Australian actress Margot Robbie attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 10, 2024. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)
Margot Robbie’s movie based on the life-simulation gaming series “The Sims” is confirmed to be in the early stages of development.
Robbie’s company, LuckyChap, which was behind the successful movie adaptation “Barbie,” will produce the upcoming film alongside another board game adaptation, “Monopoly.”
In February, the Hollywood actress told Variety that they want to create films that will have the same impact as “Barbie.”
“We want to make more films that have the effect that Barbie has,” she said at the time. “Why can’t it be another big, original, bold idea where we get an amazing filmmaker, a big budget to play with, and the trust of a huge conglomerate behind them to go and really play? I want to do that.”
“The Sims” is part of Hollywood’s latest effort to cash in on the video-game adaptation craze sparked by hits including “Super Mario Bros.” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.”
The much-rumored project is being developed for the big screen by Amazon MGM Studios, video game giant Electronic Arts announced at its investor day event, among broader plans to expand its lucrative “Sims” franchise.
“The Sims” video game series was originally spun off from the popular “SimCity” franchise.
While its forerunner had gamers building cities, 2000’s “The Sims” took players inside individual homes, allowing them to customize everything from furniture to their virtual inhabitants’ relationships.
Over 25 years “The Sims” and its three sequels have sold more than 200 million copies, and Electronic Arts (EA) is now also planning a multi-player version.
Kate Herron, best known for Marvel superhero television series “Loki” and the Netflix hit “Sex Education,” will direct and co-write the movie.
Described by its original creator as a “virtual doll house,” the flexible and open-ended “Sims” games generally lack specific goals or plotlines.
Details on the film are scarce, with no release date set, though EA’s Kate Gorman told Variety the film would be “very much rooted” in the games’ universe, featuring plenty of “Sims lore.”
“We wanted the right partners and to make an impact the size of something like a ‘Barbie’ movie is exactly what we want,” said Gorman.
Based on the popular toy dolls, “Barbie” was last year’s highest grossing movie. It was followed by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” based on Nintendo’s flagship video game series.
Other recent popular video-game adaptations have included “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Uncharted,” and television’s “The Last of Us.”