Ridley Scott isn't necessarily known for making movies based on pre-existing IPs, with the director instead adapting novels and creating original stories which then become multi-billion-dollar franchises. But, according to , who co-created and stars in The Studio, Apple TV+'s new hilarious critique of the Hollywood industrial system, Scott once pitched him a bonkers idea for an IP-based film. What was the franchise that Scott wanted to turn into a "fancy" film? !
During an interview with Variety to promote The Studio, Seth Rogen revealed that Ridley Scott was once attached to direct a Monopoly movie, which inspired one of the funniest jokes in the new show's first episode. In The Studio, Rogen, who plays new studio exec, Matt Remick, is tasked with finding a director for his Kool-Aid movie, leading him to Martin Scorsese. To many, Scorsese directing a Kool-Aid film sounds like a fever dream, but it was inspired by a very real event. Rogen recalled:
"Evan [Goldberg] and I had a meeting for Monopoly like 15 years ago, and Ridley Scott was attached to direct it. It was a fancy Monopoly movie. That’s where part of the joke came from."
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Rogen even recalled some of Ridley Scott's pitch for his Monopoly movie. "He said, 'Imagine a helicopter shot of Central Park looking down on it, pull up and see all the buildings surrounding, what does it look like? A Monopoly board'" Rogen continued. "I was like, 'F*ck, that’s good.'" Looking back on it, imagining Ridley Scott directing a Monopoly movie, no matter how fancy it is, is absolutely wild. But, Hollywood hasn't completely given up on the idea. Following the immense success of Greta Gerwig's Barbie, a live-action Monopoly movie is once again in the works. The most recent update revealed that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directors, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have signed on to write the film.
The Studio's critique of Hollywood studios obsessing over cash-cow IPs and blockbuster movies begins in its very first scene. The sentiment can be summed up best by Bryan Cranston's sleazy studio owner, who says, "We don't make films, we make movies." This leads Matt on a wild goose chase to find a director for the company's Kool-Aid film, while also keeping his cash-hungry boss happy and also wanting to make a genuinely good movie. Including Martin Scorsese in the first episode was a genius move, especially considering the legendary director's own opinion on "theme park" movies compared to absolute cinema.
Alongside Seth Rogen, The Studio also stars Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Kathryn Hahn, and Catherine O'Hara. As well as its impressive core cast, the list of guest stars is enough to fill an Oscars after-party, as Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Greta Lee, Zac Efron, Anthony Mackie, Paul Dano, Adam Scott, Antony Starr, and many, many more all make cameos in the show. New episodes of The Studio are released weekly on Apple TV+. The show's official synopsis reads:
"Matt Remick is the newly appointed head of Continental Studios; desperate for celebrity approval, he and his executive team at the movie studio must juggle corporate demands with creative ambitions as they try to keep movies alive and relevant."
Source: Variety
