Screenwriting partners Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith will pen Universal’s Monster High live-action theatrical film, Deadline reports. This marks the first major development since M3GAN director Gerard Johnstone boarded the film last June. Although Hafey and Smith’s work has yet to make it to the screen, Deadline notes that they’re “rising voices in film and television […]
Screenwriting partners Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith will pen Universal’s Monster High live-action theatrical film, Deadline reports.
This marks the first major development since M3GAN director Gerard Johnstoneboarded the film last June.
Although Hafey and Smith’s work has yet to make it to the screen, Deadline notes that they’re “rising voices in film and television whose work has been recognized on the annual Black List three times, most recently with their new spec script Entertaining on this year’s list.”
The duo have three other projects in development: Rachel Nevada at Paramount, St. Mary’s Catholic School Presents The Vagina Monologues at Amazon Studios, and an adaptation of Boom Studios’ graphic novel “Misfit City” at HBO Max.
Monster High will be produced by Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend, A Beautiful Mind) under his Weed Road banner alongside Mattel Studios President Robbie Brenner.
Mattel’s Darian Greenbaum and Weed Road’s Greg Lessans are overseeing the project, with Universal Pictures’ Senior Vice President of Production Lexi Barta and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell overseeing for the studio.
Plot details have not been revealed, but the film is said to be an original story based on the beloved fashion dolls. The franchise centers on the teenage children of classic monsters, such as Draculaura, Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo de Nile, and Lagoona Blue.
First introduced in 2010, Monster High quickly became a hit for Mattel and ushered in an expansive universe that includes a live-action TV movie, a CGI-animated series, a 2D-animated web series, video games, young adult novels, and more.
