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Believe It - Universal is Making a Where's Waldo Movie
June 1, 2009
by Alex Billington
Universal, who has milked Hasbro for every last board game and action figure movie they can, is now turning it's attention to Where's Waldo?. The studio has picked up the movie rights to the popular children's books series from Classic Media with the aim of making a live-action family movie. No word on a writer or director yet, only a producer - Chris Meledandri. A previous iteration of Where's Waldo? was in development at Paramount and Nickelodeon, where John Schultz was attached to direct a script that had been worked on by writers Adam Rifkin, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage. You know what, this could work.
For those of you who just can't imagine a Where's Waldo? movie, here's the concept that they came up with when the project was in development at Paramount. Waldo, now 30, ends up traveling through time after accidentally activating a malfunctioning travel machine. Pretty simple, in a whimsical Bedtime Stories kind of way, but you know what, it could make for a good kid's movie. I haven't picked up a Waldo book in forever, so it's obviously meant for that age range. But then again, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, as this is the same studio that's also making Monopoly, Stretch Armstrong, Candyland, and Battleship movies.
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Reader Feedback - 21 Comments »
1
This thing won't be anywhere near as good as the Bourne-parodying Where's Waldo trailer: http://tinyurl.com/lxkvem
Christopher Campbell on Jun 1, 2009
British illustrator.3
is it really that hard to make something up and get money to make it
where's waldo i might get as a damily movie, but battleship?!
Janny on Jun 1, 2009
4
Jesus Christ. When will Hollywood stop?!
Dan W on Jun 1, 2009
5
Have all ideas truly been exhausted?
SlashBeast on Jun 1, 2009
6
Nope #5, I do believe we have, as games still left waiting to be rehashed into…..(Movies?):
Game of Life, Sorry!, Ludo, Simon Says(Has that already been done in some way? LOL), Domino, Backgammon, Risk, Scrabble, Stratego, Pictionary, Magic: The Gathering, Jenga, Parcheesi, Rubiks Cube, Twister…
Kind of a list of more or less well known games, that could fall victims to this… Mutation, whatever….
Wylles on Jun 1, 2009
7
theyre too late on buying the rights to the twister film name
i loved the waldo books too, but i dont ever remember a theme or storyline to them, just pictures of random places waldos hiding out
harrison on Jun 1, 2009
8
True #7, LOL I cant believe they actually consider Board Games to be better ideas than PC Games…
Wylles on Jun 1, 2009
9
I'm waiting for the live action Pokemon and other card games when they get to that. Yu-gi-oh, Bakuman, Digimon, and the such. Oh my…the horror.
LSP on Jun 1, 2009
10
I'm waiting for them to make a 3-D magic picture movie (where you have to "unfocus" your eyes to see the picture).
That way I can STILL not see anything, but waste $9 and two hours of my life pretending I do.
NadaNuff on Jun 2, 2009
11
I believe this could be a public relations nightmare if they have to work with both names (Where's Waldo and Where's Wally) because of the latter's similarity with the globally beloved Pixar flick.
Rahat on Jun 2, 2009
12
@10
hahahahahah i would pay the 10$ to see that movie eating my popcorn cheering and laughing the whole way through just for the hell of it
harrison on Jun 2, 2009
13
Does nobody remember the Where's Waldo Saturday morning cartoon series? I think I was 6 around that time…this makes no sense, though.
Dresden on Jun 2, 2009
14
To #6(Wylles): Magic The Gathering has some books written in its universe, similar to the D&D lore. The problem for Hollywood is that the writers cannot transfer well the story from book to screen. The LOTR franchise is actually the nearest thing that is similar to the D&D lore/type of games with good story telling.
Yes I am a geek!!!
I am patient enough to see how this is going to happen or translate itself to the big screen, maybe it will be good, wasn't Pirates of the Caribbean just based on the rides of Walt Disney theme park.
Peace
somwerbtwnblungrn on Jun 2, 2009
15
Seriously, Hollywood is out of ideas!!! One board games is not enough but like 10. Video games and comics makes sense because you can kinda see the how the action goes. Book makes sense because there words that describe the actions and plot. However for board games, you are basically using the name of them and come up with whatever story you like. Will the characters in Battleships going to yellout "B7"…"Miss!!" They should make an Operation movie that looks like ER or Grey's Anatomy
Do we have to find Waldo/Wally in this movie?I can imagine once scene is going to look like pages from the book where the audience have to find him…aerial angle?
Anyway, it's a family movie…kids will love it.
Joe C. on Jun 2, 2009
16
Johnny Depp to play Waldo!!!!!
loldongs
D on Jun 2, 2009
17
@13 Yeh I remember the cartoons, it was a short clip then its spot Wally, and there was a time limit or something before they tell you…
So here's my take on the movie "Waldo, now 30, ends up traveling through time after accidentally activating a malfunctioning travel machine." then a still image where it tells you to spot wally (20 mins)
Dean on Jun 3, 2009
19
You`re right #14, Magic: The Gathering could have some potential, but I think they would have to throw out all the card-related stuff, and turn it into a battle between opposing forces, ala Lord Of The Rings, or something like that, and I agree too about the subject on Pirates OTC, but for every POTC, there is a "The Country Bears" thingy, so its as always, to get material that deserves to be published and filmed, to treat it with some respect, find the better aspects of it, say plot, characters, locations, really develop those characters, plot, and give it a fair visual treatment, and make an awesome movie out of it!
Wylles on Jun 11, 2009
20
Robert Pattinson should play Waldo and Tim Burton should direct it. That would be amazing! Otherwise it seems like this could be a cheesy disaster.
Sheena on Aug 17, 2009
21
I don't see Robert Pattinson as looking very… 'waldo-y'. He seems a little too Emo and 'sucked in' around the face, Waldo should be vibrant. Maybe Toby Maguire.
I agree, Tim Burton directing could be pretty good. Hopefully he wouldn't make it very dark lol. I always felt like Waldo was colorful. Burton is genius though.
Adellaide on Nov 6, 2009