{"id":7864,"date":"2026-11-10T11:01:49","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T11:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boardgamewire.com\/?p=7864"},"modified":"2026-11-10T11:13:53","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T11:13:53","slug":"masters-of-the-universe-writers-reportedly-picked-to-helm-catan-live-action-netflix-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boardgamewire.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/10\/masters-of-the-universe-writers-reportedly-picked-to-helm-catan-live-action-netflix-movie\/","title":{"rendered":"Masters of the Universe film writers reportedly picked to helm Catan live-action Netflix movie"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Netflix has reportedly brought in two writers behind this year’s $200m Masters of the Universe film to write and direct its live-action Catan<\/a> movie, in the first major development since the streaming giant secured sweeping adaptation rights to the 50 million-selling board game last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brothers Aaron and Adam Nee have been tapped to bring the landmark Klaus Teuber design to the screen according to Deadline<\/a>, which cited sources it said were familiar with the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news comes just over a year after Netflix struck an agreement with Asmodee and Catan Studio for the exclusive worldwide rights to develop live-action and animated films, scripted and unscripted television series and video games based on Catan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That deal was followed by a string of other high-profile moves by Asmodee aimed at expanding its best-selling board game brands beyond the tabletop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February this year the publisher inked a separate agreement with Netflix covering film and television adaptations of its 20 million-selling Ticket to Ride franchise<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several weeks after the Netflix Catan announcement, meanwhile, Asmodee secured a promotional partnership with NBA team Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>, and followed that with a similar deal with NHL franchise Ottawa Senators in September this year<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Netflix first teamed up with Asmodee in 2022, when the board game giant worked in the other direction to create a trio of titles based on Netflix shows Squid Game<\/a>, Stranger Things<\/a> and Ozark<\/a>. Those games have been followed by a Bridgerton-themed version of Love Letter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The streaming giant also brought its own adaptation of Werewolves of Miller\u2019s Hollow to the screen in 2024 with the French film Family Pack<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same year Asmodee saw the launch of Canal+ TV show Loups-Garous, based directly on the gameplay of its 25-year-old board game The Werewolves of Miller\u2019s Hollow<\/a>. That show landed an International Emmy nomination in September this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fellow Asmodee title Exploding Kittens<\/a> has already made the transition to the screen, with Netflix launching an adult animated series based on the hit card game in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asmodee has already seen evidence that screen adaptations can translate into increased revenue from its physical games, with sales of The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow surging 150% year-on-year during the launch week of Loups-Garous in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Company CEO Thomas Koegler made clear in an earnings call earlier this year that its primary goal from film and television licensing deals was to boost awareness and sales of its physical games, rather than generate significant revenue from the adaptations themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, “It’s really the brand exposure and the ability for consumers to enjoy their favorite brands in various ways of entertainment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catan is already one of the few modern hobby board games to have broken out into wider popular culture, attracting a following among celebrities and professional athletes, making appearances in popular television shows and becoming a regular pastime for players across several major US sports leagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players from NFL teams including the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as baseball’s Minnesota Twins, have all been reported as playing the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asmodee’s push to expand the game’s exposure and player base even further has recently included holding a promotional game night with rock band Linkin Park, while Kosmos, the German publisher of the game, recently named international handball player Juri Knorr as a Catan brand ambassador<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Netflix’s Catan adaptation is being produced by Asmodee’s Darren Kyman, Catan Studio’s Pete Fenlon, Klaus Teuber’s sons Guido and Benjamin Teuber, and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nee brothers’ other previous work has included directing 2022 action comedy The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, and writing an upcoming Netflix spy film starring Kevin Hart and Henry Cavill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other publishers exploring adaptations based on their games include CMYK, which launched US television game show The Perfect Line last year<\/a>, inspired by Wolfgang Warsch\u2019s Illusion. That show proved successful enough to return for a second season in September this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CMYK CEO Alex Hague previously told BoardGameWire that the company had received dozens of approaches each year about developing a TV version of its million-selling party game Wavelength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BoardGameWire revealed in 2023 that Kung Fu Panda animated series writers Ben Mekler and Chris Amick had prepared a movie pitch for Leder Games hit Root<\/a>, although progress on that was interrupted by the writers\u2019 strike. Mekler and Amick are now attached to Netflix\u2019s Ticket to Ride feature film<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More hobby board game screen adaptations have been mooted over the years, but struggled to make it beyond the development stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screen rights to the Terraforming Mars board game were bought by production company Cobalt Knight<\/a> in 2022, while DreamWorks Animation picked up the movie rights to Mice and Mystics way back in 2018<\/a>, although both are yet to materialise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more stories like this direct to your email inbox, click here to sign up for BoardGameWire’s free email newsletter. \n\nAnd if you’ve found our reporting interesting or useful, please consider a paid subscription to help support our journalism!<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The news comes just over a year after Netflix struck an agreement with Asmodee and Catan Studio for the exclusive worldwide rights to develop live-action and animated films, scripted and unscripted television series and video games based on Catan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2915,2916,97,6,135,1563,1247,2920,76,2914,544,2918],"class_list":["post-7864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-aaron-nee","tag-adam-nee","tag-asmodee","tag-board-game","tag-board-games","tag-catan","tag-film","tag-masters-of-the-universe","tag-movie","tag-netlix","tag-ticket-to-ride","tag-writers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t