Movie adaptations aren’t a new phenomenon, going as far back as the studio system 30s. Board game adaptations aren’t new either, Clue being the most iconic of them all, Ouija being the most recent. Sony Pictures, however, is in the works to acquire the rights to a certain board game to create a largely unexpected adaptation – Settlers of Catan, as reported by Variety on Wednesday.
Gail Katz is slated to produce the Settlers movie adaptation, with credits from such movies as Air Force One, Bicentennial Man, The Perfect Storm and Pawn Sacrifice. It was reported by Variety that she had originally picked up the rights in 2015, for movie and TV projects.
I’ve been wanting to see an adaptation of the game for years, ever since my Catan-obsessed college-aged kids introduced me to it…the island of Catan is a vivid, visual, exciting and timeless world with classic themes and moral challenges that resonate today. There is a tremendous opportunity to take what people love about the game and its mythology as a starting point for the narrative.
Katz is reportedly excited to be working with Sony to bring Catan’s unique universe to life:
As huge fans of the game, we’re struck by the endless possibilities of stories that it could inspire. It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to work in a world beloved by millions of people, and expand its story for the screen.
In addition to Katz, Dan Lin, who worked on It and the Lego Movie, and Jonathan Eirich will join the production team. Blaise Hemingway, the consulting producer of USA Network’s Shooter will write the screenplay. Sony Pictures has begun fast-tracking the project towards production and has placed Andrea Giannetti in charge of overseeing the project.
Designed and created by Klaus Teuber in 1995, Settlers of Catan has sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages, sparking a renaissance of tabletop gaming worldwide. Catan has also had a video game adaptation on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 home entertainment platform, as well as iOS in 2007, and on the Sony PlayStation 3 in 2008.
There is currently no release window of the Settlers of Catan movie.
Editor’s Note: It’s been over a decade since I’ve played a game of Catan with my old college buddies. The salt that the game produces is legendary, but I’m not so sure about a movie adaptation. There isn’t a real story behind Catan, as it is simply a world-building game. The opportunities, however, are endless because of that fact. My interest is piqued, but I am still very wary of how this may go, as most board game movie adaptations flop harder than James Harden.
