There’s fresh information on the movie adaptation of the classic board game Monopoly. That’s right the creative well in Hollywood has run completely dry of original ideas, and has now resorted to just wandering the nearest toy-store for inspiration. What makes this even more unbelievable is that Ridley Scott, THE Ridley Scott is attached to the project.
Producer Frank Beddor, author of the Lewis Carroll-inspired Looking Glass Wars, has compared the new project to Alice in Wonderland in a chat with the LA Times. “I took the approach of thinking of the main character falling down the rabbit hole into a place called Monopoly City,” he says. So basically the plot will centre on a Manhattan real-estate agent who just so happens to be an obsessive Monopoly player. A magic chance card transports him to the city where Monopoly money is currency, and where the evil Parker Brothers must be stopped!
It all sounds awesome, but not really. Actually it sounds like Jumanji and Zathura, in themselves not bad movies, but certainly not worthy of a talent like Scott. Apparently Uncle Pennybags (the monocled fellow from the box) will appear multiple times in multiple disguises. Anybody else want to see Jim Carrey finally play the Monopoly guy? (That’s an Ace Ventura reference for those who now think I’m gone quite mad). Pamela Pettner, writer on the Corpse Bride, Monster House and 9 is onboard to do the screenplay, so the project does seems to have some creative merit.