EXCLUSIVE: Clue, a scripted adaptation of the classic murder mystery board game, has found a home. The hourlong project, from writer/executive producer Dana Fox (Wicked: For Good) and director/executive producer Nicholas Stoller (You’re Cordially Invited), has landed at Peacock for development.
Sony Pictures Television and Hasbro Entertainment took Clue out in October. As Deadline reported at the time, to get prospective buyers in the spirit, the pitch material was sent to them in Clue‘s signature manila envelope and was accompanied by a copy of the board game. The project garnered interest from multiple platforms, ultimately going to Peacock.
The deal makes sense for both sides. Clue is believed to be a murder mystery with comedic overtones in the vein of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise and his Peacock series Poker Face. While Clue was in the marketplace, it was revealed that Poker Face would not be returning to Peacock for a third season, so the game board adaptation could presumably become its successor, serving that audience on the NBCUniversal streamer.
Meanwhile, Peacock being a domestic-only platform allows Sony TV to retain and exploit international rights to the series, making this a financially beneficial proposition for the indie studio.
Inspired by the beloved game, Clue brings a modern twist to the colorful cast of iconic characters. When a group of strangers are invited to an eccentric billionaire’s murder mystery night to solve the famous questions — who, where and with what — they quickly discover that nothing is what it seems to be, and the stakes are even higher than life or death.
Fox is writing and will serve as showrunner; Stoller is set to direct. The two executive produce alongside Hasbro Entertainment’s Head of TV Gabriel Marano; Margy Love of Fox’s company Foxy, Inc.; and Conor Welch of Stoller’s banner Stoller Global Solutions.
Stoller recently re-upped his Sony TV overall deal, extending his tenure at the studio to a decade. Fox recently entered into an overall deal with the studio and also is working on a U.S. adaptation of the Israeli romantic comedy series Save the Date under Sony TV’s new pact with Keshet International.
The scripted Clue adaptation, as well as an unscripted Clue series which was recently greenlighted by Netflix, both stem from the 2024 deal Sony signed with Hasbro for the film and TV rights to the murder mystery game.
There are six characters in the classic edition of the game – Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlett, Mrs. White, Mr. Green and Colonel Mustard — six weapons — candlestick, wrench, lead pipe, rope, dagger and revolver — and nine rooms — hall, study, ballroom, billiards room, dining room, kitchen, lounge, conservatory and library. The player’s goal is to determine who committed the murder, with which weapon, and in which room.
Since Clue was launched in 1949, the board game has sold more than 150M copies. It was adapted into the 1985 movie starring Tim Curry. An animated Clue series with Story as executive producer was in development at Fox several years ago; it didn’t move forward.
Fox is a co-writer executive producer on Wicked and Wicked: For Good. In TV, she executive produces Netflix’s upcoming Little House On the Prairie reboot. Fox is repped by UTA and Myman Greenspan Fox. Love is repped by Myman Greenspan Fox.
Stoller is co-creator, exec producer and co-showrunner on Sony TV’s Apple TV+ series Platonic and recently co-developed and exec produced the studio’s Hulu series Goosebumps. He has the film Judgment Day starring Will Ferrell coming up at Amazon MGM Studios. Stoller is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.
