David Berenbaum and Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes have been brought on deck to bring Hasbro’s supernatural game “Ouija Board” to the big screen. The project is set up at Universal, where Hasbro has a six-year strategic partnership.
Platinum Dunes’ Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce “Ouija” along with Hasbro.
Although the specific log line for the film is being kept under wraps, the film will be a supernatural adventure with the Ouija board playing an integral part of the story. The movie is not taking a “Jumanji”-like approach, which involved a game coming to life.
While divination or spiritual boards have been around for centuries, they began to be sold as novelty items in the late 1800s, with the first Ouija board, with an alphabet, being patented in 1890.
The board has been produced by Hasbro’s Parker Brothers since 1966.
Bennett Schneir, Hasbro’s senior vp and managing director of motion pictures, will oversee the project for Hasbro.
Berenbaum penned “Elf” and worked on “The Spiderwick Chronicles” and “The Haunted Mansion.” He was approached by Hasbro before the company’s partnership with Uni and his deal only very recently closed.
The project is another example of WMA synergy at work: the agency reps Hasbro, Berenbaum and Platinum Dunes. (partialdiff)
