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Netflix is looking to turn a wildly popular board game into a major franchise. The board game in question is “Catan,” formerly known as “Settlers of Catan.” The streaming service has cut a deal to make movies and TV shows based on the game, both scripted and unscripted, across live-action and animation. In short, it’s a comprehensive deal.<\/p>\n
According to Variety<\/a>, the producing team in place currently consists of Darren Kyman from game publisher asmodee, Pete Fenlon of Catan Studios, Guido and Benjamin Teuber, the sons of “Catan” inventor Klaus Teuber, and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment. A “Catan” movie has been in development since 2015<\/a>, but that’s now poised to become a reality. More than that, Netflix believes this can be a full-on franchise. Thomas Koegler, asmodee’s CEO, had this to say about it:<\/p>\n “Millions of people are enjoying ‘Catan’ since it was created and for many, it remains a gateway to modern board gaming. I’m thrilled to see the game expanding to a larger audience who will discover the richness of its universe, I find it exciting for the future of the brand. It’s also a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone’s homes, and I’m delighted to continue asmodee’s relationship with Netflix.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n “Catan” is remarkably popular, so it’s not hard, on paper, to see why Netflix would go all-in on it. The problem? It’s almost certainly missed the window of opportunity. As \/Film’s Jacob Hall argued regarding a “Catan” movie in 2017<\/a>, It’s “great for a Friday night around the kitchen table, not for a Friday night around at the movie theater.” Beyond that, it just might be too little, too late, as this game’s peak moment in the broader cultural sphere has long since passed.<\/p>\n\n