If Anyone Can Make A Monopoly Movie, It’s The Dungeons & Dragons Directors
An impossible adaptation just got its get out of jail free card.
Monopoly has become a white whale for Hollywood. The classic board game touts the kind of notoriety and longevity that most brands could only dream of, but converting that clout into a viable film adaptation has stumped studios for years.
Lionsgate — the studio behind such hits as The Hunger Games, Knives Out, and John Wick — has been working to crack a Monopoly film for some time, but no version has managed to pass Go. However, there has been a bit of movement behind the scenes recently. Barbie star Margot Robbie and her production company, LuckyChap, struck a deal with Lionsgate and Hasbro to adapt Monopoly in 2024. At last year’s CinemaCon, Lionsgate exec Adam Fogelson revealed that LuckyChap has “a clear point of view” for a live-action story. As for who will write that story, Lionsgate is now turning to a reliable duo: John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
Per Deadline, Daley and Goldstein are set to pen a script for Lionsgate and LuckyChap. Whether the duo will go on to direct the project remains to be seen, but given their past success with Hasbro, Monopoly couldn’t be in better hands.
With projects like Dungeons & Dragons under their belt, Daley and Goldstein have proven their chops for tricky game adaptations.
“We knew LuckyChap would be a beacon for the best talent in town, and Lionsgate & Hasbro are thrilled that Goldstein & Daley have decided to join the fun,” said Erin Westerman, Lionsgate’s co-president. “We’ve been longtime admirers of their work — telling bold, original, intelligent stories for all audiences. They are the perfect architects for this franchise.”
Daley and Goldstein know games better than most filmmakers working today. The duo most recently teamed with Hasbro on the excellent Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, another game property Hollywood spent years struggling to adapt. They’re also the minds behind Game Night, one of the decade's most underrated action-comedies. If anyone can crack an IP as elusive as Monopoly, it’s them, especially since LuckyChap appears to be a competent backer.
A few years ago, Barbie was yet another Hasbro property that seemed impossible to adapt, but LuckyChap made a wise choice in teaming up with Greta Gerwig. Her script — co-written with Noah Baumbach — synthesized the Barbie brand with humor, heart, and a healthy dose of magical realism. Barbie was one of 2023’s biggest movies, proving to be both a commercial juggernaut thanks to an omnipotent marketing campaign, and a surprising awards contender. Lionsgate may be hoping for a similar outcome with Monopoly, and with such competent screenwriters, this project may finally have a “get out of (movie) jail free” card.
