When first announced way back in February 2008 that Universal had signed a six-year deal with Hasbro to produce film adaptations of many of the company's classic board games, more than a few people began scratching their heads and rolling their eyes. Even more surprising was the news that Academy Award-nominted filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott, currently at work on his update of Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe, was attached to direct the Monopoly adaptation.
If you're wondering what attracted the acclaimed director of Blade Runner, Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and Body of Lies to a movie about "Uncle Pennybags" and his quest to control the real estate market, just ask Frank Beddor, the man whose plot concept for Monopoly was what won Scott over. Beddor said that after his pitch, Scott shook his hand and said, "What do I have [to do] to be part of this movie?" So, what was the pitch? In a recent interview with the L.A. Times, Beddor described it as having elements of Alice in Wonderland and Jumanji.
I created a comedic, lovable loser who lives in Manhattan and works at a real estate company and he's not very good at his job but he's great at playing Monopoly. And the world record for playing is 70 straight days — over 1,600 hours — and he wanted to try to convince his friends to help him break that world record. They think he is crazy. They kid him about this girl and they're playing the game and there's this big fight. And he's holding a Chance card and after they've left he says, "Damn, I wanted to use that Chance card," and he throws it down. He falls asleep and then he wakes up in the morning and he's holding the Chance card, and he thinks, "That's odd."
He's all groggy and he goes down to buy some coffee and he reaches into his pocket and all he has is Monopoly money. All this Monopoly money pours out. He's confused and embarrassed and the girl reaches across the counter and says, "That's OK." And she gives him change in Monopoly money. He walks outside and he's in this very vibrant place, Monopoly City, and he's just come out of a Chance Shop. As it goes on, he takes on the evil Parker Brothers in the game of Monolopy. He has to defeat them. It tries to incorporate all the iconic imagerie ... there's all these sight gags.
If a movie about a rich guy trying to corner the real estate market seems a tad out of touch with our current economic environment, Beddor offers assurance that the film is more than "just about the money."
To me it's more a metaphor for life, the taking of chances and this character through this process learns that he can do a lot of things. He's completely brave and strategic and risk-taking while playing this game but in real life he's a mess. He won't roll the dice. That's the character and journey he has to take.
Though Beddor originated the story, Pamela Pettler (9, Corpse Bride) has been tasked with writing the screenplay, which is likely to vary from Beddor's original plot concept.