Monopoly Movie in the Works From Hasbro and Lionsgate

After the phenomenon of Barbie, Mattel definitely won’t be slowing down on movies and TV shows inspired by their recognizable brands anytime soon. The company has already begun to partner with a number of film studios on upcoming projects — and it looks like one of their most infamous board games is now joining that list. On Thursday, reports revealed that Lionsgate has officially acquired Entertainment One (or eOne) from Hasbro, for a total of $500 million. In and amongst the news was the confirmation that Hasbro is working with Lionsgate on a Monopoly movie, a collaboration that has been reported in one way or another since 2015. No cast members or directors are currently attached, although previous incarnations have had Tim Story and Ridley Scott attached at different points.

“This sale fully aligns with our strategy, and we are pleased to bring the process to a successful close,” Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said in a statement. “Lionsgate’s management team is experienced in entertainment and adept at driving value, and we’re glad to have found such a good home for our eOne film & TV business. We look forward to partnering with them, especially on a movie adaptation of Monopoly.”

“Entertainment remains a priority for Hasbro. Hasbro will continue to develop and produce entertainment based on the rich vault of Hasbro-owned brands. We will also bring to life new original ideas designed to fuel all areas of Hasbro’s blueprint including toys, publishing, gaming, licensed consumer products, and location-based entertainment. As part of the sale, we expect to move to an asset-lite model for future live action entertainment, relying on licensing and partnerships with select co-productions.”

How Many Hasbro Movies Are In the Works?

According to a new report from The New Yorker, there are a total of 45 Mattel-related movies in the process of getting made, including (but not limited to) Barney, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, and He-Man. Other projects that have been announced to be in development over the years include American Girl, Big Jim, Chatty Cathy and Betsy Wetsy, Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, Uno, View-Master, and Wishbone.

“Barbie is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and we are excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures and Margot Robbie to bring her to life on the big screen,” Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, said in a statement when the film took shape. “We look forward to building on this collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures as we tell the stories of our beloved brands. Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio, as we continue to execute on our strategy of transforming Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company.”

Will There Be a Barbie Sequel?

While Mattel has expressed a desire to return to the cinematic world of Barbie, director and co-writer Greta Gerwig has indicated that she currently does not have any ideas for a sequel film.

“At this moment, it’s all I’ve got,” Gerwig revealed. “I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did. I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”