Margot Robbie’s Monopoly Movie Can Bring Back The Original Real-Life Meaning Of The Game

Margot Robbie’s upcoming Monopoly film should look back at the origins of the board game for thematic inspiration. The board game has become a mainstay of countless game nights, with different iterations crafted over the past century to incorporate numerous other intellectual properties and franchises. Monopoly forces players to compete over property and money, with players who go bankrupt eliminated from the game. On paper, a film adaptation centering around the game would seem like an easy excuse to use branded-IP to earn money for the studio.

However, a number of basic seeming concepts have proven to be deceptively impressive vehicles for more subversive storytelling. The Margot Robbie-produced Barbie was an especially impressive example of that balancing act. Now it seems she’s bringing that same approach to the upcoming Monopoly movie. Robbie needs to replicate the subversive elements of Barbie and reflect the anti-capitalistic messaging at the heart of Monopoly’s less-known origins for the film. The Margot Robbie-produced adapation could become a fitting follow-up to her collabration with Greta Gerwig on Barbie.

Margot Robbie’s Monopoly Might Be The Perfect Barbie Follow-Up

Monopoly Needs To Replicate Barbie‘s Subversive Streak

Margot Robbie is producing a film adaptation of the board game Monopoly, which is a match made in heaven given Robbie’s impressively subversive approach to branded IP in Barbie. Barbie was a surprisingly subversive film in many regards. While the movie had a lot of fun with broad jokes and pointed commentary on the state of gender relations and roles in society, the film also explored anti-capitalistic themes in its portrayal of Mattel. The company that manufactures Barbie dolls initially does everything it can to put Barbie back into her box, fearing how a changed Barbie could impact their bottom line.

Giving Barbie this kind of energy helped prevent the film from feeling like a commercial for the product, and allowed filmmaker Greta Gerwig to explore important themes. Monopoly is inherently in a similar situation, given the ubiquity of the board game. Robbie’s prior roles have highlighted an appreciation for sneaky and subversive storytelling, especially when calling out certain toxic segments of society like misogynistic men in power (as in Birds of Prey) or calling out the wealthy for their treatment of others (as seen in her The Big Short cameo).

How Real-Life Monopoly Started Out With An Anti-Monopoly Theme

The Landlord’s Game Was Meant To Call Out Monopolies, Before It Became Monopoly

Margot Robbie bringing an anti-capitalistic edge to a Monopoly film would reflect the real-life origins of the board game. As reported on by The Guardian, the board game that would eventually become known as Monopoly was inspired largely by The Landlord’s Game. Created by Elizabeth J. Magie in 1903, The Landlord’s Game was designed with two methods of play. In one of them, players worked together to share resources and create new opportunities as a group. In the other, players targeted one another and tried to take control of the board by forcing other players to run out of money.

The latter game mode, dubbed the Monopoly Set-Up, served as a direct inspiration for Monopoly. Magie’s game reflected her left-wing political ideology, specifically meant to draw attention to the negative impact monopolies could have on the collective. In The Landlord’s Game, it’s encouraged to work together and spread the wealth. However, this subtext was absent from the version of the game that Parker Bros. turned into a worldwide sensation. Initially, the creation of Monopoly was credited to Charles Darrow, it wouldn’t be until after her death that Magie would receive her due credit for changing board games.

Why Margot Robbie’s Monopoly Needs To Reflect The True Origins Of The Game

Monopoly has the potential to be an even bigger social satire than Barbie was, given the variety of targets it could tackle. Barbie‘s thematic message included exploration of gender roles and expectations. Similarly, Monopoly could draw attention to the wealth inequality and housing crisis facing much of the world — especially the United States. The film could undercut accusations of being a feature-length commercial by drawing attention to the ways modern Monopoly ignores the original intent behind the game. The film could be an exploration of the history of the board game and how Monopoly stemmed directly from The Landlord’s Game.

This could draw attention to the challenges faced by inventive women at the turn of the 20th century, a period where Magie could get a patent for her game but was legally barred from voting. Exploring the true origins of Monopoly and utilizing the subversive and anti-capitalistic themes at the heart of Magie’s creation could elevate any potential Monopoly movie. Margot Robbie’s movies track record indicates that she may be the perfect person to tackle the project, and could help ensure Monopoly becomes a throught-provoking and entertaining flm in much the same way Barbie was.

Source: The Guardian