Fox, Bento Box and Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne) are developing an animated series based on the iconic board game, Clue.
Clue, which was originally called Murder!, was invented by Englishman Anthony E. Pratt and launched in 1949. Pratt created the game during WWII to pass the time during lengthy air raid drills. Clue is conceptualized on the murder of Mr. Boddy, the host of the game’s “dinner party,” during which players must untangle various clues to determine who among the party’s six guests — Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlett, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green and Dr. Orchid — committed the crime.
Since its debut, Clue has been introduced to more than 30 countries. The game, which has 324 different plots for players to solve, was adapted into a film in 1985 (pictured above) that featured three alternate versions, each with a different ending. The movie, which starred Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp and Lee Ving, has gone on to become a cult classic.
Last we heard, “Clue” was being rebooted for the big screen with Ryan Reynolds attached to star and executive produce. TheWrap checked in with Fox on that project following this afternoon’s news, but we did not immediately hear back.
“‘Colonel Mustard…In the Conservatory…With the lead pipe.’ By just hearing these colorful phrases alone, you immediately know what they mean — leaving no mystery as to why Clue is one of the most beloved board games-turned-IP of all time,” Michael Thorn, Fox’s president of entertainment, said on Thursday. “We couldn’t be more excited to develop it as an animated series along with eOne and Bento Box.”
“We’re thrilled to team up once again with our great partners at Fox and Bento Box on this exciting new series,” Pancho Mansfield, eOne’s president of global scripted programming, added. “Clue is an iconic whodunit property that exudes mystery and intrigue, and has fans all over the world. We can’t wait to share our reimagined animated version with audiences.”
Hasbro bought Entertainment One for $3.8 billion in cash in late 2019.