Monsterpocalypse Movie Rights Snapped Up By Warner Bros.

More than half a decade has passed since Privateer Press’ mythic board game Monsterpocalypse last flirted with the silver screen, at a time when Tim Burton was circling the director’s chair. But The Hollywood Reporter brings word of renewed interest in the project, after Warner Bros. snapped up movie rights following a “heated” bidding war that also encompassed DreamWorks and Sony.

Electing Evil Dead’s Fede Alvarez to co-write and helm Monsterpocalypse, Press’ source material revolves around an epic battle between monsters and humans armed with enormous battle suits. If it evokes memories of Pacific Rim, don’t be too surprised; part of the reason Burton’s vision stalled in development back in 2010 was due to Guillermo Del Toro’s colossal creature feature.

One thing worth noting is that sources close to THR suggest Warner Bros. will rework the core premise before it graces the big screen. Exactly what those alleged creative changes will entail, though, remains to be seen.

What we do know is that Alvarez will pen the script alongside writing cohort Rodo Sayagues, tackling a cult board game that is described as a “fast-moving, action-packed strategy game played with high-quality pre-painted miniatures portraying the most fearsome giant monsters on Earth.”

Should a deal place at Warner Bros., Monsterpocalypse will go down as the second high-profile board game movie at the studio, following in the footsteps of the long-gestating Dungeons and Dragons movie.