'Candy Land' Coming to Bigscreen

Variety ^ | Wed., Feb. 4, 2009 | MICHAEL FLEMING

[nickcarraway]

Studio has set Etan Cohen to write and Kevin Lima to direct a live-action feature based on the enduring Hasbro board game.

Project is the first film to emerge from the deal U made last February with Hasbro, whose properties are the basis for the summer tentpole films "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

The tyke-friendly board game isn't as obvious an inspiration for a movie project as those other Hasbro brands, but the studio has tapped talent adept at comedy and family fare.

Lima most recently directed the Amy Adams starrer "Enchanted" after helming the animated features "Tarzan" and "102 Dalmatians." Cohen's recent script work includes "Tropic Thunder" and "Madagascar 2," and he most recently rewrote "The Fiance," the Burr Steers-directed romantic comedy that will star Anne Hathaway.

Producer is Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner. Christopher Chase will be executive producer.

[nickcarraway]

Are they going to make a movie about gin rummy?

[RepublitarianRoger2]

I dunno, I think Chutes & Ladders would have more slapstick comedy value.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

That’s probably next, depending upon the success or failure of the Candy Land movie. But, would they call it Chutes & Ladders or Snakes & Ladders-its original title?

[Billthedrill]

I’m thinking Parcheesi. You could call it an anti-Bush statement and it’d clean up at Sundance.

[dfwgator]

You could call it an anti-Bush statement and it’d clean up at Sundance.

That would be the "Monopoly" movie. They'll portray Bush as Mr. Moneybags.

[B-Chan]

The best part is that you don’t have to be able to read or count to enjoy the movie.

[Yaelle]

I went to see UNO: The Movie but was offended because of all the sex.

[The_Reader_David]

I always objected to the implicit plot-line in that wretched game: I mean, casting liquorish as the villain! Outrageous!

[BillyBoy]

At least it made sense to turn this board game into a movie:

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I want to see “Risk” or “Stratego” turned into a movie.

[Mojave]

Robot Chicken did a Chutes & Ladders “movie” already.

[egannacht]

Seth Green's writers on Robot Chicken came up with the exact parodies coming to fruition. They parodied Chutes and Ladders starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. They also suggested Hungry Hungry Hippos as a summer action blockbuster.

[egannacht]

One of my favorite RC parodies (beside the classic Star Wars episodes) is Inspector Gadget suddenly controlled by SkyNet and Cyberdyne, turning into a Terminator.

[Xenalyte]

Not to sound stupid, but it’s a game. It has no plot, no characters, no dialogue, nothing. How does one make a movie out of a game? Do you just film people sitting around playing it?

[B-Chan]

I've always thought that Mille Bournes would make a fun movie -- a sort of French version of The Great Race.

[egannacht]

Coup-fourré!!!

[savedbygrace]

Wow, that brings back tons of memories. SIGH.

[egannacht]

It was fun yelling that phrase.

[kevkrom]

Not to sound stupid, but it’s a game. It has no plot, no characters, no dialogue, nothing. How does one make a movie out of a game? Do you just film people sitting around playing it?

Actually, it has a "story" that is irrelevant to gameplay. There's a cast of characters (King Kandy, Princesses Frostine and Lolly, Grandma Nut, and the dastardly Lord Licorice) and geography.

Shouldn't be too hard to whip together a story in that "setting" geared at the pre-K crowd.

[savedbygrace]

My wife and I used to play it a lot with my brother and his wife. My brother died of cancer a couple of years ago. BIG SIGH.

It’s a great card game, full of fun and laughter. Is it still available to buy?