Universal Pictures has made a series of deals with Hasbro to adapt board games and toys into big screen movies. Last year the studio signed Ridley Scott to develop a movie based on Monopoly, and just last week they announced that Platinum Dunes was developing a movie based around the Ouija board and Etan Cohen was writing a screenplay for Candyland with Enchanted director Kevin Lima to direct. Variety reports that the studio has signed Steve Oedekerk to write a big screen adaptation of Stretch Armstrong.

Kenner released the toy in 1976, a 13-inch blond-haired muscled action figure whose limbs could be stretched to nearly four feet. The plan is to start over and develop a superhero comedy out of the property, which to me doesn’t seem much different in concept from Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four or Elastigirl from The Incredibles. Disney even tried and failed to make a film based on the property in the late 90’s with Danny DeVito and later Jackie Chan attached.

I’m not saying that a Stretch Armstrong movie couldn’t be good (logical thinking would lead you in that direction) but Oedekerk is a pretty mediocre writer, at best. His filmography is filled with some bad to horrible films, including: The Nutty Professor, Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Bruce Almighty and the sequel Evan Almighty.

  • Whilst his movies are enjoyable, they are for the most downright stupid.
    In no way is he the right writer/director for the job.
    I wonder what a Nolan 'Stretch' would be like...?
  • if it's going to be a cheesy comedy directed by the farelly brothers, then why not?
  • skippy
    ^ right, it's "Stretch Armstrong" for crap's sake! I don't see a problem with this pairing. It's not like we would want a "serious" take from a "serious" director. Could you or would you want to imagine Stretch Armstrong directed by Christopher Nolan???
  • gah
    You guys lost your nut over Transformers and GI Joe, i dont get how this is really any different. Seems just as stupid as any other movie based on a toy.
  • LOLLLLLL you're right
  • transformers and GI Joe both have had a lot of success as animated series.

    for a lot of people, these are characters that they grew up with. Of course people are going to be excited for big screen adaptations for them.

    that's a world of difference from stretch armstrong.
  • But this has kinda already been done in the a fore mentioned.
  • edward
    I think you mean "best idea ever", peter.
  • It's going to be crazy when Stretch Armstrong gets shot or something and corn syrup sprays out of him.
  • Wow. This looks like it belongs on a comedy parody blog.
  • Wow. This looks like it belongs on a comedy parody blog. They can't be serious??
  • "The Nutty Professor, Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist"

    Those movies rocked. I wish he would write a third Ace Ventura. And I hope he does a sequel to Kung Pow.
  • Nostra
    I agree on the Kung Pow movie....one of my all time favourite comedies :) Still hoping there'll be a part 2.....
  • skippy
    ...and don't forget his "Thumb" series of parodies, like "Thumbtanic", "Thumb Wars" and "Bat Thumb"
  • Hollywood: Scraping the ground where the barrel used to be.
  • Lpfanaddy
    Nutty Professor 1 and Bruce Almighty are both pretty decent movies. As long as he didn't do the Klumps, I'm for him.
  • Jean Valjean
    I'd like to see this written Charlie Kaufman style, with Mickey Rourke, as the self loathing, down and out hero stretched to the breaking point. Right?
  • GWGumby
    Steve's movies are great when he's in them. Terrible when he's not. I'd watch if it was anything like Kung Pow.
  • Actually this is exactly the kind of movie Oedekirk should be making. Who cares if he fucks up a Stretch Armstrong movie? This prevents him from screwing up a good property. Nolan, Kaufman, Aranofsky et al should not direct every movie.
  • So long as the movie ends with Stretch Armstrong tearing open at the arm pit and crotch after too much stretching. Then it will be just like my childhood.
  • Goro
    When i first read the Title, i thought it said, "Slim Goodbody The Movie" THAT scared me. This? not so much.
  • Jason Miller
    PETER! You need to be whipped 1000 times for dissing on the O!

    Love me some Oedekerk! HIGH STRUNG find it, watch it
  • andrew aiello
    Steve Od. is a talented guy, he likely is a bit too weird for his own good but Kung pow is one of the best parody movies ever made. The guy obviously has a knack for broad comedy and if he finds a good story for a stretch armstrong movie more power too him.
  • skippy
    i wonder if the timing of this news has anything to do with the recent Plastic Man movie news involving the Wachowski's and James McTeigue.

    who will make it to theaters first: "Plastic Man" "Stretch Armstrong"?


    (i would rather see Plastic Man)
  • lol. that's the most sense that anyone has made in this thread.
  • Kung Pow was great. Betty nap time.
  • ACE VENTURA 2 IS PRACTICALLY A MASTERPIECE, SCREW ALL OF YOU
  • krakit
    Ha ha ha ha
    This can result in some comedy gold intentionally and unintentionally!!!

    I hope Steve Oedekerk tries very hard to have the story make sense
    rather than simply making it a platform for presenting some cool special
    effects and/or having it be a huge commercial for a bunch of new stretchy
    merchandise to be sold in toy aisles everywhere.

    I want to see a funny and interesting story about a man who can
    stretch. I think of "The Mask" and how entertaining it was. This is
    an opportunity for something in that vein of comedy.
  • From Monopoly to a Stretch Armstrong film? What, in the name of God almighty himself, is going on Hollywood with the recent allusion to everybody and his son buying/obtaining the rights to any old piece of crap? You can make a film about ANYTHING, granted, however to make them interesting, intriguing and engaging is another thing entirely, and I doubt this project (if it goes ahead) will be any of those three.
  • "Your clothes are RED!!!"
  • tmille30
    ass long as they include fetch armstrong, i'll be happy. I loved those toys. lol. actually, i'm just waiting for a Kerplunk and a Chutes and Ladders movie. oooh, how about Sorry, or Battleship, Don't Wake Daddy, Mousetrap, or maybe even Scrabble. I could definitely go for a Barrel of Monkeys movie, or Beanie Babies, or even a bad ass Furby movie. HAHAHA, i could go on forever, but i'll stop there. LOL. this is fun.
  • Gabriel Ruiz Arriaga
    What a surprise!
    Me llamo Gabriel Ruiz y soy de Mexico. Tengo 38 años y mi Hombre Elastico (Strecht Armstrong) lo tuve a los 8 años. Fue tal mi pasión que aún recuerdo cada textura de su piel. Aún conservo la cabeza de Strecht y es lo único que puedo poseer. Durante muchos años he tratado de conseguirlo pero ha sido imposible. Tengo cientos de historias alrededor de mi Hombre Elastico, mi esposa y mi hijo han sido testigos de estos relatos.
    Thanks for give me a splendid memory!
    Saludos a todos.
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