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Worst Idea Ever: Ridley Scott is Directing Monopoly

Posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta

I’ve decided to make “Worst Idea Ever” a regular feature since it appears that the Hollywood movie studios are in a never-ending race to see who can greenlight the worst of the worst ideas.

Ridley Scott is now OFFICIALLY attached to direct a big screen movie based on Hasbro’s popular board game Monopoly. Corpse Bride/Monster House scribe Pamela Pettler has been hired to write the script. Scott had been developing the project with plans to produce since June 2007.

The Hollywood Reporter claims that Scott plans to give the film “a futuristic sheen along the lines of his iconic Blade Runner,” but back in August 2007 Scott told the LA Times that it “ought to be humorous and for the family”. Scott explained that the humor will come out of the drastic changes in economic class, “particularly when your uncle suddenly gets [Park Place]” … “You watch people change. You’re witness to Jekyll and Hyde. Somewhere in that is a hysterically amusing and I think rather exciting film.”

I know that Scott’s recent filmography hasn’t been “amazing” (American Gangster is overrated), but this is the guy who directed Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator. What is a guy of that caliber doing directing a family comedy based on a board game? Seriously!

The answer is: GI Jane. Some of you might not remember, but Ridley Scott was also behind the atrocity that was GI Jane. I’m sure that Monopoly movie will be Scott’s huge clunker of this decade.

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  • diggitalism
    Jesus. Terrible.

    Hey Peter, I'll bet $20 right now they end up making a "Battleship" or "Scrabble" or "Trojan's Condoms" movie.
  • SomeGuy
    They are making a Battleship movie
  • mbellerbrock
    Lol, looks like Peter owes you 20.
  • Wait, what?
  • Seth
    At least the rumor that Danny DeVito was to star as Pac-Man in a rumored "Pac-Man" movie was just a rumor.

    Too bad this isn't.

    What are people in Hollywood thinking nowadays, honestly. It's not like "Monopoly" is a huge franchise to even cash in on.
  • gah
    Um, Danny Devito as PacMan sounds frickin awesome and hillarious.
  • Christopher Marc
    wow! with all the amazing projects Ridley has in progress...why would he waste his time on this garbage? I'm not the only one who'd rather see him make Blood Meridian..I hope he isn't getting scared off interesting projects because the lack of box office for Body of Lies...and just trying to please studios...for all we know he could be just producing..the idea of a Ridley Scott family film makes me cringe, it's a waste of his talent and time period
  • Mike
    Between this and the Spielberg/Will Smith remake of Oldboy has sent me into a extended state of depression. What next? Coen Bros gonna direct Scrabble: The Movie?
  • The Burg
    sigh on 3

    1...
    2...
    3...
    *sigh*
  • YouKnow
    Funnily enough, there *was* a movie about Scrabble. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390632/
  • gocitizen
    and what about Forever War? Brave New World?

    Has Hollywood already been assimilated by the robot overlords? Something isn't adding up lately.
  • DisgracedCop
    Clue managed to turn out well so maybe they can pull this off. Might as well try to look at the silver lining, it's gonna happen.
  • andipie
    But Clue actually has a PLOT.
  • Allynd Dudnikov
    As much as alot (including myself) think this could and probably is a bad idea, something inside is saying that perhaps the movie wouldn't be that bad.. Perhaps it will be like the classic "Trading Places" but with the Monopoly title, exactly like Ridley describe a humorous look at two guys or a family in a Trading Places-esque movie but instead of rich to poor they go through the entire spectrum.
  • Quite the joker!
    Oh yes, good one, you are quite the prankster! That is the worst idea ever. Just imagine that - Ridley Scott directing a child's movie based on a board game. Yes, quite fantastic. Bravo to you, sir!

    Mr Scott should already be quite balls deep in The Forever War. I just read the book, and a screenplay should take a sober weekend to knock together.
  • Rosario
    I could swore I read somewhere (maybe on here) that they were doing a Monopoly, Candyland and some other board game movies. Never thought it would actually happen.
  • Nish
    A Risk movie could work. Has anyone done a cluedo movie?
  • Allynd Dudnikov
    Clue actually made an entertaining movie.
  • theuglyspirit
    @ Rosario

    I read the same thing on Rotten Tomatoes. Supposedly some studio has a deal with Hasbro or something. I've since tried to purge it from my memory.

    Wait until they announce the movie adaptation of the Ouija board.
  • Steelo
    So tell us Peter how do you REALLY feel?
    Wow man. That's like cussing out a kid and telling him he won't win before he gets to the tee.
  • Dizzy Dan
    I like the idea of this film with all swapping around of places, it would be hilarious.
  • Evan
    To quote Samir from Office Space, "Yes, this is horrible, this idea."
  • J
    worst idea ever??? try best ever!!! this could be hilariously riiidiculous
  • MonkeyMafia
    I totally agreee with everyone bringing up the greatness that is CLUE. Also, not only is American Gangster overated, he totally blew that movie; it's an amazing narrative and he made terrible decisions bringing and easily adaptable story to the screen so maybe this will work the other way
  • Kokushi
    wtf, ridley scott? you are better than that
  • Kokushi
    American Gangster was great.
  • JEff
    Gladiator. Gladiator? Wha-wha-what? Peter, your street cred just went down a notch. with me. Using 'Thelma and Louise' or 'The Duelists' would have been more along the lines of 'fine cinema', but Gladiator... that movie was a script-by-numbers movie, not ground-breaking like Alien or Blade Runner.
    ... At least to me it wasn't. :P
  • Anthroman78
    I liked GI Jane, it wasn't a masterpiece, but it was fun.
  • I don't understand how it's gonna work.
  • honavery
    I thought GI Jane was kind of a bad assed flick.
  • INS
    In the words of Bill Walton, "TEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIBLE-BLE-BLE"
  • Is this a joke? It has to be. I'm not buying it . . .
  • I agree with .sean

    Is there a way to make a serious board game movie? I think the only way it could work is to do a farce like Clue.
  • Candelario Rickbury
    I wonder who's gonna play the boot...
  • Harrison and Steve
    it has to be a dark comedy thats how its going to work.
    you gotta do this Wonka style with Moneybags being the host.

    manhattan is the grid for the game ala "pacmanhattan.com" with hidden chance/community chest cards throughout..

    Moneybags selects six players via random wonka-esque tickets and are given life size game pieces to move around the grid(car, hat etc) they think its a reality show based on the game to compete for $2million but it becomes a crude financial game of death. or at least thats what id like to see.

    MoneyBags: Wilford brimley

    Players-- Dakota Fanning, David Allen Grier, Donald Trump, Sigouney Weaver, Robert Downey Jr


    looking forward to it, hope mcdonalds gets on board for the tie in, and it has a holiday feel to it. this picture is going to be great because it wont be the kiddy movie youre all expecting.
  • This does sound stupid. But you can only have ONE "worst idea ever." :-P

    Vic
  • Meli
    It's baffling how Scott thinks this is a good idea....
  • To immediately say that this film is going to be bad is to show a lack of imagination. I think the Monopoly idea has plenty of potential. I mean, just think about the foundations of the game itself: it was officially released as "Monopoly" by Hasbro in 1935, during The Great Depression. What better way to play off the current economic downturn than through such a concept? While an adaptation of "Monopoly" might seem cheesy at first, it would only be so with a bad script and in the hands of a bad director. The addition of Ridley Scott tells us that this concept will likely be executed well and make for a decent movie.
  • mudywaters
    I forgot he did GI Jane, but Ridley Scott still rules.
  • Mick J
    Clue was the shit. Gold will not be struck twice though.
  • Elissa
    If Russell Crowe stars in this I'm going to fly to Australia just so I can personally kick him in the balls.


    And yes, what about Brave New World? Blood Meridian? ANYTHING?


    This has been a crap-tastic week all around, if you ask me.
  • Harrison and Steve
    Ranjit youve restored my faith in the intelligence of this site's readers..
  • BlackjackJohnson
    @Christopher M & Elissa:
    imdb says Scott is no longer developing "Blood Meridian".
    It is now credited to Todd Field ("In The Bedroom", "Little Children") who wrote the screenplay and will direct the film, hopefully. bad news is--the status of the prodution is unknown.
  • BlackjackJohnson
    *production
  • Arch Stanton
    Please don't EVER compare Gladiator to Blade Runner again.

    That's ridiculous.
  • Jaybee U Tler
    I don't understand, how can you judge this as a terrible idea?

    No actors have been cast yet, no images from set, no script has even been written so you don't know the story.

    Again, Pete, seems your kinda jumping the gun here, no?
  • Andy
    It's always a strange feeling when you see something you expect to see on 'The Onion' or SNL in real life.

    The title of this article is something someone would say if you said... ok in 20 seconds, give me the dumbest, most absurd movies idea you can think of.

    ummm ummm
    Speilberg directing a movie about Hellman's Mayonaise
    Ang Lee's movie about The New Kids on The Block
    ummm
    Ridley Scott's movie about a board game, like Monopoly, only not as dumb.
  • Captain Awesome
    I thought this was just a rumor and some suit just threw his name into the hat?

    The Hollywood Reporter is full of shit.
  • edc
    whats next? a movie based on a theme park ride? shyeah. and get a big name like johnny depp to play a part! ha!
  • edc
    "and from our foreign desk: hitler is relieved the final solution is second worst idea ever. the guy who thought of cavemen would not return our calls."
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