The game of global domination coming soon to a theater near you. Looks like using classic toys and board games as inspirations is the latest rage in Hollywood. With the huge box office receipts of G.I. Joe and The Transformers franchise still ringing at cash registers, it’s a no-brainer that studio execs are trying to find the next cash cow. It was announced today that Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the big screen rights to the popular board game, Risk, from Hasbro.

HASBRO SELLING OUT
Not only have these big blockbusters been lucrative for the movie studios, but they’ve even been bigger for the toy giant. Not only does Hasbro receive money for selling the film rights, but their profits for their corresponding toy brands skyrocket when the film enters theaters. Last year, Hasbro inked a deal with Universal to produce at least four movies. The first film adaptation to come from that agreement will be the potential blockbuster, Battleship- based on the popular game- when it arrives July 1, 2011 in theaters everywhere. This latest deal with Risk only adds to the long list of recognizable toy brands coming to multiplexes soon- the Smurfs, Barbie, the aforementioned Battleship to name a few.

WHY DOES HOLLYWOOD LOVE TOYS
With the the global economic meltdown affecting Hollywood’s risk tolerance, toys with name recognition are an easy sell to weary studio executives. They already have a built-in audience and the branding opportunities that arise are limitless. While dipping into popular toys/games is relatively new, the practice of adapting recognizable properties is not. Just a few years ago, every comic book hero under the sun was getting a picture deal and most recently, popular 80s TV shows and movies reboots have been all the rage. I must interject here to quickly mention one of my favorite movies of all time is Clue. The murder mystery comedy based on the murder whodunit board game transitioned perfectly to the big screen. I loved how the film version had three alternate endings depending on which theater you went to.

THE HISTORY OF RISK
I have been a huge fan of Risk ever since I was a kid. My friends and I used to play the game non-stop during summer vacations. Even as an adult, I’ve brought back this classic numerous times with different groups of friends- most recently with our weekly games night at our abode. Risk was first created in 1957 by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse. Two years later, Parker Brothers published the game in the United States. Believe it or not, Risk was groundbreaking at its time. It holds the distinction as the first board game ever to offer nonlinear movement. The goal of the game was to occupy every territory on the map by battling your opponents til they no longer had any armies- using dice as the weapons of choice. Over the years, the game has sold millions of copies and spawned several variations. I, myself, have probably owned at least three copies of the board game.

RISK: POTENTIAL STORYLINES?
With G.I. Joe, Transformers and even Battleship, a storyline is easy to imagine given the premise of each of those brands. However, with Risk, I can’t even begin to fathom what kind of storyline the writers can formulate. In Risk, there are no established villains or heroes within the confines of the game. Really, your true enemies are your friends, family or whomever you play with. The only thing I hope for, is the producers make controlling Australia a key point in the film. For all you hardcore Risk nerds, you know what I’m talking about- it’s all about Australia. You know that’s most people’s strategy for Risk. Take control of the land down under and stock pile all your forces either on Indonesia or Siam. Global domination hinges on whomever gains control of that continent first- it’s an easy two armies each turn. Okay, I think I’ve truly out-nerded myself. Eeks.

Oh well, I think you can surmise after reading this post, that I’ll be one of the first people lined up to watch this flick. How about you? Are you a Risk fan? Or was Snakes and Ladders more your speed?

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