May 18 2009More Board Game Movie News
Universal's confusing plan to turn mundane board games into a feature films--so far they've got Ridley Scott directing Monopoly, Michael Bay producing Ouija, and Kevin Lima directing Candy Land--has taken another triumphant, unnecessary step forward today with The Hollywood Reporter claiming Hancock's Peter Berg is in talks to direct:
Peter Berg may be crying out "You sank my battleship!"The filmmaker is in talks to direct a big-screen version of the Hasbro board game for Universal. Brothers Jon and Erich Hoeber have signed on to write the script.
The game, which began in pencil and paper form in the early 20th century and is now available on platforms from cell phones to computers, consists of two players arranging a variety of ships on a grid. The game proceeds in alternating salvos as players try to "sink" the opposition's ships by guessing where they sit on the grid.
While plot details are being kept below deck, the studio is looking to make an epic naval action adventure.
Thank god they're moving ahead with this. I was just thinking to myself, "You know what's missing from all the naval adventures I've seen? References to a board game." Not once in Hunt for Red October or any episodes I've seen of SeaQuest DSV has a character shouted, "You sunk my battleship!" or, "This isn't a game!" Rectify this, Peter Berg!
Reader Comments
1. first haha - May 18, 2009 5:16 PM
first
2. Just Joe - May 18, 2009 5:39 PM
Do people still do the "first" thing? Sheesh, what is that guy, five years old?
3. first haha - May 18, 2009 7:08 PM
yep. dont be mad, loser.
4. greggins - May 18, 2009 8:35 PM
Don't know when BATTLESHIP first came out. Possibly the 5o's or 60's because the box shows the father and son playing the game and having a great time while the mother and the daughter are washing dishes.
5. Species 8472 - May 19, 2009 6:30 AM
These will be even better than "Jumanji"! Better than "Searching for Bobby Fischer"!
@ 5- I laughed quite a bit at that.
6. Chinese Rockets - May 19, 2009 10:05 AM
This...is this real? That's one of the most retarded things I've heard today, and I work in a hospital, with actual retards.
7. Bladedemon - May 19, 2009 10:15 AM
@ 5 . . . The worrying thing is, my mother introduced me to Battleship, and she used to kick my ass. Probably still would.
Clearly, in the 50s, they didn't realise underestimating women tended to end up with a kitchen plate shattering over your head when you least expect it.
But really, why are they making these films? Do we not already have enough crap adorning the dusty shelves of forgotten corners of HMV?
I mean, if the film somehow subscribes to the game, does that mean there's gonna be some American and some pseudo-Cold-War-Russian with an eye-patch randomly firing missles around an stretch of ocean, while on the phone to each other and hoping the other doesn't lie about if they've been hit or not?
And by the by, I claim the rights on that story so I want royalties if you use it, you hear me Berg?!?!
Yeah you do!
8. Rhialto - May 19, 2009 3:41 PM
Those Hollywood factories are really diggin for new possibilities,trying to get a blockbuster.That's always good for us.
9. Procrastigurl - May 21, 2009 10:03 PM
Ooh I hope they make Fireball Island
10. TommyP - May 22, 2009 8:08 AM
Souldn't Tim Burton be doing Ouija?