Thinking Too Far Outside The Multi Coloured Boxes

Movie Consultant — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:05:34 +0000

The Rubik’s Cube. In its 30th anniversary year, this multicoloured icon of pop culture is being thrown around entertainment sections everywhere (rather than being thrown against the wall, as is traditional). 350 million of these cubic menaces have been sold so far, but the licensing of the Rubik’s cube has taken a sinister new twist. Well, not sinister, just worrying.. Whilst the Rubik’s cube license has been shopped around various manufacturers in the last decade, especially to those making Branded Merchandise ^(http://www.indiefilmhouse.com/goto/http://www.keylogo.co.uk/), the word on the street is that the Rubik’s cube is about to get its own movie.

No really.

The word from Hollywood insiders is that CAA, a powerful talent agency, as been approaching studios and looking for a buyer for the apparently valuable franchise. CAA represent George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt, so the star potential of the movie could be potentially significant. But the storylines being clicked out of their promotional pens ^(http://www.indiefilmhouse.com/goto/http://www.keylogo.co.uk/pens+and+pencils_1.htm) aren’t exactly reversing the bad taste the strange license leaves in the mouth: with the prospect of an Erno Rubik biography seeming about as exciting as hairdrying wet paint, current concepts include the uninspired idea of a ‘Rubik’s cube tournament’. Ok, so they could turn it into a Karate Kid-ripoff where a troubled youngster’s housekeeper teaches him the ancient art of Rubik’s twisting to win the tournament against the Rubik’s Cobra Kai (they attempt to roundhouse kick you in the hand whilst you’re in a twist off or something), but that’s probably not going to happen. Ooh! Ooh! How about John Travolta in a series of cube-based Dance Dance Revolution-style dance offs in some kind of alternate universe 80s utopia. Better than Battlefield Earth or your money back..

The license isn’t the first to raise eyebrows in recent years. Rights to pill-popping pie-chart Pac-Man were purchased by Crystal Sky in 2008, though no movie ever actually surfaced. Hollywood must be in real trouble here creatively. ‘Brand’ is clearly everything, and they’re no longer content with their Branded clothing ^(http://www.indiefilmhouse.com/goto/http://www.keylogo.co.uk/corporate-clothing.htm) sales: the movie must carry a merchandisable name itself.

Independent Films Reviews » upcoming movies

Thinking Too Far Outside The Multi Coloured Boxes

Movies! more movies for 2008