18 months after Sony obtained the rights in April 2024, a Clue Netflix show has officially been announced. The unscripted adaptation of the board game is coming to its platform courtesy of IPC and B17 Entertainment (both Sony-owned).
The Hasbro classic is an icon in the board game world, and rather than go the route of another scripted adaptation like the well-known 1985 movie, this version will be competition-based.
There have been numerous attempts to revive the franchise on both the big and small screen over the years, but this new effort marks a renewed effort by Hasbro to take its tabletop names to other mediums – including a Dungeons and Dragons Netflix show, a Monopoly game show and a Magic the Gathering multimedia franchise.
Clue Netflix Show
While details are currently light on what the actual competition will look like, the board game itself will likely be a pretty direct inspiration – at least for the foundation.
If the show is a hit and producers want it to carry on long beyond its initial conception, then it might need to add some new elements in order to keep it fresh. After all, while the original game itself is a classic that has managed to endure in the popular consciousness, part of that appeal has been the simplicity of the game – which makes it easy to pick up, but could run the risk of such an adaptation running stale.
It’s known that iconic characters like Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mrs White and Professor Plum will be included. The contestants will compete in a battle of wits that sees successful guesses adding to the money pot and unsuccessful ventures running the risk of elimination.
Versions of Clue
For a game that has been around since the 1940s, there has been surprisingly minimal variation of the formula in subsequent versions. There have been many different editions of the game that focus on different franchises (such as Batman or the Big Bang Theory), but these only really change the names of the suspects, places and items, leaving the formula of the game mostly intact. This means that it’s unclear what kind of inspiration the show’s producers will take if they do look to add some additional rules to the game.
In any case, this slew of board game adaptations from Hasbro could help to reinvigorate interest in the medium – which comes at a time when many in the industry are struggling due to economic conditions like the US tariffs, meaning that renewed attention could be a timely blessing.
