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Believe It - Universal is Making a Where's Waldo Movie

by Alex Billington
June 1, 2009

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 - 26 Comments

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

It's Where's Wally 😉 British illustrator.

Dan on Jun 1, 2009

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

Jesus Christ. When will Hollywood stop?!

Dan W on Jun 1, 2009

Have all ideas truly been exhausted?

SlashBeast on Jun 1, 2009

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

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

True #7, LOL I cant believe they actually consider Board Games to be better ideas than PC Games...

Wylles on Jun 1, 2009

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

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

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

@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

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

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

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

Johnny Depp to play Waldo!!!!! loldongs

D on Jun 2, 2009

@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

Walter is soo cool =)

JPanther on Jun 6, 2009

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

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

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

IMDb says Jim Carrey is in it. He could be Waldo.

Tom on Mar 16, 2010

omg my friends were going nto make a movie about wheres waldo LMAO good job people.. my wish finnaly came truee!

Dr.fuzzyballs194 on May 29, 2010

me and my brother had an idea were waldo is a badass who knows all that kung-fu crap and stabs people with daggers. in each section of this so called movie, eached time waldo is running from the cops and each time a secret camera takes a piture and the people are trying to find out were waldo is in the picture.

nathan riddle on Aug 29, 2010

jesus christ. where is the world coming to. hmm... if you wouldve said to me say... 8 years ago "In 8 years time Jim Carrey will be playing Waldo in a movie." Probably more 'shit' than 'hit'

Alice Blakeway on Oct 16, 2010

Still waiting for Thundercats the live action movie. Two words: Bad Ass. Who would be Snarf? Danny Devito?

Johnny on Oct 21, 2010

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