The Catan franchise may have taken the longest road to a Hollywood adaptation, but the hit board game has finally struck a deal to bring the iconic resource-management strategy game to the screen.
Netflix has won the rights to the Asmodee board game and plans an array of projects — scripted and unscripted, live-action and animated. The streamer describes the TV and film projects as set in “a place where settlers must navigate bountiful and varied landscapes, shifting alliances and limited resources, while robbers roam the land.”
“Anyone who has played Catan knows that the intense strategy at the core of the game has endless opportunities for some serious drama,” said Jinny Howe, head of scripted series, U.S. and Canada, Netflix. “We’re thrilled to partner across series, features, animation and games to bring this world to life for hardcore ‘Settlers’ and new fans alike.”
Originally released in Germany in 1995 as The Settlers of Catan, the game is set on the fictional island where players must scramble for resources. The game has sold more than 45 million copies globally and been translated into over 40 languages. In 2010, The Washington Post dubbed it “the board game of our time.”
“Millions of people are enjoying Catan since it was created and for many, it remains a gateway to modern board gaming,” said Thomas Koegler, CEO of Asmodee. “I’m thrilled to see the game expanding to a larger audience who will discover the richness of its universe, I find it exciting for the future of the brand. It’s also a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone’s homes, and I’m delighted to continue Asmodee’s relationship with Netflix.”
“When our father Klaus Teuber first introduced Catan 30 years ago, he imagined an aspirational world where people would gather by trading, building and settling together — both at the table and beyond it,” added Benjamin and Guido Teuber, co-CEOs of Catan GmbH. “This collaboration with Netflix marks an exciting new chapter in that journey. For three decades, Catan has connected families and friends around the world. Now, we’re thrilled to see it inspire storytelling on a global stage — staying true to our father’s vision of creativity, strategy and human connection.”
Catan hasn’t been without a bit of controversy, as the game has been described as advocating settler colonialism.
Netflix has built up the largest army of game titles to adapt in recent years. In addition to Catan, the streamer also has Castlevania, Family Pack (The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow), Exploding Kittens, an upcoming Assassin’s Creed series, a Monopoly reality competition series, and a Gears of War film.
