Since making a name for herself on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel back in the day, writer Marti Noxon has spent time on shows as diverse as Mad Men and Glee. She's always had a knack for landing on geek-friendly or supernatural-related projects, however, and that's proven to remain true even as she's expanded her career onto the big screen by penning the surprisingly good Fright Night remake and co-writing I Am Number Four earlier this year. Now she's continuing the trend by tackling the script for Ouija, based on the Hasbro game/supposed occult device.
THR says that Hasbro and Platinum Dunes have hired Noxon to work on the script, which has previously had writers Adam Horowitz & Edward Kitsis (Tron: Legacy) and Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes) attached. Despite having attracted McG to direct, it looked like the project was dead in the water when Universal dropped it this past summer. Obviously Hasbro and Platinum Dunes were determined to raise the dead, so they've continued to pursue it on their own in the months since. It's almost as if some strange, supernatural power were keeping Ouija alive long after it should have been buried...
Do we really need a Ouija movie? Of course not. Neither do we need movie versions of Monopoly, Battleship, or the Magic freakin' 8-Ball, but that hasn't stopped those very projects from being developed by Hollywood in recent months. But if we have to get a Ouija movie, Noxon's involvement makes me a lot more interested than I otherwise would have been. Her sharp script was a big reason why the Fright Night remake worked as well as it did, and she's got a proven skill at making supernatural subject matter compelling, funny, and fun. Supposedly the tone they're going for is similar to The Mummy, an old-school family adventure. Maybe with a dose of Jumanji thrown in? Either way, I'll give Noxon and Ouija the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Assuming they can actually find a new director...and studio...
