Director Tim Story is closing a deal to direct Monopoly, a live-action adaptation based on the board game of the same name. The USC alum, who has directed films such as Barbershop, Taxi and Fantastic Four, will reunite with comedian Kevin Hart, who is attached to star in the film. This marks the fourth time Hart and Story have worked on a project together. The pair previously collaborated on Think Like A Man and Ride Along, as well as their respective sequels, Think Like A Man Too and Ride Along 2.
A plot for Monopoly is being kept under wraps. While a writer and shoot date for the film has not been announced as of yet, the film is slated to be produced by Hart, Carli Henry and John Chang under Hart’s production label, HartBeat Productions. Story will executive produce Monopoly alongside Sharla Shumper.
The news of a Monopoly film starring Kevin Hart comes in the midst of controversy surrounding the comedian. The Ride Along star was slated to be the host of the 91st Academy Awards in February, but stepped down when his past homophobic remarks resurfaced on Twitter. In addition, Hart also incurred additional backlash for his response to the backlash during his appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Good Morning America.
Deadline first reported the news of the Monopoly film deals.
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