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One of the world's biggest board games ever is getting a life-size upgrade.
Monopoly first debuted in 1935 and has since become one of the most recognisable games of all time, selling more than 275 million copies worldwide.
Over the years, it has spawned countless themed editions, from Friends and Harry Potter to local city editions, as well as the hugely popular mobile game Monopoly Go!, which has attracted tens of millions of downloads since its launch in 2023.
The board game has also made its way to television before, with short-lived game show versions airing in 1990 and 2015. Now, it is heading back to screens in a much bigger way, and casting is already underway for people who want to take part.
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And before you start thinking it's part of a MrBeast-style stunt, it is actually Netflix taking control of the board. The streaming giant is turning Monopoly into a life-size competition series where contestants will compete for a $2 million prize.
Set inside a full-scale Monopoly Town Square, the show will see 12 players using strategy, alliances and dealmaking to stay in the game. Contestants will have the chance to earn money, buy properties and negotiate their way through the competition.
According to Netflix's Tudum announcement: "One by one, bankrupt players will be eliminated while others build their empire — until the one person left standing takes it all."
Netflix secured the rights to Monopoly last year after a deal with Hasbro Entertainment. The series is expected to premiere in autumn 2027 and will be produced by Studio Lambert, the company behind Netflix competition hits including Squid Game: The Challenge and The Circle, as well as The Traitors.
That means the show is unlikely to be a straightforward oversized board game. With Studio Lambert involved, viewers can probably expect plenty of strategy, tactical alliances and tense negotiations, rather than contestants simply rolling dice and hoping for the best.
Gabriel Marano and Zachary Edwin from Hasbro Entertainment will executive produce the series alongside Studio Lambert’s Nia Yemoh, Tim Harcourt, Jack Burgess, Stephen Lambert and Kim Murphy.
Separately, Hasbro announced a Monopoly film is in the works in partnership with LuckyChap and Lionsgate, with the companies hoping to build on the success of Barbie’s jump from toy aisle to box office hit.
Hasbro is also working on scripted and unscripted reimaginings of Clue across film and television, while Netflix has a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series in development.
