I love card games. Blackjack is a blast, and Spades is always great when the homies can get together. But if I really had to pick a favorite it would be Uno, the silly little game with the matching numbers and colors. It’s easy to play, goes pretty quickly, any can jump into it, what’s not to like? Does it deserve to be made into a movie? Well…
It’s happening whether we like it or not. Deadline reports that Mattel is developing an Uno movie, and starring in it will be rapper Lil Yachty. Why? Shit, who knows anymore? He’ll produce and star in the film, but it doesn’t say why Mattel is in business with the Grammy-nominated “Broccoli” rapper.
Mattel describes the film as a “comedic action adventure”, a live-action heist movie set in the underground rap scene of Atlanta, Georgia.
To Lil Yachty’s credit, he’s had a few acting roles already, including Long Shot, the stone-cold classic How High 2, and voicing Green Lantern in Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. He also has the drama series Public Figures in development at HBO Max.
Uno was created in 1971 in a Reading, Ohio barbershop by Merle Robbins as a means for his friends and family to have fun together. He initially sold the game out of his shop before expanding his business, then selling it to a group that eventually became part of Mattel. 50 years later, Uno remains one of the most popular and bestselling card games in the world.
Mattel is basically creating a cinematic universe of toy-based movies, as American Girl, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, View Master, and even Wishbone all with projects in the works.
Still, does anybody want an Uno movie? We’ll see if they can do something cool with it, and perhaps include some of the game’s history. The thing is, at least for me, I would prefer they not try to transform Uno into a heist movie at all. Just give it to me straight, No Holds Barred style, and have someone putting everything on the line to win a high-stakes Uno tournament. Yes, it’s dumb, but the idea of an Uno movie is dumb so run with it.