Michael Acton-Smith, the CEO of Mind Candy, has been conjuring up some ideas of giving his wildly successful internet game — Moshi Monsters — the Hollywood treatment. According to ScreenDaily, the CEO has also been discussing the possibility with some UK producers in creating a feature film based on the game.
When talking with ScreenDaily, Acton-Smith expressed his dilemma of either making the film himself or going down the road to Hollywood to get the picture made. He stated the following about the proposed project, “I want to retain creative control and we have our own money in the bank. We’re undecided whether to spend years in development in Hollywood or do something more modest in-house.”
Moshi Monsters has upwards of 75 million registered users worldwide and has become on of the fastest growing social kid’s games on the internet. “Children collect and train virtual monsters and run around solving puzzles in Monstro City.” The game was founded back in England in 2008, which has grown into a company that also produces Moshi Monster music albums, birthday cakes and even playing cards. Acton-Smith even stated that Mind Candy could even become “the next Disney.”
According to Acton-Smith, digital phenomenon like Moshi Monsters give Hollywood the opportunity to place smaller bets “than they usually would adapting live-action TV shows.” “The bets you can make with online properties are much cheaper. It’s much less expensive than creating, say, a John Carter,” stated Acton-Smith.
If the company ended up straying away from Hollywood, they could invest in creating a straight-to-DVD Moshi Monster feature — much like US toy manufacturers Mattel, who produce Thomas the Tank Engine and Barbie straight-to-DVD cartoons. Either way, Acton-Smith seems to have a plan that will help catapult his Moshi Monsters further into the world’s psyche, if that’s even possible.
Do you play Moshi Monsters? Would it be worthwhile to make a feature length film adaptation?