'Kung Fu Panda' Scribes to Pen 'Candyland' for Universal

UPDATED

Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, the writers behind the screenplay for Kung Fu Panda and its upcoming sequel, have been tapped to write Candyland for Universal.

Kevin Lima is attached to direct the project, which is being produced by Hasbro’s  Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir. Christopher Chase is exec producing.   The board game, which was set up at Universal when it made its six-year deal with Hasbro in 2008, has a story centered around finding the lost king of Candy Land. The players wind their way through enchanted lands such as Candy Cane Forest and Gum Drop Mountain, see characters such as Princess Frostine and Gramma Nutt as well as the evil Lord Licorice who can make players lose a turn.   The studio is envisioning a live-action epic adventure. Etan Cohen worked on the project previously.   "We're excited by the challenge of turning one of the most popular board games in the world into a movie.  And even more excited by Kevin's vision for it - a huge, Lord of the Rings-style adventure, where the world just happens to be made entirely of candy," said Berger.   Stated Aibel: "It's exactly the kind of epic story we love to tell, one that combines the chocolate of action with the peanut butter of comedy."

Jeff Kirschenbaum and Maradith Frenkel are overseeing.   The writers, repped by WME and attorney Ken Richman, have staked out a thriving career in animation, having also worked on DWA’s Monsters vs Aliens, as well as TV’s King of the Hill. Their movies have grossed over $1.45 billion worldwide.