Where’s Waldo Movie: Apocalypto Easter Egg Turned Feature Film?
Alright now I know there have been a lot of ridiculous licensed movies popping up in the trades lately; everything from board games to toys to Bazooka Joe. Amazingly, these hare-brained ideas just keep multiplying, and this week The Hollywood Reporter tells us that a Where’s Waldo movie is being set up over at Universal. That’s right, a movie based on the series of children’s books with no story at all, just large illustrated scenes with a guy in a red and white striped shirt hidden somewhere in them. On the big screen. Sounds thrilling.
The movie will be a live-action family adventure of sorts, with Waldo and his dog Woof stumbling across a malfunctioning travel machine. Eric Ellenbogen (Underdog) will executive produce through Christopher Meledandri’s company Illumination Entertainment, who are also doing Ricky Gervais’s Flanimals film.
Believe it or not, this project has been around for a few years now, and was originally set up at Paramount and Nickelodeon where John Schultz (Aliens in the Attic, Like Mike) was attached to direct. This might have made sense back in the early ’90s when the books were actually popular, but let’s face it, no one has heard from Waldo in years. Is this really a franchise worth pursuing? Well, there is one thing that might get me interested: Mel Gibson in the director’s chair. Why Mel Gibson? Why, because he featured Waldo as an Easter Egg in Apocalypto! Check out the video below, and look closely at about the :08 second mark. Even though I’m pretty sure this is a hoax, it is amazing.
Comments (4)
In australia he’s called Where’s Wally, weird how they changed his name for us.. I used to love the Where’s Wally cartoons where he used to go back in time each episode and in each episode they’d cut to a screen like the books and you’d have to find him. So if its like the cartoon at all, it could be a fun adventure movie for kids, but yeah pretty out-dated by now..
Posted by AdamH on June 1st, 2009He’s Wally in the UK too. You’d think if someone were to go missing wearing a red and white striped jumper he’d be a lot easier to find. He’s hardly Osama Bin Laden.
Posted by Jon on June 2nd, 2009Wally was the character’s original name (created by UK artist Martin Handford). Waldo is one of the many franchised names (Walter in Germany, Effy is Israel etc.).
Whatever next ?
Posted by Paul Andrews on June 2nd, 2009oh thats gonna be an entertaining movie
…..THERE HE IS
…..THERE HE IS!!!!
however, if mel gibson is directing it then it will be a good movie. all his others were great.
Posted by Rick on June 2nd, 2009Leave a Reply