Hasbro is further expanding into the cinematic space by finally bringingRom: Spaceknightto the big screen.Zak Penn, who most recently adapted Ernest Cline’s novelReady Player Onefor director Steven Spielberg, has been tapped to write the screenplay for the movie. The project is being produced by Allspark Pictures, which was recently set up to turn Hasbro properties into live-action entertainment. Hasbro has been working with Paramount Pictures for years on theTransformersfranchise andRomwill be no different.
Rom, which stands for read-only memory, is much likeother Hasbro propertiesin that, it started life out as a toy and later was made into a series of comic books.Rom: Spaceknightwas published by Marvel Comics from 1979 to 1986. In 2015, IDW began publishing a new series ofRomcomics. The toy was a cyborg action figure released in the late 1970s, but wasn’t a big success at the time. However, in part thanks to the comic book series,Romhas managed to gain something of a cult following over the years and now, assuming this movie actually gets made, the cyborg will be making his way to the big screen.
Zak Penn got his start at the age of 23 writing the Arnold Schwarzenegger classicLast Action Hero. Since then, he’s worked on quite a few comic book movies, such asX2,Elektra,The Incredible Hulk,X-Men: The Last StandandThe Avengers. Outside of the comic book movie world, his credits includeBehind Enemy LinesandSuspect Zero. Admittedly, that makes for something of a mixed bag, in terms of quality, but buzz onReady Player Onehas been positive and havingThe Avengers, easily one of the best comic book movies ever made, under your belt doesn’t hurt anything. And he has quite a bit of source material to draw on, should he decided to dig into Marvel’s back catalog ofRom: Spaceknightcomic books.
If you’re not familiar,Romhails from a utopian society on theplanet Galador.Romis a cyborg who, after defeating the invading Dire Wraith on its planet, continues the battle on Earth and other planets. Basically, he’s a somewhat generic robot person who traverses the galaxy fighting various threats. While that may seem basic, there’s also an argument to be made that Zak Penn will be free to craft a narrative that he sees fit, since the only thing this movie will really be beholden to is a toy.
Paramount Pictures and Hasbrohave quite a few irons in the fire, aside from thisRommovie. They’re also working on moreTransformersprojects beyondBumblebee, but there’s some confusion as to whether or not it will be a reboot or continuation of what Michael Bay has created. They also have a newG.I. Joemovie and aMicronautsadaptation slated for 2020, withDungeons and Dragonsand another untitled event movie slated for 2021. WithRomnow happening, this potential Hasbro cinematic universe is starting to take shape. This news comes to us courtesy ofDeadline.
