Hollywood Is Turning This Picture Into A Movie. Produced By The Rock. Really.

Honestly, we find it less incredible that Hollywood is making a movie based on a single drawing than we do the fact that Journey to The Center Of The Earth 2 was a hit. But it was, and now the filmmakers behind that movie are turning the above meme into a script.

Credit where credit is due: Alex Panagopoulos’s original image really is a thing of fantasy art beauty. It tells a simple and direct story in one image, which is incredibly hard for even the most talented fantasy artist to do. In the right hands, this could actually be a really good movie.

It helps that the concept of beloved childhood toys having a life of their own isn’t exactly a weird, unproven box office concept, and the idea of them fighting grotesque monsters isn’t exactly the kind of thing that requires Tennessee Williams to write a screenplay, either. That said, they are acting like the plot of this movie isn’t blatantly obvious:

No writer is attached and the story’s take is being kept secret, but New Line is hoping to launch a big four-quadrant franchise. They no doubt were emboldened by the megahit bear comedy Ted, which made more than $500 million worldwide for Universal last summer — this project will be much different in tone.

Gee, this will be different from the raunchy R-rated comedy? What a surprise. Mostly the question now is whether Panagopoulos gets to do creature design, or if they just cut him a check. Hopefully the former: If the guy’s art is being optioned, we’d like to see what he can do with an effects house behind him.

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