The “Hasbro Cinematic Universe” Adds Brian K. Vaughn, Michael Chabon And More To Its Writers Room
Late last year,we first learned about plansfor a “Hasbro Cinematic Universe” that would unite theG.I. Joe,M.A.S.K.,Micronauts, andROMcharacters in a shared on-screen world. At the time, this news filled me with dread. Not because I bear any ill will toward these characters, but because it sounded like a desperate attempt to ape the Marvel studios model. AHasbro Cinematic Universe? Really?
And while I will keep an eyebrow raised in skeptical protest for the time being, the people who have been recruited into this project’s “writers room” only inspire confidence. If you’re going to do something as batty as this, you might as well hire a collection some of the most interesting writers working today. Seriously: there’s a Pulitzer Prize winner now attached to the Hasbro Cinematic Universe.
The Hollywood Reporterhas revealed the current line-up and it’s a doozy. Let’s run down these names:Michael Chabon, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author ofThe Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,Wonder Boys, andThe Yiddish Policemen’s Union,as well as a draft of Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man 2.Brian K. Vaughn, the Eisner Award-winning writer of comics likeY: The Last Man,Ex Machina, andSaga, who also wrote forLostand acted as showrunner onUnder the Dome.Nicole Perlman, who wrote the earliest drafts ofGuardians of the Galaxyand is currently working on the screenplay forCaptain Marvel.Lindsey Beer, who is writing an upcoming adaptation ofThe Kingkiller Chronicle.Cheo Coker, the showrunner on Marvel and Netflix’s upcomingLuke Cageseries and a former writer forRay DonovanandSouthland.John Francis DaleyandJonathan Goldstein, who wrote last year’sVacationand next year’sSpider-Man: Homecoming.Joe Robert Cole, who wrote forThe People v. O.J. Simpsonand is currently penningBlack Pantherfor Marvel.Jeff Pinkner, a co-writer on the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Dark Tower.Nicole Riegel, whose screenplayDogfightwas featured on the Blacklist, the list of the best unmade screenplays in Hollywood.Geneva Robertson, who is currently writing the upcomingTomb Raidermovie.
As previously reported, Paramount and Hasbro have also hiredAkiva Goldsmanto oversee the group, a job he previously performed for theTransformerswriters room. The result of those meetingswere a decade’s worth of sequels being planned out. Apparently, the people with their fingers on the pursestrings were happy enough with that process to bring him back for another round.
And yes, it’s no accident that this line-up of writers includes many women and people of color. As Hasbro CCO Stephen Davis explains:
“We first and foremost put together a list of writers who we wanted to be in business with and could be the worldbuilders that we needed. But we want to be sure that in the room we have diverse perspectives, diverse backgrounds, and diverse experiences.”
The Hasbro Cinematic Universe will hold its first meeting this Monday and I would give anything to be a fly on the wall so I could listen tothisgroup put their heads together and figure out how to make this whole thing work. It’s not clear right now which of these writers will ultimately go on to pen actual screenplays for this burgeoning franchise and which ones are just present to spitball ideas, but the make-up of the room is absurdly promising.
Okay, Paramount and Hasbro. This is how you make me pay attention to aM.A.S.K.orMicronautsmovie.
