Bank pays dividend: Margot Robbie to produce ‘blockbuster’ Monopoly movie

Margot Robbie is set to produce a live-action feature film based on the popular board game Monopoly, following the record-breaking success of her Barbie movie.

The project from the actor-producer’s company, LuckyChap, was announced on Wednesday (10 April) at CinemaCon in Las Vegas by Lionsgate and toy company Hasbro.

Lionsgate landed the development rights to the real-estate-themed board game in 2023 when it acquired Hasbro’s entertainment studio, eOne.

Monopoly, which sees players buy and trade properties until one person is left financially solvent, is the world’s most popular board game with 99 per cent global awareness, according to Lionsgate. It is available to purchase in more than 100 countries and has sold nearly half a billion copies since its creation in the early 1900s.

An adaptation of Monopoly has long been attempted by Hollywood creatives, including Kevin Hart and Ride Along director Tim Story. Hart was cast to lead Story’s iteration in 2019, with the director confirming to SlashFilm in 2023 that the project was “still in development”. “It’s a difficult one to find the right thing with," Story said at the time.

While it remains unclear what kind of story might be spun out of a board game, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said the team at LuckyChap have a “clear point of view”.

“I could not imagine a better production team for this beloved and iconic brand than LuckyChap,” Fogelsen said. “They are exceptional producers who choose their projects with great thought and care, and join Monopoly with a clear point of view. We are tremendously excited to be working with the entire LuckyChap team on what we all believe can be their next blockbuster.”

Hasbro Entertainment film head Zev Foreman added: “As one of the most iconic games in the world, Monopoly provides an incredible platform for storytelling opportunities. We are thrilled to have the unique vision of LuckyChap and Lionsgate alongside us to bring this historic piece of popular culture to the big screen.”

“Monopoly is a top property – pun fully intended,” LuckyChap said in a statement. “Like all of the best IP, this game has resonated worldwide for generations, and we are so excited to bring this game to life alongside the wonderful teams involved at Lionsgate and Hasbro.”

News of LuckyChap’s latest project follows the groundbreaking success of Barbie. Starring Robbie, the Oscar-nominated movie from director Greta Gerwig about Mattel’s iconic doll smashed box office records, raking in $1.4bn globally.

Last month, it was revealed that LuckyChap would be producing a new Sims movie based on the famous computer game.

LuckyChap, which is run by Robbie, her husband Tom Ackerly and Josie McNamara, has produced the likes of Saltburn, Promising Young Woman and Dreamland.