Margot Robbie‘s production company LuckyChap had an all-around stellar 2023, thanks to the success of “Barbie” and “Saltburn.” But what does the future hold for the hottest banner in Hollywood? THR reports that LuckyChap has another new project to announce: an adaptation of the hit gaming series “The Sims.” Sound like a “Barbie” redux to anyone else?
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That’s because, on a certain level, it is. The hit gaming series shares a similar fantasy world and sense of inherent play to Mattel‘s famous doll. As life simulators, “The Sims” and Barbie dolls lack real narratives except for what their players devise themselves. The original 2000 game allows players to build an avatar from a limited combination of traits and skills to navigate life in virtual suburbia. Avatars live in houses players build and go about their daily lives as players see fit: decorating their house, going to work, starting a family, etc. Later sequels and expansions in the game series expanded the original’s suburban backdrop with new settings and “side quests”: new careers, vacations, dating, college, even performing magic.
That variability means a “Sims” movie could veer in almost any direction regarding plot, genre, and premise. But the game’s underlying thematic tensions of agency, imagination, and control echo similar motifs in Greta Gerwig‘s film, making this project especially intriguing. And with “Loki” Season 1 director Kate Herron helming the film, “The Sims” could get especially loopy and weird with its timelines. It also helps that Roy Lee co-produces the film through Vertigo Entertainment, as he’s had success with similar IPs like “The Lego Movie,” its 2019 sequel, and 2017’s “The Lego Batman Movie.”
Here’s what else we know about “The Sims” so far. Herron co-writes the film with Briony Redman. On the production side of things, Tom Acklerley, Josey McNamara, and Sophia Kerr co-produce with Robbie through LuckyChap. Miri Yoon joins Lee through Vertigo. And Electronic Arts, who published the original “The Sims” series, is also on board creatively.
Of course, it’s too early to tell what kind of movie “The Sims” will be. But given who’s involved, this project could be an exciting blockbuster, and another potential hit in LuckyChap’s pipeline. Up next for Robbie’s production company? The comedy “My Old Ass,” which Amazon MGM bought after its buzzy Sundance world premiere.