Sandler to co-write and star in board game adaptation.
President of Columbia Pictures Doug Belgrad has announced that Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison and Hasbro, Inc. are in final talks to develop Candy Land, a live action movie based on the bestselling Hasbro board game with Adam Sandler attached to star.
‘Enchanted’ helmer Kevin Lima is attached to direct, with Sandler and Robert Smigel writing the screenplay. Previous drafts were penned by Etan Cohen (‘Men in Black III,’ ‘Tropic Thunder’), Chris Morgan (‘Wanted’), and ‘Kung Fu Panda’ scribes Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.
Created in 1949, the game sees players go on a magical journey through fantastical lands made of candy, sweets, and ice cream: the Peppermint Forest, the Gum Drop Mountains, and the Lollypop Woods. Along the way, players encounter such iconic characters as Princess Frostine, Lord Licorice, Mr. Mint, and King Candy.
The project has been in development for years. It was originally set up as an epic fantasy adventure centered around finding the lost king of Candy Land. Lima’s vision for the film was previously described as “a huge, Lord of the Rings-style adventure, where the world just happens to be made entirely of candy.”