LAS VEGAS – A "Monopoly" movie will pass "go" and head directly to theaters, courtesy of Margot Robbie.
A film based on the classic board game is moving forward with the "Barbie" star's production company, LuckyChap, set to produce. Lionsgate revealed Robbie's involvement in the project Wednesday at CinemaCon, the convention for movie theaters and studios. Hasbro Entertainment will also produce the movie.
"Monopoly is a top property − pun fully intended," LuckyChap said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "Like all of the best IP, this game has resonated worldwide for generations, and we are so excited to bring this game to life alongside the wonderful teams involved at Lionsgate and Hasbro."
Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement that LuckyChap is joining the Monopoly movie "with a clear point of view," adding, "We are tremendously excited to be working with the entire LuckyChap team on what we all believe can be their next blockbuster." Hasbro Entertainment head of film Zev Foreman also said that Monopoly "provides an incredible platform for storytelling opportunities."
The project will pair Robbie with Hasbro after she previously teamed up with Mattel on "Barbie," the highest-grossing film of 2023. In addition to starring, Robbie also produced "Barbie" via LuckyChap Entertainment, which she founded with her husband, Tom Ackerley.
"Monopoly" will be another game-based project for Robbie: The news comes weeks after it was reported that she will produce a movie based on the video-game series "The Sims."
In addition, Lionsgate announced that horror producer Jason Blum is heading up a new version of "The Blair Witch Project," director Dustin Daniel Cretton ("Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings") is overseeing a big-screen adaptation of the "Naruto" manga series, and Henry Cavill is headlining a new "Highlander" from "John Wick" filmmaker Chad Stahelski.
"I’m a huge admirer of 'The Blair Witch Project,' which brought the idea of found footage horror to mainstream audiences and became a true cultural phenomenon,” Blum said in a statement. " "Blair Witch" is the first of a series of reimaginings from the Lionsgate horror library that Blumhouse will be producing.
“I don’t think there would have been a 'Paranormal Activity' had there not first been a 'Blair Witch,' so this feels like a truly special opportunity and I’m excited to see where it leads.”
The studio also showcased first trailers for a number of releases coming soon, including the Dave Bautista action movie "The Killer's Game," the Mel Gibson air thriller "Flight Risk" (with Mark Wahlberg as a psycho killer), the Halle Berry horror movie "Never Let Go," the Aziz Ansari/Seth Rogen comedy "Good Fortune" and the "John Wick" spinoff "Ballerina" with Ana de Armas.
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