It was recently announced that the company behind the classic Rubik’s Cube toy is gearing up to spawn an ambitious multi-media franchise under Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group and Endeavor Content. It will include, but not be limited to, a Rubik’s Cube movie and game show that revolves around the multi-colored toy. The news of the upcoming Rubik’s Cinematic Universe prompted Christopher Miller, who co-wrote and co-directedThe Lego Movie, to deny any responsibility for inspiring the Rubik’s team on Twitter.
“3 things: 1) it is theoretically possible to make a good movie based on almost anything 2) Doesn’t mean you should 3) Let’s not blame The Lego Movie for [the plans for thenew Rubik’s Cube franchise], pretty please.”
Not much was expected ofThe Lego Moviewhen it first debuted in 2014. Based on theiconic children’s building block toys, the film was created using only legos and CGI animation. Thanks to giant leaps in VFX,The Lego Movieoffered a bright and stylish new take on cartoons, presenting a world where a man made of legos in a city made of legos undergoes an existential crisis and embarks on a thrilling adventure filled with famous characters to discover his true purpose.
The movie was so successful that it spawned an entire franchise worth of Lego movies, which offered a comedic, kid-friendly take on iconic characters, from Batman to Gandalf the Grey. From what we know so far, theRubik’s Cubemovie will do things slightly differently in that instead of creating a fictional world, it will tell the story of how Professor Erno Rubik’s toy became a pop culture phenomenon in the ’80s and beyond.
As Miller points out, it is possible to make a good movie out of anything. Apart from theLegofranchise, another massively successful series of Hollywood movies, thePirates of the Caribbeanfilms, were originally based on the theme park ride of the same name at Disneyland.
The truth is, Hollywood’s main focus when deciding to make films based on existing IP is the size of the fan base for the IP, rather than whether the IP lends itself logically to a media franchise. Considering that the Rubik’s Cube is one of themost popular games in the world, with millions of players in every country across all age groups, theRubik’s Cubemovie is practically guaranteed strong word-of-mouth publicity.
Amritraj himself, when issuing a statement regarding his involvement with the project, mentioned how the popularity of the Cube had transcended borders ever since its creation and reached him all the way in India.
“I’ve had a personal and nostalgic connection to the Rubik’s Cube from my early days in India. I am thrilled to partner with Endeavor Content and Rubik’s/Smiley and look forward to creating a wonderful and complex Rubik’s universe.”
Considering the love for the Cube that is evident all over the world, the many international Rubik’s Cube competitions already being held regularly in many countries, and recent strides in animation,The Rubik’s CubeCinematic Universe might just become Hollywood’s next breakout hit.
