Kevin Hart continues to expand on the world of board game-inspired projects, with Deadline confirming he is attached to star in an adaptation of Monopoly. The film will be directed by Night School and Ride Along collaborator Tim Story, though no writer has been announced.
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Details about the film’s plot are being kept under wraps, though Deadline notes that the project has been a priority for a decade. At least one early version of the film involved a man who lived on the game’s Baltic Avenue on a quest to make a fortune.
In the last decade, Hart has proven to be one of the more consistent comedic actors when it comes to box office returns. Films like Ride Along, The Secret Life of Pets, Central Intelligence, and The Upside have all proven his power to draw a crowd. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a sequel to 1995’s book and board game-inspired Jumanji, became one of the biggest hits of 2017, with Hart reprising his role from that film in an untitled sequel.
Confirmation of this upcoming project surely comes as welcome news for the comedian, who has been at the center of various controversies over the last few months.
Hart was announced as the host of the 91st Academy Awards late last year, which immediately sparked backlash in the LGBTQ+ community, given Hart’s various homophobic jokes from stand-up specials earlier in his career. The concerns weren’t to completely boycott the performer for these comments, but audiences of the ceremony hoped to see Hart address these comments in any substantial way that would express his change in perspective over the years and his support for the community.
Instead, Hart opted to step down from hosting the ceremony, claiming that he had already apologized multiple times in his career for those jokes and refused to do so again.
The comedian-turned-actor recently appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about the situation, with DeGeneres herself lobbying The Academy for Hart’s reinstatement.
“This was to destroy me,” Hart said. “This was to end all partnerships, all brand relationships, all investment opportunities, studio relationships, my production company and the people that work underneath me. This was to damage the lives that have been invested in me.”
“What we’re going to get to see on stage with you hosting the Oscars is sophistication, class, hilarity and you growing as a person,” Ellen told the Jumanji star. “Because most people would say, ‘I’m walking away … ‘ For you to be the bigger man, for you to say I understand …and to not pay attention. There are so many haters out there.”
There is currently no host for the Oscars.
Stay tuned for details on the Monopoly movie.
