Hollywood is scraping the bottom of the barrel these days as they look for movie ideas (note to self: pitch Scraping The Barrell: The Movie). With films based on everything from Monopoly to Clue in stages of development, the next retro game craze coming to theaters looks to be Rubik's Cube. Endeavor Content and Hyde Park are pursuing a big-screen take on the puzzle cube that does not unlock Hell (for that, see Hellraiser).
There is little information about Rubik's Cube as far as the plot goes, but it may actually follow the invention of the device by Erno Rubik in 1974 or could even chronicle the world of professional speedcubers that have been a staple of YouTube videos for several years now. Whichever the case, let's hope this project is closer to The Queen's Gambit rather than Battleship.
The only concerning aspect of this project comes from a quote by producer Priya Amritraj, who claims a close personal connection to the toy.
“I am thrilled to partner with Endeavor Content and Rubik’s/Smiley and look forward to creating a wonderful and complex Rubik’s universe.”
Seriously? A Rubik's universe? If DC can barely get their extended franchise off the ground, what hope does a plastic toy with removable stickers have? Maybe this is a science-fiction project? Perhaps the cube is some manner of an ancient device that, when solved, signals the start of an alien invasion? Yeah, and our only hope is a washed-up speedcuber who has fallen from grace. Ben Schwartz in Rubik's Cube: Annihilation. Heh. I honestly have no idea what this project will turn out to be, but I must admit that I'm intrigued. Therefore, I'll be watching this idea very closely, if only out of morbid curiosity.