Candyland

[6souls]

Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, the writers behind the screenplay for Kung Fu Panda and its upcoming sequel, have been tapped to write Candyland for Universal.
Kevin Lima is attached to direct the project, which is being produced by Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir. Christopher Chase is exec producing.

The board game, which was set up at Universal when it made its six-year deal with Hasbro in 2008, has a story centered around finding the lost king of Candy Land. The players wind their way through enchanted lands such as Candy Cane Forest and Gum Drop Mountain, see characters such as Princess Frostine and Gramma Nutt as well as the evil Lord Licorice who can make players lose a turn.

The studio is envisioning a live-action epic adventure. Etan Cohen worked on the project previously.

Jeff Kirschenbaum and Maradith Frenkel are overseeing.

The writers, repped by WME and attorney Ken Richman, have staked out a thriving career in animation, having also worked on DWA’s Monsters vs Aliens, as well as TV’s King of the Hill.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hea...er+-+Movies%29

[Titanss]

that Rushmore in your sig? damn that was a good movie

[Iono]

Live action???? I nominate Snoop as Lord Licorice!

[6souls]

Admit it. You think the Candy Land movie is one of the worst ideas in Hollywood history. A movie based on the children’s board game that itself seems specifically designed to numb the adult mind with its winding rainbow path past the domains of the nefarious Duke of Swirl and Lord Licorice and into King Kandy’s scrumptious kingdom. But what if the Cupcake Commons were, say, the Shire, and the Chocolate Mountains were Mordor? Because that’s what the Candy Land writers have in mind. Jonathan Aibel, who co-wrote Kung Fu Panda 2 with Glenn Berger, told EW at yesterday’s Hollywood premiere that they have ambitious plans: “We envision it as Lord of The Rings, but set in a world of candy.”

The Lord of the Rings. In a world of candy.

“We don’t see it as a movie based on a board game, although it has characters from that world and takes the idea of people finding themselves in a world that happens to be made entirely of candy where there are huge battles going on,” Berger says. “We are going for real comedy, real action, and real emotions at stake.”

I assume Berger and Aibel have played Candy Land, but just in case, let’s refresh. The game is for children who can’t read or count, as the players move through the board by picking color-coded or confection-pictured cards. There’s no strategy — other then the parental strategy of keeping the kids quiet for 15 minutes so they can down another Tylenol. So I wonder if the screenwriting team is overshooting with its LOTR ambition. Are they risking alienating their core audience, i.e., kids with runny noses? Can’t they settle for the yucks of something like Yogi Bear?

http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/05/23/candy-land-movie/

[6souls]

http://geektyrant.com/storage/2011-p...rcandyland.png

CULVER CITY, Calif., January 31, 2012 – Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison and Hasbro, Inc. are in final talks to develop Candy Land, a live action movie based on the bestselling Hasbro board game with Adam Sandler attached to star, it was jointly announced today by Doug Belgrad, President of Columbia Pictures, Hannah Minghella, President of Production for Columbia Pictures, and Brian Goldner, Hasbro President and CEO. Kevin Lima (Enchanted) is attached to direct the project for the studio with Sandler and Robert Smigel are in talks to write the screenplay.

Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, “Candy Land is more than just a game. It is a brand that children, parents and grandparents know and love. The world of Candy Land offers an extraordinary canvas upon which to create a fantastical, live-action family adventure film with a larger than life part for Adam. We are thrilled to partner with Hasbro and Happy Madison on this project.”

“The creative talent on board for this movie is amazing and we are excited to bring alive the world of Candy Land for kids and families everywhere,” Goldner added. “Sony/Columbia has been a wonderful creative partner as we develop another of our games, Risk, for the big screen. We are looking forward to working with Sony/Columbia and Adam Sandler and his team at Happy Madison Productions on this film.”

Candy Land is one of the most beloved and best known games of all time. Created in 1949, it has been played by generations of 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.

The project will be produced by Goldner (Transformers) and Hasbro’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Motion Pictures, Bennett Schneir (Battleship) along with Happy Madison Productions. At Columbia, development of Candy Land will be overseen by Sam Dickerman.

[Stilzkin]

At first I thought it was a horrible idea but then I realized it has potential. Much better than trying to do a movie on battleship. As long as its aimed at children there is a lot you could do with a fantasy movie about a journey through a candy world.

If they really wanted to do a good movie they should do it as a children's movie that still appeals to adults, I'm thinking something that has that dark feeling of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory and the expansive world feel and storyline simplicity of a Miyazaki movie.

[BadKarma]

Don't mention Miyazaki in threads like this for fear of retribution

[Byrd]

I think Adam Sandler is trying to make every movie he makes worse than the previous one. This actually has the potential to be worse than Jack & Jill, which may have been worse than Bucky Larson.