Production company Luckychap Entertainment is reaching out into the world of board games to film adaptations, now moving forward with a screen version of the classic Monopoly. Headed by Margot Robbie, the company has partnered with writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein in what it hopes might leverage the success of Barbie.
Though toy and game adaptations to film have been taking off in popularity recently, this move is still regarded as a profound filmmaking challenge. Working together with Lionsgate and Hasbro, social media is abuzz with confidence that this film could deliver, though details are still sparse.
Games Setting a Precedent
As strange as the concept of a Monopoly movie might be from the outside, it’s not without precedent. Both board games and Monopoly itself are full of adaptations into different media, and some have experienced significant success. Some of the biggest examples outside of film come from online slots and casino games. In this case, Monopoly has been translated into a live release from Evolution Gaming. Playable on computers and mobile systems, this is a natural fit alongside traditional slot libraries, but board game translations don’t stop there.
Source: Pixabay
On the more well-regarded end of the spectrum, it’s perhaps 1985 movie Clue that has left the most impressive legacy. Though not commercially successful at the cinema, Clue went on to find enormous home success, earning a cult status that remains to this day.
Giving the audience a potential pause is the 2012 adaptation of Battleship. While this was a bigger-budget and more financially successful film, it’s also poorly regarded. Of course, including aliens in a game that’s about two naval fleets fighting is a bold choice, in an example that pays only minor reverence to the little source material the writers had to work with.
What Can We Expect from the Themes and Story?
As popular as Monopoly is, it’s not a game that many people know the true rules and history of. It’s mostly known for players going around the table, long-drawn-out games, and somebody trying to steal from the bank. Some people might also be familiar with the blurb the Parker Brothers used on the old Monopoly trading card game, where the game was based on a vacation by one Charles B. Darrow.
In truth, the origins of Monopoly are found in the work of inventor, poet, writer, comic, and feminist, Lizzie Magie. The original version of this game was patented by Magie in 1904, under the title of The Landlord’s Game. There were two versions of this title released, the Monopoly version and the anti-monopoly (Prosperity) version.
Designed as a scathing indictment of wealth inequality and the greed of the upper class, the game was eventually misconstrued as supporting monopolies. This view was furthered by Charles Darrow, who stole the idea, lied about its origins, and pushed the work of the actual inventor to the sidelines.
Source: Pixabay
With all this information freely available and Margot Robbie hot off the success and feminist messaging of Barbie, the plot and themes of the upcoming Monopoly film are likely to be predictable. They’re likely to cover the original message of the game, while also incorporating Darrow’s treatment of Magie along the way. Rather than a Battleship, this movie based on a board game could be a lot more, offering a real message and making it something we can’t help but look forward to.