Hasbro cleaned up on Transformers and G.I. Joe but probably lost money on the $200+ million budgeted Battleship (Ha ha!). Now the LA Times reports Hasbro has signed a deal with Emmett/Furla Films to produce movies based on three more Hasbro properties: Hungry Hungry Hippos, Monopoly, and Action Man. Let’s pause for a second to point out Action Man was just G.I. Joe renamed for the UK market. Yes, they are double-dipping on the G.I. Joe movie adaptations.
Ridley Scott is still attached to produce (but not direct) the Monopoly movie, and Emmett/Furla wants to start production next year. Meanwhile, Hungry Hungry Hippos is planned as an animated kids’ movie. As for Action Man, maybe they can get Channing Tatum to star.
In an earlier interview, [Randall] Emmett said he plans to make all three properties into family movies with broad appeal and that he was not put off by the commercial failure of Battleship in May. “Everything is about how you approach it in price,” he said. “We’re excited to make these movies in budget ranges where we are comfortable.” […] Emmett said he hopes to spend less than $100 million on each of them. [LA Times]
Hasbro is also developing adaptations of Candyland and Stretch Armstrong. There are also adaptations in the works from other companies based on Spy Hunter, Missile Command, Rubik’s Cubes, Monsterpocalypse, and Risk. This is why we can’t have nice things.
We’ve already found a poster for Hungry Hungry Hippos (above). Luckily, a Monopoly poster already exists as well:
And we took the liberty of making our own poster for Action Man:
“Fancy a spot of tea and imperialism, govna?”
(Sidenote: we would absolutely watch two hours of Channing Tatum doing a cockney accent.)
[Hat tip to Reddit and Screencrush]