The domain’s film section
Movies Based on Board Games
Movies based on board games include the 1985 comedy Clue, the 2012 Battleship movie and the Ouija horror films. Monopoly, Candy Land and Uno are still waiting for a green light. Each entry gives the studio, year and latest sourced status. Films about made-up games that come alive have their own section.
- 18 films
- 9 released
- 9 in the pipeline
- From 1985
- 5 chess films
Roll for initiative: here are films that began on a game board.
This page covers the film side of board game movies. It lists every feature film we could confirm as based on a board game, card game, or tabletop role-playing game, followed by projects still in development. For games based on films, check the franchise guides, including the Jumanji board game page.
Status dates matter. A film announced in 2012 isn’t news anymore.
Board Game Films, by Year
Released films appear first, in order from oldest to newest. Dates and studios are taken from each film’s own reference page.
Clue shipped with three endings. Which one did your theater get?
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1985Released
Clue
Jonathan Lynn’s comedy mystery traps six suspects in a mansion, with Tim Curry playing butler Wadsworth. It grossed about 14.6 million USD in North America against a 15 million budget, then found a cult following.
Fun fact: Theaters got one of three different endings. Home releases can play one at random or show all three together. Only the third is presented as the true solution.
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2000Released
Dungeons & Dragons
Courtney Solomon directed the game’s first live-action film, released on December 8, 2000. It earned about 33.8 million USD worldwide and was panned, with 9 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fun fact: This was Solomon’s first feature as a director.
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2005Released
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God
Gerry Lively directed this sequel, which premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel on October 10, 2005, before reaching DVD in February 2006.
Fun fact: It was made for television and home video, not a theatrical release.
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2005Released
Candy Land: The Great Lollipop Adventure
So far, this is the only Candy Land movie: an animated direct-to-video film. A gingerbread boy named Jib follows Rainbow Road to the Sweet Celebration as Lord Licorice plots to turn the land licorice-colored.
Fun fact: Teacher Eleanor Abbott designed the game while recovering from polio.
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2012Released
Battleship
Directed by Peter Berg, the Battleship movie pits a naval fleet against alien ships. It’s loosely based on the game and grossed about 303 million USD worldwide on a 209 to 220 million budget.
Fun fact: Hasbro released a movie edition of the board game, featuring alien vessels and a card-based play mode.
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2012Released
Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness
Gerry Lively’s third D&D film arrived on UK DVD on August 9, 2012, then premiered on Syfy in the US on November 24, 2012.
Fun fact: Like the 2005 film, it skipped theaters.
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2014Released
Ouija
Stiles White directed this horror film, produced by Platinum Dunes, Blumhouse Productions and Hasbro Studios. It opened on October 24, 2014, and earned about 103.6 million USD worldwide on a 5 to 8 million budget.
Fun fact: The Ouija board was patented in 1891. Hasbro holds the trademark today.
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2016Released
Ouija: Origin of Evil
Mike Flanagan directed this 1967 Los Angeles prequel, which opened on October 21, 2016. Critics liked it more than the first film: it scored 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from 126 reviews.
Fun fact: Audiences weren’t as convinced. CinemaScore gave it a C.
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2023Released
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez lead a heist through the Forgotten Realms. The film opened on March 31, 2023, and earned about 208.2 million USD worldwide on a 150 million budget. It has 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fun fact: Directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley also made Game Night.
Released films tell only part of the story. Several game adaptations have been announced over the years, and many stall, so each status below has a date. Test your knowledge of the latest news with our movie trivia games quiz, which includes the Catan and Monopoly announcements.
Board game movies in development
The projects below have been announced but not released. Each status includes the date of the latest report we found, so anything over a year old may be stale.
Status dates matter. A film announced in 2012 isn’t news anymore.
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2012In development
Candy Land (live-action)
Adam Sandler has been linked to the live-action Candy Land movie for more than a decade. A May 21, 2026 report still had it stuck in development limbo, with no confirmed studio, director or release date.
Fun fact: The January 2012 announcement named Kevin Lima as director.
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2024In development
Monopoly
The Monopoly movie was announced in April 2024, with Margot Robbie's LuckyChap producing. A May 21, 2026 report puts the live-action heist comedy in the scripting phase. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were reported as writers in March 2025. No director or date is set.
Fun fact: Netflix is also developing an unscripted Monopoly series.
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2024In development
Clue (new film)
Sony's deal with Hasbro, reported on April 23, 2024, covers a new Clue for film and television. A May 21, 2026 roundup names Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort as producer. No cast, director or release date has been announced.
Fun fact: An earlier version with Reynolds at 20th Century never got made.
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2025In development
Magic: The Gathering
Hasbro and Legendary announced a live-action film in February 2025. As of May 21, 2026, it was still early in development with no production schedule. Matt Johnson was named as the slated director.
Fun fact: It's a card game, not a board game, but it's in the same Hasbro film pipeline.
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2025In development
Catan
A deal reported on October 22, 2025 gave Netflix exclusive global rights to live-action and animated films, plus scripted and unscripted series. Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment is a producer. No dates or casting are public.
Fun fact: Sony was reported to be pursuing a Settlers of Catan movie back in 2017.
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2026In development
The Game of Life
Hasbro announced on March 18, 2026 that a Game of Life feature is in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Sean Anders is directing from an Allan Loeb script. Plot details are under wraps, and no release date is set.
Fun fact: Anders also produces, alongside Hasbro's Zev Foreman and Chernin Entertainment.
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2009Announced
Risk
Sony Pictures acquired the film rights from Hasbro in November 2009, with Overbrook Entertainment attached. No film followed. The later Risk project was a TV series with Beau Willimon, reported in January 2021.
Fun fact: Critics at the time pointed out that Risk has no characters or universe to build on.
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2012Announced
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hasbro announced an animated family film in 2012 as part of a three-film deal with Emmett/Furla, alongside Monopoly and Action Man. No later report turned up, so the project appears dormant.
Fun fact: Producers said they hoped to keep each film under 100 million USD.
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2021Announced
Uno
Mattel Films announced the Uno movie on February 4, 2021, as a live-action heist comedy. Lil Yachty was reported to star and produce, with Marcy Kelly writing. No later update turned up, so its current status is unconfirmed.
Fun fact: It’s one of several game and toy films Mattel announced in 2021.
Films at a glance
| Film | Year | Studio | Based on | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clue | 1985 | Paramount Pictures | Cluedo/Clue (Waddingtons in the UK, Parker Brothers in the US) | released |
| Dungeons & Dragons | 2000 | New Line Cinema | Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game | released |
| Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God | 2005 | Studio Hamburg Worldwide Pictures and Zinc Entertainment | Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game | released |
| Candy Land: The Great Lollipop Adventure | 2005 | SD Entertainment with Hasbro | Candy Land (Milton Bradley, 1949) | released |
| Battleship | 2012 | Universal Pictures | Battleship (Hasbro) | released |
| Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness | 2012 | After Dark Films and Zinc Entertainment | Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game | released |
| Ouija | 2014 | Universal Pictures | Ouija (Hasbro) | released |
| Ouija: Origin of Evil | 2016 | Universal Pictures | Ouija (Hasbro), a prequel to the 2014 film | released |
| Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | 2023 | Paramount Pictures | Dungeons & Dragons, set in the Forgotten Realms | released |
| Candy Land (live-action) | 2012 | Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison and Hasbro (2012 announcement) | Candy Land (Milton Bradley) | in development |
| Monopoly | 2024 | Lionsgate with LuckyChap and Hasbro | Monopoly (Hasbro) | in development |
| Clue (new film) | 2024 | Sony's TriStar Pictures with Hasbro Entertainment | Clue (Hasbro) | in development |
| Magic: The Gathering | 2025 | Legendary Entertainment with Hasbro | Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast trading card game) | in development |
| Catan | 2025 | Netflix with Asmodee | Catan (originally The Settlers of Catan) | in development |
| The Game of Life | 2026 | Amazon MGM Studios with Chernin Entertainment and Hasbro | The Game of Life (Hasbro) | in development |
| Risk | 2009 | Sony Pictures | Risk (Hasbro) | announced |
| Hungry Hungry Hippos | 2012 | Hasbro with Emmett/Furla Films | Hungry Hungry Hippos (Hasbro) | announced |
| Uno | 2021 | Mattel Films | Uno (Mattel card game) | announced |
Chess movies get their own group. Chess is a game, but no game product is being adapted here. The five titles below span 1957 to 2020 and include one TV miniseries. Looking for a chess set from a film or show? The Game of Thrones and Jurassic Park pages list them.
Chess movies and TV shows
A chess movie focuses on the game and its players; it isn’t an adaptation of a game product. This short list is here because people often search for chess movies alongside board game films. The TV miniseries is labeled as TV.
Chess films focus on chess; they aren’t adaptations of a game.
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1957Released
The Seventh Seal
A crusader knight, played by Max von Sydow, challenges Death to a game of chess, believing he'll live as long as the game lasts. It won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1957.
Fun fact: Bergman directed it and adapted it from his own one-act play, Wood Painting.
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1993Released
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Steven Zaillian's directing debut stars Max Pomeranc, Joe Mantegna and Ben Kingsley as coach Bruce Pandolfini. It took about 7.27 million USD on a 12 million budget.
Fun fact: Laurence Fishburne and Joan Allen are also in the cast.
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2014Released
Pawn Sacrifice
Tobey Maguire plays Fischer and Liev Schreiber plays Spassky in Edward Zwick's drama, set in Reykjavik. It premiered at Toronto on September 11, 2014, then reached US theaters in September 2015.
Fun fact: It earned about 5.6 million USD worldwide against a 19 million budget.
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2016Released
Queen of Katwe
Mira Nair directed David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o and Madina Nalwanga in the story of a girl from Kampala's Katwe slum who becomes a Woman Candidate Master.
Fun fact: It opened in limited release on September 23, 2016.
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2020Released
The Queen's Gambit (TV miniseries)
This is a seven-episode TV miniseries, not a film. Anya Taylor-Joy plays Beth Harmon. Scott Frank wrote and directed it, with Allan Scott as co-creator. It premiered on October 23, 2020.
Fun fact: Garry Kasparov and Bruce Pandolfini consulted, and Goliath Games said its chess set sales rose by more than 1,000 percent.
A film about a board game doesn’t always adapt a real one. Jumanji and Zathura come from picture books, and Game Night is an original story. The game shown on screen is invented, though real tie-in games exist. Our Jumanji board game page covers those.
Chess films focus on chess; they aren’t adaptations of a game.
Movies about board games that come to life
These films center on invented games that come alive, rather than games you can buy. They sit alongside true adaptations, not in the same category.
Jumanji (1995)
Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst star in this adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's 1981 picture book. Each turn in the magical game unleashes jungle hazards. It grossed about 263 million USD worldwide on a budget of about 65 million. A tie-in Jumanji board game exists, so the Jumanji board game page covers it.
Zathura (2005)
The space board game movie here, and the Josh Hutcherson board game movie many people search for. Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo play brothers whose game sends their house into orbit. They have to finish it to get home. It grossed about 65.1 million USD worldwide against a 65 million budget, roughly breaking even.
Game Night (2018)
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star in an original story: game night becomes a real mystery after one of the group is kidnapped. The film is about playing games, not an adaptation of one.
Mazes and Monsters (1982)
This CBS television movie stars Tom Hanks and is based on Rona Jaffe's 1981 novel. Public concern about role-playing games, including Dungeons & Dragons, inspired it. It doesn't adapt the game.
Horror is the smallest category here: only two films are confirmed adaptations of published games, Ouija and its prequel. For tabletop games based on films and shows, our horror board games guide sorts them by the age rating on the box, making it easier for families to find gentler options.
Horror movies based on board games
Our research confirms only the Ouija films as adaptations of a published board game.
Ouija (2014)
Made with Hasbro Studios, Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse, it grossed about 103.6 million USD worldwide on a 5 to 8 million budget. The spirits brought in a tidy profit.
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
A 1967 prequel directed by Mike Flanagan, with 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. If you watch just one of the two, make it this one.
Other Ouija board films
Witchboard (1986) and Paranormal Activity (2007 festival premiere, 2009 release) feature Ouija boards, but neither is listed as an adaptation of the Hasbro game.
Scary games, not films
Looking for tabletop scares instead? Our horror board games page covers games based on films and shows.
Clue is the film people search for most, so it gets its own comparisons. If the three endings are your favorite part, the board game has editions for many franchises, such as Clue: Scooby-Doo!.
Movies like Clue 1985
Clue is a house-bound ensemble comedy with several solutions. The closest matches borrow some of that recipe.
Game Night (2018)
A comedy mystery among friends, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. A different era, but it still has that murder-mystery-night spirit.
Clue on stage
Clue: On Stage premiered in 2017 at Bucks County Playhouse, and its national tour launched in 2024.
The three endings
The August 2025 anniversary screenings showed a different ending each day. The home release can pick one at random.
The new Clue
Sony and Hasbro are developing a new Clue film and TV series. See the in-development list above for the latest status.
Which movie to watch first
Here are a few picks based on the facts above, sorted by the kind of evening you want.
A funny whodunit
Clue (1985): one mansion, three endings, and a cast of comedy veterans.
A family adventure
Jumanji (1995) or Zathura (2005): both are based on Van Allsburg's picture books.
A scare
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016): critics rated it well above the first Ouija.
Big spectacle
Battleship (2012) or Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), which has 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
What counts as a movie based on a board game?
Four rules determine which films get a card here.
A named game
The film must be credited or reported as based on a published game, such as Clue, Battleship or Ouija.
Game formats
We cover board games, card games and tabletop role-playing games, and label each format.
Fictional games get their own section
Jumanji and Zathura are based on picture books, so we list them under films about games that come alive.
Status and dates
For unreleased projects, we show the latest report we found and its date. We don't give a release year without a source.
Questions about movies based on board games
What movies are based on board games?
The clearest examples are Clue (1985), Battleship (2012) and the Ouija films (2014 and 2016). Dungeons & Dragons, a tabletop role-playing game, has inspired four films, and Candy Land has an animated 2005 film.
Is there a Monopoly movie?
Not yet. Lionsgate, Margot Robbie's LuckyChap and Hasbro are developing a live-action Monopoly movie. A May 21, 2026 report said it was in the scripting phase. No director or release date has been announced.
Is there a Candy Land movie?
Yes, an animated one: Candy Land: The Great Lollipop Adventure came out on DVD in 2005. A live-action Candy Land movie has been in development since 2012 and was still stuck as of May 2026.
Is there an Uno movie?
Mattel Films announced an Uno movie in February 2021, describing it as a heist comedy with Lil Yachty. We found no later update, so its status is unconfirmed.
Is the Battleship movie really based on the board game?
Loosely. The 2012 film pits a naval fleet against alien ships instead of following the game's rules. Hasbro also released a movie edition with alien vessels.
Are there horror movies based on board games?
Yes. Ouija (2014) and Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) are based on Hasbro's Ouija board. Other horror films feature Ouija boards but aren't listed as adaptations.
What is the Josh Hutcherson board game movie?
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005). Josh Hutcherson plays Walter, who finds a space-themed board game with his brother Danny. It's also the usual answer to searches for a space board game movie.
What are movies like Clue 1985?
Game Night (2018) is the closest match for a comedy mystery built around a game. Clue is also on stage, with a national tour that launched in 2024.
Is Jumanji based on a real board game?
No. The 1995 film is based on Chris Van Allsburg's 1981 picture book, where the game is fictional.
What are the best chess movies?
The main feature films are Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Pawn Sacrifice (2014) and Queen of Katwe (2016), along with The Seventh Seal (1957). The Queen's Gambit (2020) is a Netflix miniseries.
Chess films focus on chess; they aren’t adaptations of a game.
Take the quiz next. These films account for half the questions.
Sources
- Clue (film), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Battleship (film), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Ouija (2014 film), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Ouija: Origin of Evil, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Zathura: A Space Adventure, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Jumanji (film), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Game Night (film), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Hasbro's bazillion movies and TV shows in development, May 21, 2026 yahoo.com
- Netflix and Catan, Variety, October 22, 2025 au.variety.com
- The Game of Life film, Hasbro newsroom, March 18, 2026 newsroom.hasbro.com
- New Clue at Sony, TheWrap, April 23, 2024 thewrap.com
- Mattel developing Uno, Business Wire, February 4, 2021 businesswire.com
- Searching for Bobby Fischer, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- The Queen's Gambit (miniseries), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Mazes and Monsters, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Witchboard, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Paranormal Activity, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Ouija, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org