The wagon train of video game adaptations just keeps rolling along, and the latest is, reportedly, an Oregon Trail movie musical from Apple. That’s what The Hollywood Reporter’s sources say, anyway, with La La Land’s composer and lyricist – Justin Paul and Benj Pasek – and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon on board.
THR says the film will resemble Barbie in that it’ll feature “a couple of original musical numbers” sprinkled throughout. The studio, which THR didn’t name, just landed its pitch to Apple, so the project is still early in development.
Judas and the Black Messiah writers The Lucas Bros – Kenny and Keith Lucas – will handle the Oregon Trail movie’s screenplay with Max Reisman (The Millers), and Caroline Fraser will produce for HarperCollins. HarperCollins owns all rights connected to Oregon Trail, and the publishing house is also behind a set of eight Oregon Trail books in the “choose your own adventure” style.
There’s no word how the Oregon Trail movie may adapt the game, originally designed as an educational tool for classroom use and an experience that varies drastically depending on your choices, as a linear film. However, the pitch presents it as a comedy adventure, so you can probably expect plenty of spoofs and in-jokes about dysentery, broken wagon axles, and starvation – y’know, all the normal Oregon Trail things.
