I tried to resist posting this, but it’s just too ridiculous not to. I mean, come on Ridley Scott directing a movie based on a board game? At least Candyland has possibilities, but who the hell wants to watch a movie about real estate and thimbles? The film is being scripted by Pamela Pettler (Monster House, Corpse Bride), but LA Times (via Ain’t It Cool) spoke with Frank Beddor (“The Looking Glass Wars”) about developing the story for the adaptation.
“I created a comedic, lovable loser who lives in Manhattan and works at a real estate company and he’s not very good at his job but he’s great at playing Monopoly. And the world record for playing is 70 straight days – over 1,600 hours – and he wanted to try to convince his friends to help him break that world record. They think he is crazy. They kid him about this girl and they’re playing the game and there’s this big fight. And he’s holding a Chance card and after they’ve left he says, ‘Damn, I wanted to use that Chance card,’ and he throws it down. He falls asleep and then he wakes up in the morning and he’s holding the Chance card, and he thinks, ‘That’s odd.’”
“He’s all groggy and he goes down to buy some coffee and he reaches into his pocket and all he has is Monopoly money. All this Monopoly money pours out. He’s confused and embarrassed and the girl reaches across the counter and says, ‘That’s OK.’ And she gives him change in Monopoly money. He walks outside and he’s in this very vibrant place, Monopoly City, and he’s just come out of a Chance Shop. As it goes on, he takes on the evil Parker Brothers in the game of Monolopy. He has to defeat them. It tries to incorporate all the iconic imageries — a sports car pulls up, there’s someone on a horse, someone pushing a wheelbarrow — and rich Uncle Pennybags, you’re going to see him as the maître d’ at the restaurant and he’s the buggy driver and the local eccentric and the doorman at the opera. There’s all these sight gags.”
Evil Parker Brothers, sight gags, magical chance cards, and the wonderous Monopoly City…I dunno. Sounds like an Adam Sandler movie with Owen Wilson co-starring and all the rest of their wacky friends showing up in unexpected, zany roles. Vince Vaughn could play the head officer when he goes directly to jail.
-Brian
Lame.
Actually sounds almost more like a Terry Gilliam film to me. I think it has potential.