When it comes to board games, there is perhaps no other one out there (besides Risk) that famously ruins friendships as much as Settlers of Catan.
The German board game sets up four players competing for economic supremacy on an island composed of hexagonal squares, each representing a resource: wheat, sheep, brick, ore, and wood. The premise is that players are settling on a new land and they must gather resources to build their territory, and fight over space. As infuriating as it can be when you’re vital supply lines get interrupted or entertaining garbage trades from the other players, Settlers of Catan is widely regarded as one of the best board games of all time.
But can you imagine seeing a film version in theaters? Soon you may have that chance.
According to reports from Variety, a Settlers of Catan movie adaption is quickly in the works at Sony Pictures with the intention of turning this project into a full-fledged franchise.
Gail Katz is attached to produce the film, whose credits include Air Force One, Pawn Sacrifice, and The Perfect Storm. She will be joined by Dan Lin whose past work includes IT and The Lego Movie, with Blaise Hemingway writing the screenplay.
Katz said of the apdaption:
“We’re excited to be working with Sony to bring the iconic world of Catan 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.”
Admittedly this might make for an odd film but given the board game’s unique dynamics, there are opportunities for creative takes on the settlement infrastructure and the obvious drama that comes with bartering resources. However, past history hasn’t been too kind to board game adaptions. Clue, Dungeons & Dragons, Ouija, and Battleship all made attempts but ended up performing poorly at the box office.
It remains to be seen if Settlers of Catan will break this trend or follow suit like other board game adaptions and end up in the Walmart $5 discount bin.
