Culture

Where's Waldo: The Movie? Eventually In a Theater Near You

by Blaine Metzgar | June 1, 2009 at 02:46 pm

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Waldo, of the Where's Waldo variety, will eventually be making his way to a theater near you. Universal Pictures just announced they picked up the rights to a Where's Waldo movie, for the big screen, seriously.

Several studios were in on the search, but Universal and Illumination Entertainment were the ones who found “Where’s Waldo?”
U and Chris Meledandri’s family film unit have acquired screen rights to turn the “Where’s Waldo?” book series into a live-action family film. Deal was worth high-six against seven figures. Meledandri will produce.

Among other bidders, Warner Bros. chased the property for Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features banner. The rights were brokered by Classic Media’s Eric Ellenbogen, who’ll be executive producer.

Where's Waldo, or Wally for everywhere other than the U.S. and Canada, is a series of immensely popular children's books first published in 1987. Created by Martin Handford, the series elevated it's lanky, red stripped-wearing, glasses-donning hider-and-object-of-seeking to the status of veritable pop culture icon. With the plot of the books being nothing more than finding the sneaky fellow, the transition to a movie will have its hurdles.

For those of you who just can't imagine a Where's Waldo? movie, here's the concept that they came up with when the project was in development at Paramount. Waldo, now 30, ends up traveling through time after accidentally activating a malfunctioning travel machine.

You may be able to find Waldo, but will you find youself watching a movie about him?

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