Summary
The directors of the unexpected commercial and critical hitDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesare about to head up a famous board game. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are reportedly going to join the creative team for LuckyChap’sMonopoly.
LuckyChap Entertainment, the producer ofMonopoly,was formed as a joint venture between Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Sophia Kerr, and Josey McNamara. The company is famous for their 2023 smash-hitBarbie, which received a slew of Academy Award nominations on top of a mountain of cash at the worldwide box office. The production ofBarbiewas a joint venture with Mattel Films,who have since commissionedseveral film projects based on their most popular brands, includingBob the Builder, Hot Wheels,andUno.Barbiesent a clear signal to older legacy companies: there is a market for adaptations beyond video games and novels. Audiences are also keen to see toy and tabletop brands that make their way to the big screen.
In anexclusive article withDeadline, Justin Kroll reports that sources have confirmed the two directors are signing a deal with Lionsgate and LuckyChap to create a screenplay for the iconic Hasbro board gameMonopoly.Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, commented: “Lionsgate & Hasbro are thrilled that Goldstein & Daley have decided to join the fun.” Westerman also went out of her way to affirm the studios' belief in their partnership:
“We’ve been longtime admirers of their work - telling bold, original, intelligent stories for all audiences.”
The dynamic duo of Daley and Goldstein have acquired somewhat of a Midas touch over the years. The pair co-wrote thewildly successfulSpider-Man: Homecoming,andco-directed the critically laudedGame Night,a dark comedy murder mystery that centers around an evening full of party games. Looking ahead, it appears that the team has developed a specific niche in tabletop adaptations, as weird as that might sound at first.
Lionsgate’s faith in their stewardship isn’t misplaced. It is important to emphasize that theirmost recent release,Honor Among Thieves,completely exceeded audience expectations. Its progenitor,Dungeons & Dragons(2000), was universally panned to such a degree, that it may have been the single largest contributor to the anxiety felt by studio executives every time agaming adaptation was mentioned in a pitch meeting. The original has a score of 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, and deservedly so, but the miracle ofHonor Among Thieveshas wiped away this legacy almost entirely, increasing the franchise’s sequel rating tenfold to a lofty high of 91%.
Borderlands, Lionsgate’s previous gaming adaptation, ended up being one of the largest flops of 2024. The overall production budget amounted to $110-120 million, but only saw a return of $33 million, ending up on digital streaming shortly after its theatrical release. Lionsgate is evidently keen to turn a corner in their adaptation business with Daley and Goldstein at the helm. The unbeatable pair will hopefully continue to be the kings of tabletop adaptations andMonopoly, if successful, would add another notch to their belt.
