Ticket to Ride publisher Days of Wonder has announced that the classic train board game is being turned into a Netflix movie. "After recently securing similar rights on another Asmodee hit, Catan, Netflix is doubling down on board game adaptations", a press release from February 16 says. Netflix now owns the exclusive global rights to create the first-ever screen adaptation of…a board game about building railway routes.
It's hardly the sexiest movie pitch we've ever heard. Ticket to Ride may be considered one of the best board games for beginner hobbyists, but that's not because of its riveting story. It's a light strategy game where you earn points by laying colorful train tracks in high-value combinations.
Despite this, the creative team behind the game seem pretty darned excited about the deal. Alan R. Moon, the game's designer and the project's new executive producer, says: "Just when I thought life couldn't get more exciting, Ticket to Ride is teaming up with Netflix"."I can't wait to help bring these exciting projects to the millions of fans of the game."
A feature film is the first project Netflix is producing with its shiny new rights. Yes, the press release says there could be a TV series or even a gameshow on the way. For now, we're getting a movie written by Ben Mekler and Chris Amick. The writing partners are best known for their work on the Kung Fu Panda TV show (which, being completely frank, we didn't know existed until now).
We're as confused by a Ticket to Ride movie as we were about a proposed Catan series. Is this going to be a lighthearted ride on a rainbow train, or should we expect industry politics to rival the likes of House of Guinness? You could say we have reservations about riding this train.
Netflix certainly has no reservations, though. In fact, it's going full steam ahead on tabletop adaptations. Along with Catan and Ticket to Ride, the portfolio includes Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, Monopoly, and Exploding Kittens. All of which we've never picked up and thought 'gosh, this would make a fantastic move'.
If you've got a fun pitch for a Ticket to Ride movie, hit us up in the Wargamer Discord. We're dying to hear what you think the plot will be.