AceShowbiz -

Lionsgate and board game manufacturer Hasbro announced on Wednesday, July 1, that Monopoly, the popular money-loving game, is headed to big screen. Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning writer Andrew Niccol will write the screenplay for the film.

"Monopoly" will be produced by Hasbro's Allspark Pictures alongside Lionsgate, which will also finance the movie. "Hasbro is a partner with incredible global reach, one of the most compelling brand portfolios in the world, and a signature brand in Monopoly that has multigenerational appeal," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erik Feig.

Feig also praised Niccol, "Andrew Niccol is the ultimate world creator responsible for such disparate and imaginative films as 'The Truman Show', 'Gattaca', and 'The Terminal'." He added, "He is an inspired choice to develop this timeless property into a big, crowd-pleasing event film that will appeal to kids, families and anyone who has ever played the Monopoly game."

"Monopoly" centers on "a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!"

Stephen Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Hasbro, called Monopoly one of the most popular games of all time. The game has been played by more than one billion people in 114 countries around the world and has been translated into 47 different languages.

Hasbro has been attempting to launch a Monopoly movie since 2009. It was set up with Emmett/Furla Films in 2013 with Ridley Scott attached as a producer. However, the project was never happening.