Board games are big business — and Hollywood wants in.

From Clue to Catan: All the major board games being adapted for the screen

Board games are big business — and Hollywood wants in.

By Chris Snellgrove

June 22, 2026 2:21 p.m. ET

1) Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots; 2) Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn from 1985's 'Clue'; 3) Monopoly. Credit:

Amazon; Everett; Amazon

There's nothing quite like settling in for a great board game with friends and family. Classics like Monopoly, The Settlers of Catan, and Clue offer players the chance to unwind while putting their strategic skills to the test.

Of course, those games are very different from one another and attract different kinds of players. But they have one surprising thing in common: They're all being adapted for the screen.

Board games are big business these days. Some boast fandoms that rival those of *Star Wars* or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and toy giants like Hasbro and Mattel are cashing in by turning many of their most popular titles into movies and TV shows.

Which of your favorite games are headed to the big screen? Which might become your next TV comfort watch? And which writers and directors are taking on the challenge? Keep reading to find out.

No one can replace Tim Curry (or Madeleine Kahn, tbh), but sure, we're up for another 'Clue'.

Amazon; Everett

Clue is one of the most popular board games because it has drama built into its premise. Players must determine who bumped someone off, what their murder weapon was, and where they did the dastardly deed.

Every game is basically its own murder mystery, making Clue ripe for a screen adaptation — another one, that is. The first version — with Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, and Christopher Lloyd — was a big-screen curiosity back in 1985 that garnered notoriety for its multiple endings, which varied depending on the screening and theater.

It became a cult classic and is still popular to this day. But the original game is set to be adapted for two separate shows.

As reported by *The Hollywood Reporter* in October 2025, Netflix is adapting Clue into a reality show. “We’re delivering a fresh, imaginative whodunit competition that will invite today’s audiences into that iconic world,” said Netflix’s unscripted VP Jeff Gaspin.

Peacock, meanwhile, is said to be adapting Clue into a scripted, live-action series. Both shows come courtesy of Sony.

Dungeons & Dragons

Pine and Rodriguez are on hold, but Shawn Levy is bringing 'The Forgotten Realms' to Netflix.

The big-screen fantasy epic *Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves* (2023) was a surprise critical hit that the D&D fandom absolutely loved. But it wasn’t the box office smash the studio had in mind, leaving any possible sequels in limbo for now.

Fans, however, can look forward to a live-action series set in the Forgotten Realms, the same famous setting that inspired *Honor Among Thieves. *

According to *Deadline*, Netflix will be home to *The Forgotten Realms*. The show is set to be led by writer Drew Crevello, who brought the sordid WeWork backstory to life with the miniseries *WeCrashed*, starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.

The project’s bigger name, however, is *Stranger Things *producer Shawn Levy. The film and TV veteran has directed *Deadpool & Wolverine *(2024), the *Night at the Museum *franchise, *Free Guy *(2021), and the upcoming *Star Wars: Starfighter*.

Rian Johnson wants to expand the 'Knives Out' world to include a board game and a stage play

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' is a fun fantasy romp

The Game of Life! Fill in your own metaphors as you see fit.

Conceptually, the most interesting and challenging thing about turning a board game into a TV show or movie is that, more often than not, it doesn't have much of a narrative or many developed characters.

Case in point: Life, the board game that simulates a lifetime by having players choose a profession, raise a family, and try to retire with more money than any of their friends.

That doesn’t quite lend itself to a compelling cinematic narrative, but *Deadline* reported in March 2026 that Amazon is making a film adaptation of Life one of its top priorities.

So far, details regarding the film's plot and characters are under wraps. What we do know is that it's being written by veteran screenwriter Allan Loeb, whose resume includes *21 *(2008), *Collateral Beauty *(2016), and *The Space Between Us *(2017), among others.

Behind the camera will be comedy veteran Sean Anders, director of *Daddy’s Home* (2015) and *Spirited *(2022). Given his background, it seems likely his movie will take a lighthearted approach to Life rather than a “hard knock” version.

Magic 8 Ball

The 'M' in M. Night Shyamalan actually stands for 'Magic8ball'.

Admittedly, a Magic 8 Ball stretches the boundaries of what you might or might not consider a board game. For starters, there is no board. Second, whether it’s a “game” is… well, debatable.

Nonetheless, it’s always been a reliable paperweight for our Monopoly money, not to mention a place of honor next to our copy of Risk. (Should I consolidate forces and make a last stand in Australia? “Signs point to yes.”)

For those reasons, many will be delighted to learn that Magic 8 Ball is getting its own live-action series from the guy who redefined spooky cinema for a generation.

According to an October 2025 report from *The Hollywood Reporter*, none other than M. Night Shyamalan will direct a Magic 8 Ball series. Shyamalan's co-showrunner will reportedly be Brad Falchuk, the longtime creative partner of Ryan Murphy, who’s helped bring the *American Horror Story *and *9-1-1 *franchises to life.

But what the heck will this show even be about? According to Mattel, the creative braintrust intends to “reimagine the classic Magic 8 Ball as the centerpiece of a high-concept, character-driven supernatural drama that blends psychological intensity with cultural intrigue.”

On paper, that sounds like an awfully elaborate way to adapt a straightforward toy. Then again, if the runaway success of Greta Gerwig’s *Barbie* (2023) is anything to go by, the right person can work wonders with even the most unassuming material.

Magic: The Gathering

Someday, these cards will be characters in a major motion picture. Or TV show. Or something.

*Magic: The Gathering* is one of several franchises on this list that’s more of a tabletop game than a proper board game. Nonetheless, it remains the most popular customizable card game ever made.

Hasbro has teamed up with Legendary Entertainment to bring the world of Magic to both the big and small screens. According to *The Hollywood Reporter*, a shared universe of film and TV shows is in the works.

“*Magic: The Gathering* has inspired decades of epic world-building and creative storytelling,” said the gaming giant’s film chief. “We are excited to work together to build a whole new Magic: The Gathering universe.”

Interestingly, these projects are completely separate from the upcoming *Magic: The Gathering* animated series in the works for Netflix. That effort will be written and executive-produced by Terry Matalas, best known to sci-fi fans for the *12 Monkeys *series as well as running the final two seasons of *Star Trek: Picard*.

Given the glut of new projects coming down the pike, it’s clear *Magic: The Gathering* players will soon be overwhelmed with new options (that is, once they stop tweaking their favorite Commander deck).

Who better to turn Monopoly into a movie than the fellas who made 'Game Night'?.

Monopoly is one of the most popular games in history, teaching a quintessential lesson about capitalism: How much you win or lose often comes down to a simple roll of the dice.

Brand awareness being what it is, it should come as no surprise that Monopoly has been one of Hollywood’s prized board-game IPs for quite some time, though no one has quite cracked the code yet. Years ago, Ridley Scott was circling a big-screen version, but that incarnation never made it into production.

This time around, Lionsgate has commissioned the filmmaking duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Fittingly enough, it was their star-studded comedy *Game Night *(2018) that firmly established their behind-the-camera bona fides. They later helmed *Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves*.

Lionsgate co-president Erin Westerman praised the two for “telling bold, original, intelligent stories for all audiences,” dubbing them “the perfect architects for this franchise.”

Additionally, *Deadline *reports that Studio Lambert, which previously developed the hit series *The Traitors*, is developing a Monopoly reality show.

According to Netflix’s Jeff Gaspin, the show is inspired more by mobile gaming than the OG: “There’s a gameplay in *Monopoly Go!* that I think really will resonate with gameplay in an unscripted series."

Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots + Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Diesel.

Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots isn’t a board game, but it *is* a tabletop game — sort of. Players each control a robot — one red, one blue — and the battling 'bots can do little more than rotate and punch. The winner is whoever manages to knock their opponent’s block off, symbolized by the rival robot’s head dramatically popping up.

Believe it or not, this simplistic premise is being adapted into a feature film, and it will be written by one of the biggest action stars in town, Vin Diesel.

As noted by *Deadline* in December 2025, Diesel will write and star in a live-action movie bringing the iconic toy characters to life. Mattel’s Robbie Brenner praised Diesel as “a powerhouse storyteller with an unmatched understanding of action, heart, and world-building. His creative vision for Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is bold, human, and deeply cinematic.”

Diesel, meanwhile, said he’s “excited to expand the Mattel universe by bringing this classic toy from my childhood to a modern audience by telling a story that examines the role of competition in a world often measured by strength and dominance that dares to reveal the power of compassion at its core.”

The Settlers of Catan

Netflix promises to introduce a new generation of fans to the cutthroat drama of sheep trading.

Few tabletop games are quite as beloved as The Settlers of Catan, which tasks players with settling and developing the island of Catan by trading resources and expanding their territory. However, there can be only one winner, so unexpected betrayals and equally unexpected alliances are downright inevitable.

It’s a premise that's rich in drama, and Netflix clearly agrees. According to its website, the streamer is “developing a slate of scripted and unscripted projects inspired by the hit board game.”

“We decided to pool our resources across series, features, animation, and games,” said Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of scripted series. “Hardcore Settlers are going to lose their minds, and new fans will finally learn just how important a sheep trade can be.”

Beyond that ambitious statement, it’s not yet clear whether we’ll be getting movies, scripted shows, or both. On the unscripted front, it wouldn’t be surprising to see something involving actual tabletop gameplay — maybe nerdy celebs playing against each other, or against normie Catan enthusiasts.

Another possibility is a *Survivor*-esque reality show that challenges contestants to settle an island of their own. No matter the form or format, though, whatever Netflix ultimately produces will almost certainly pique the interest of anyone who’s ever asked another player (raised eyebrow optional) if they have wood for sheep.

Ticket to Ride

Pictured: The board game Ticket to Ride. Not pictured: The Beatles (IYKYK).

Ticket to Ride is one of the most mellow tabletop games money can buy. Sure, there are opportunities for savvy players to screw over their opponents, but mostly you’re just trying to collect railway routes and connect cities.**

However, Netflix is confident it can turn this Zen-like tabletop experience into something dramatic. According to *Deadline*, the streamer has acquired the rights and plans to develop multiple scripted and unscripted *Ticket to Ride* projects.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

As with the Catan deal, it’s not yet clear what shape these projects will ultimately take. Reality shows based on the board game seem like a safe bet, and it wouldn’t be that hard for an enterprising writer to create a railway drama about relentless Western expansion.

At any rate, nobody is more excited than the game’s creator, Alan R. Moon: “Just when I thought life couldn’t get more exciting, Ticket to Ride is teaming up with Netflix. I can’t wait to help bring these exciting projects to the millions of fans of the game.”

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