Where you been, bub? It's the year 2008, where comic books, TV shows, and toys are the hot items to base your movies on. And big-gun toymaker Hasbro knows it too, which is why they have appointed Bennett Schneir as the company's top creative executive on its film side.
Schneir, according to Variety, has previously served as VP of creative affairs for ImageMovers Digital, Robert Zemeckis' company, where he handled Disney-related projects and also produced the CGI animation Monster House.
Ridley Scott The exec will be a key player as Hasbro's six-film deal with Universal develops, which will include projects based on properties such as Monopoly, Candy Land, Clue, Ouija, Battleship, Magic: The Gathering, and Stretch Armstrong. As has been previously reported, Ridley Scott's Scott Free is developing Monopoly for the big-screen.
Of course, Transformers 2 and G.I. Joe are also on the Hasbro slate, though they will be distributed by Paramount. Hasbro hopes to have the first of its Universal films out by 2010 or 2011.
"Our goal is to deliver more fantastic cinematic experiences, similar to what we did along with DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures with Transformers," says John Frascotti, Hasbro's global chief marketing officer.
