Nobody could have quite imagined how successful Barbie would be, but the Greta Gerwig offering took the world by storm and raked in more than $1.44 billion at the box office. Now, film studios are desperately in search of the next major IP to transform into a silver screen offering, with Monopoly a prime contender.
There have been various Monopoly movies in the works in the past, but none of these have come to fruition. That could be set to change, though, with Lionsgate hoping to release a live-action version of the classic IP.
Monopoly Could be an Immense Success
If there’s an IP that has the potential to blow Barbie out of the water and enjoy even greater success at the box office, it’s Monopoly. The classic title has been around since 1935 and has cleverly evolved alongside technology and society over the years. More than 275 million copies of the property trading offering have been sold worldwide, and it’s estimated that there are more than 300 versions.
The main reason why Monopoly has continued to thrive in the internet age is down to the fact that it adapted well to digital developments. There are now countless computerized versions of Monopoly, and these are available on a wide range of platforms. On mobile, the Monopoly game has been downloaded more than three million times. Then there’s the recent Monopoly Madness for various consoles that have helped market the game to modern generations.
Monopoly has even broken out into the iGaming industry, with various online casino site options to choose from, including Monopoly Live, Monopoly Big Baller, Monopoly Big Spin, and Monopoly Grand Hotel. These titles instantly attract players and provide new ways to enjoy the classic themes. It’s a franchise that is versatile.
Various Big Names Have Been Attached to Monopoly in the Past
Despite reports claiming that the Monopoly movie is back on, there haven’t been many details released about the project. Over the years, countless huge names have been attached to making a live-action version of Monopoly, with Ridley Scott, the best-known director to have been approached. That was back in 2008 when Universal Pictures attempted to move ahead with a script penned by Pamela Pettler. This never came to fruition and the studio ultimately relinquished the film rights to Hasbro in 2012.
The most recent news about a Monopoly film was in 2019, when Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Productions was set to make the picture. Hart was going to star in the movie, but there was no writer attached to the project. It was recently announced that the film was still in development, though, according to director Tim Story. Therefore, this may be the rumored movie that’s set to bring Monopoly to the big screen.
There’s certainly a great deal of scope about how a Monopoly movie could play out, and if done right it could be a major hit. The wheels will have to start moving on this one soon, however, if it is to piggyback on the success of Barbie and satisfy viewers’ desire to see more movie adaptations of famous franchises.
