digital version exceeding 1.6 billion.
For those who don’t know, the game revolves around players who craft a dominant community on the fictional island of Catan. Settlers must outwit one another amidst fierce competition for the island’s scarce resources.
“I’ve been wanting to see an adaptation of the game for years,” said producer Katz, “ever since my ‘Catan’-obsessed college-aged kids introduced me to it. The island of Catan is a vivid, visual, exciting and timeless world with classic themes and moral challenges that resonate today. There is a tremendous opportunity to take what people love about the game and its mythology as a starting point for the narrative.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Gail on ‘The Settlers of Catan,’” said creator, Guido Teuber. “Catan players are a diverse and dedicated group who are drawn in by the game’s social interaction and strategy. We owe it to the fans all over the world to make sure any CATAN content created lives up to what they have come to expect of the ‘Catan’ brand. We are confident that our partnership with Gail will take us there.”
As well as The Settlers Of Catan, there are currently adaptations in the works for Monopoly, Magic: The Gathering, and another stab at Dungeons & Dragons. Tell us, which one are you most eager to see? Or do you think that Hollywood should start spawning original ideas? Sound off below, folks.
