Call it the Barbie effect: seemingly every product line is now ripe for a high-profile adaptation, no matter how uncinematic it may seem. Monopoly is getting a movie produced by Margot Robbie, Jon M. Chu will follow up Wicked with a Hot Wheels movie, and even M. Night Shyamalan is making a TV show based on the Magic 8 Ball. No, really.
Now, Netflix is trying its hand at the product-to-content pipeline by acquiring the rights to a classic board game. If done right, it could serve as a jumping-off point for all kinds of projects, from a competitive reality series to a hit fantasy epic. If done wrong, we’ll reconvene to talk about what a bizarre idea this was.
