The wild, zany titular Rabbids of Ubisoft’s long-running video game series are coming to the big screen, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Lionsgate has acquired the rights to adapt the characters for a hybrid animation/live-action film based on the game franchise. Mandeville Films’ Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman will produce alongside Ubisoft Film and Television’s Jason Altman and Margaret Boykin. The studio and Mandeville are in advanced talks with Isn’t It Romantic helmer Todd Strauss-Schulson to direct. Alex Young from Mandeville will serve as an executive producer. Deadline was the first to report the news.
The film’s script, which was originally developed by Sony, was penned by Robot Chicken scribes Matt Senreich, Tom Sheppard and Zeb Wells, with revisions handled by Todd Rosenberg. Meredith Wieck and Chelsea Kujawa will oversee development for Lionsgate.
The deal was negotiated by Dan Freedman. Strass-Schulson’s deal is being negotiated by Freedman, Dan Aloni at WME and Greg Slewett at Ziffren. He is also repped by 3 Arts Entertainment. Mandeville’s deal was negotiated by Freedman, and by Aloni and Stewart Brookman at Hansen Jacobson.
Originally introduced as foes in the Rayman series of platforming games, Ubisoft’s mischievous fuzzy creatures spun off into their own title for the first time in 2006’s Rayman Raving Rabbids. Since then, the Rabbids series has released close to 20 games, collaborating with other marquee game franchises like Nintendo’s Mario, and sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
The rabbit-like sprites have also appeared in various other forms of media over the years, including an animated children’s television series on France 3/Netflix/Nickelodeon that just wrapped its fourth season (and has an upcoming Mars-set special in the works), comics and a line of toys.
Ubisoft has various other film and television projects in the works, including animated TV series based on their Watch Dogs and Far Cry franchises, a film based on Tom Clancy’s The Division starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain for Netflix and an upcoming live-action comedy series from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day for Apple+.
