From Board Games to Big Screen: Margot Robbie Takes on ‘Monopoly’ and ‘The Sims’
Margot Robbie is transitioning from the world of Barbie to the classic game of Monopoly. At 33, she and her production company LuckyChap, managed together with her husband Tom Ackerley and Josie McNamara, are developing a live-action film based on the Monopoly board game. Robbie and her team are set to produce this project in collaboration with Hasbro Entertainment, the distributor of Monopoly.
Since its inception in 1935, Monopoly has seen countless variations of its board game format. In the game, players aim to acquire properties, charge rent from their rivals, and strive to stay financially solvent while steering clear of bankruptcy and incarceration.
Lionsgate, the holder of the film’s development rights, has been on the lookout for a writer since it took over Hasbro’s film and TV division, eOne, in December 2023. Although specifics of the plot remain undisclosed, Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, suggested that LuckyChap is already considering some concepts for the movie.
“LuckyChap is the ideal production team for this iconic and cherished brand,” Fogelson remarked at CinemaCon on Wednesday, April 10. “They are outstanding producers, selecting their projects with considerable care and attention, and they approach Monopoly with a distinct vision. We are extremely enthusiastic about collaborating with the entire LuckyChap team, confident that this can become their next big hit.”
In a statement expressing their enthusiasm, LuckyChap said, “Monopoly is a premier property, no pun intended. This game, like the finest intellectual properties, has captivated audiences globally for generations. We are thrilled to adapt this game into a film with the incredible teams at Lionsgate and Hasbro.
Robbie’s involvement in the project was announced less than a month after she and her company LuckyChap were chosen to bring The Sims to the big screen, a game renowned for its immense popularity in the world of computer gaming.
Robbie appears to have a penchant for films based on toys, following the success of her Barbie movie adaptation, in which she played the lead role modeled after the famous Mattel doll. Barbie grossed over one billion dollars in the summer of 2023, earning Robbie praise for her performance. Despite this, she has decided to take a short break from acting. Speaking to Deadline in January, she mentioned, “I think everyone’s probably tired of seeing me by now. It might be wise for me to lay low for a bit,” she remarked. “Honestly, if I appeared in another movie too soon, people might react with, ‘Not her again? Didn’t we just spend a whole summer with her? Enough already.
