The iconic murder mystery board game Clue is getting another shot at multimedia stardom. Sony Pictures has closed a deal with Hasbro Entertainment to develop new film and television projects based on the beloved whodunit game.
This acquisition aligns with Hasbro’s ongoing strategy to adapt its most iconic brands into elevated storytelling experiences across movies and TV shows. The collaboration pairs Sony’s creative teams with one of the most culturally impactful mystery franchises of all time.
“Sony is the perfect partner to adapt a property as culturally impactant and mystery-defining as Clue,” said Zev Foreman and Gabriel Marano, heads of film and TV at Hasbro Entertainment. “After 75 years, we’re excited to figure out if it was Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with the candlestick.”
Clue, known as Cluedo outside of North America, was invented by British designer Anthony E. Pratt in 1943 and has sold over 150 million copies worldwide since its official release in 1949. The game challenges players to solve a murder by deducing the perpetrator, weapon, and location from a finite set of possibilities.
While no specific details have been revealed about the planned Sony projects, the multimedia approach opens up intriguing possibilities for exploring the game’s iconic characters like Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, and Mrs. Peacock in new and innovative ways.
This isn’t the first time Clue has made the leap to other media. A cult classic film adaptation in 1985, written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, featured three different endings when it was initially released. The movie starred Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, and Madeline Kahn and has since gained a passionate following among fans.
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More recently, various reboots and adaptations have been attempted, including a scrapped 2011 project from Universal and Hasbro that was set to be directed by Gore Verbinski. Another iteration from 20th Century Fox in the late 2010s, with Ryan Reynolds attached to star, also failed to materialize despite script revisions.
As Hollywood continues its pursuit of beloved intellectual properties ripe for multimedia franchising, Clue’s enduring popularity and built-in mystery premise make it an attractive prospect. With Sony now holding the keys to the game’s future on screen, fans can look forward to new twists and turns in the iconic whodunit tale.
