There used to be a time movie studios would only base a movie on a novel or a true story. Then we started getting ones based off of cartoons and comic books. Disney took it a step further and decided they were going to base films off of theme park rides (Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion). Then it got even more weird as the blockbuster film Transformers was based on a toy line by Hasbro. So what’s next you ask? Movies based on popular board games it seems.

After Paramount had a smash hit with Transformers and also managed to grab up another big Hasbro property, G. I. Joe, Universal went to Hasbro to see what they could get. Here’s the anouncment from the Hasbro/Universal deal…

Hasbro Inc. (HAS) and Universal Pictures formed a six-year strategic partnership to produce at least four motion pictures based on brands such as Monopoly, Candy Land, Ouija, Battleship, Magic, the Gathering and Stretch Armstrong.

It’d be interesting to see what concepts could be developed for such properties. Can’t say I really picture myself in line waiting to see Candyland the Movie but who knows? It’d be easy to assume that these would all be aimed at children but Transformers was not aimed at kids and G. I. Joe will not be either.

Believe it or not, acclaimed director Ridley Scott is already in line to do the Monopoly film (yes the same Ridley Scott who directed American Gangster)

Interesting to see they left Scrabble off the list which is jointly owned by Hasbro and Mattel. They should let me write that one. I have the perfect concept for that. It’d be the story of “a young boy with dyslexia and his road to becoming a world spelling bee champion”. Tell me that wouldn’t be hot for a Scrabble movie!

Anyway, what do you guys think? Does Quija have the potential to be the greatest horror/thriller movie of all time or is this all bound to be garbage just waiting to be made?