A few days ago,The Daily Beastbroke a crazy-but-true story about how an ex-cop rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game and stole millions of dollars. That same day, there was rampant speculation that this was ripe for a Hollywood adaptation, and sure enough a bidding war for the rights to the story ensued. Today, we learn who came out on top: Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox has won the bidding war forJeff Maysh’s article, and has attachedBen Affleckto direct andMatt Damonto star, withDeadpoolscreenwritersPaul WernickandRhett Reesehandling the script. Affleck and Damon will also produce through their Pearl Street banner.
If that sounds like a dream team to you, it’s because bidding wasferocious. Universal Pictures wanted the project forKevin Hart, Warner Bros. had lined upSteve Carellto star forCrazy. Stupid. Love.directorsJohn RequaandGlen Ficarra, and Netflix (of course) put together a package that includedRobert Downey Jr.,Susan Downey, andTodd Phillipsproducing.
At the end of the day it was Fox who came out on top, and Affleck will be spearheading the story of an ex-cop who allegedly stole over $24 million worth of Monopoly game pieces, cashing them in and stirring up a sting operation from the FBI.
This is exciting to be sure, but Affleck and Damon have been promising to reunite for years and none of their projects have come to fruition. They came close withThe Trade, the story of professional baseball players who swapped wives, and they also planned on making a Whitey Bulger biopic beforeJohnny Depp’sBlack Massbeat them to the punch. Will this Monopoly story be the one? Here’s hoping.
Affleck has struggled to find a follow-up project to his last directorial effort, the 2016 stinkerLive by Night. That project followed his Best Picture-winningArgo, and while he was previously set to direct and star inThe Batman, he formally bowed out of the director’s chair and it seems unlikely he’ll be back in front of the camera as the caped crusader anytime soon. There’s a remake ofWitness for the Prosecutionthat he’s been mulling over, and no doubt other projects (I’m still waiting on thatAffleck/Fincher reunion forStrangers on a Train), so it’ll be interesting to see if the heat on this Monopoly story vaults this one into first position.
