First they recruited the millennials — and now Hasbro is hooking up with the most controversial man in movies this year.
Kevin Hart is set to star in the toy and board game company’s live-action “Monopoly” movie from Lionsgate Films, Deadline Hollywood reports.
Hart’s “Ride Along” director, Tim Story, is in final negotiations to direct the film. Story is expected to co-produce with Hart through his Story Company and HartBeat Productions, respectively.
“Let’s gooooooooo @timkstory …We got work to do damn it!!!!! Still grinding with the attitude of an individual that hasn’t accomplished anything yet,” Hart hypes on his official Instagram.
Lionsgate and Hasbro have been attempting to collaborate on this flick since 2015, when they hired Andrew Niccol (“The Truman Show”) to pen the tale of “a boy from the game’s Baltic Avenue embarking on a quest to make a fortune,” Variety reports.
The standup comic turned movie star is headlining “The Upside” with Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman. The comedy-drama — about a deadbeat dad who redeems himself by helping a quadriplegic millionaire rediscover the joy of living — topped the box office last weekend with a $20.4 million haul.
The 39-year-old made headlines in December after it was announced he would host the 91st annual Academy Awards. The positive buzz was short-lived, however, after sharp-eyed social media justice warriors pointed out homophobic tweets Hart made years before.
Hart stepped down two days later, then reconsidered hosting after a public boost from Ellen DeGeneres, but amid ongoing backlash has since made it abundantly clear that he’s tired of apologizing.
“I’m done with it. It gets no more energy from me,” Hart told “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan earlier this month. “That’s why I said for the last time, I’m addressing this. There’s no more conversation about it. I’m literally over that. I’m over the moment. I’m about today. If [my apology is] accepted today, great. If it’s not, it’s nothing I can control. Some things are left out of your hands, so I’m done with it. I’m over it.”
With a hard no from Hart, the Oscars are poised to move forward with a “hostless” format featuring skits and a star-studded roster of presenters.
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