Rolling the dice on a live-action Monopoly movie is something that’s been in contention for years at this point, and though Hasbro’s classic board game of micro-management and capitalism doesn’t necessarily scream adaptation, buoyed by Battleships‘ financial turnover, the toy manufacturer is keen to set the wheels in motion over at Lionsgate.
But according to Deadline, another figure has emerged onto the starting grid – and no, it’s not the iron or the dog, but rather production company Big Beach. Recruiting Little Miss Sunshine producers Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf for the adaptation, it’s understood that this particular take on the Monopoly brand is completely unrelated to Hasbro’s official rendition.
Detailing the supposed scandal that surrounds the game’s creation, it’s little wonder that the toy manufacturer is not involved in Big Beach’s project, considering that it looks set to delve into the largely unknown history of the company’s crown jewel. Based on Mary Pilon’s non-fiction novel The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game, the studio’s big-screen interpretation of Monopoly would shed light on the story of Elizabeth Magie, a progressive feminist who hatched the idea for Landlord’s Game three decades before the board game was sold under the Monopoly branding, which has since gone on to become a household name.
Joe Gould’s Secret scribe Howard A. Rodman is attached to write the script, which will also tap into Ralph Anspach’s story, who created the game Anti-Monopoly in response to the unfair treatment of Magie some years before, who eventually sold her rights for a measly $500.
Setting aside our early apprehensions, the one question that now looms over Big Beach’s Monopoly is whether such a tale of corporate ignominy will prove a hit with audiences, considering the recent performance of Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs movie.
