A couple of years ago Universal and Hasbro made a huge deal to develop all sorts of toy and game properties into movies. It’s been far from easy to do that though, as while Battleship is coming this year, the likes of Ouija, Clue and Monopoly have all been dropped by the studio.
Now another has been cut loose, with Candyland moving from Universal to Sony, and Adam Sandler signing on to help develop it.Sandler is attached to star and will also co-write the script with Robert Smigel. Kevin Lima (Enchanted) will direct.
Candyland isn’t as well known in the UK as it is in the US, but it was created in 1949 and has been played by generations of American families. In the game, players go on a magical journey through fantastical lands made of candy, sweets, and ice cream: the Peppermint Forest, the Gum Drop Mountains, and the Lollypop Woods. Along the way, players encounter such iconic characters as Princess Frostine, Lord Licorice, Mr. Mint, and King Candy. Presumably all those will figures into the movie.
With Sandler involved, it would seem the film is headed in a comic direction, as opposed to ‘Lord Of The Rings with candy’, as the Universal version was described.
There’s no info on when it might shoot.