‘The Sims’ Movie: Everything Fans Need to Know About the Upcoming Margot Robbie-Produced Film

As someone who vividly remembers playing the original The Sims computer game when it was first released in 2000, this project immediately caught my attention. It’s no secret that a number of video game properties have been turned into uber-successful films over the years, with 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie being the most recent. In fact, it grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide.

With The Sims being one of the most popular video games of all time, it’s unsurprising that Hollywood would decide to make a film around the IP. But does the game lend itself to a big-screen adaptation? 

Here’s what we know so far about the upcoming The Sims movie.

A New Movie Based on the Popular Game

The Sims movie is now in the works, and several major figures are known to be attached to the project. Margot Robbie, Sophia Kerr, Josey McNamara, and Tom Ackerley will serve as producers under LuckyChap. Roy Lee and Miri Yoon are also producing the film for Vertigo Entertainment.

Kate Herron, known for directing Loki, is also attached to direct the movie. Herron will also co-write the script alongside Briony Redman. Herron and Redman recently collaborated on an episode of Doctor Who. While there are producers and a director on board, CAA is still shopping the upcoming project, according to Variety.

First debuting in 2000, The Sims was one of the best-selling video game franchises, with 200 million copies. Coming from Electronic Arts, the game allows users to control virtual “Sims,” and simulate their lives such as going to work, finding love, even forming families. The Sims is also part of the larger Sim series that started in 1989 with Will Wright’s SimCity.

The announcement of The Sims movie follows the multiple awards and nominations the Barbie movie received in the recent awards season. Following the success of the Barbie movie, LuckyChap’s principal trip were given the key to Warner Bros. in February a part of the studio’s first-look film deal. LuckyChap also has a first-look deal with Amazon Studios and also produced shows for Netflix and Hulu.

Electronic Arts will also be involved in a creative and producing capacity.

The film rights to The Sims movie were initially acquired by 20th Century Fox in 2007. However, as of 2019, the development was canceled when Disney acquired the major studio.

The Movie’s Plot

Given that The Sims movie is still in its early development phase, it’s unclear what the upcoming movie will be about. As said earlier, in the game, users control virtual “Sims” and simulate daily life. The avatars would have changeable personality traits, skills, and even relationships. They would also have goals and aspirations, and can even build their own families.

The Sims game has also expanded with sequels and expansion packs. It includes a wide range of settings, such as vacations, dating, high school life, and magic.

With a sandbox-style game like The Sims, the movie could virtually be about anything. It may likely be another lean into existentialism, similar to what was done with Barbie.

Since the film’s announcement, speculation has arisen about its plot. According to Tessa Kaur of The Gamer, there are several possible plots for The Sims movie. Aside from possibly leaning towards existentialism like Barbie, another possible plot would be more focused on how more girls tend to play The Sims. The Sims movie could show how the game has impacted players and characters.

However, Kaur also speculates on another possible plot centered on certain game characters, like Bella Goth. Bella Goth was a character in the first game but disappeared in The Sims 2. In The Sims 2, Bella Goth was a townie in Strangetown and by Sims 3, she was a ghost in Lunar Lakes. The character’s sudden disappearance in the sequels has led to many possible theories.

There’s also a character named Olive in The Sims 2 who has had 21 Sims die on her lot and be buried in her garden. With a character biography like hers, it’s not too hard to imagine the movie going down her direction.

The Cast

The Sims movie has no official cast yet, as most of the big details are still unclear. Fans will have to wait and see for more updates as to who will be part of the film. This leaves the door open for fans to speculate or see who they would like to be cast for such a project. It also leaves room for speculation about which of the game’s popular characters would make a live-action film debut.

The Daily Beast’s Laura Bradley outlined her choices on who could play certain popular characters. Such characters include the Caliente Sisters, Bella Goth, Don Lothario, Judith Ward, and Bob and Eliza Pancakes. Of course, there’s also Mrs. Crumplebottom, Count Vladislaus Straud IV, Lilith and Angela Pleasant, Akira Kibo, and Goopy Gilscarbo.

What to Expect

There’s no telling what fans of the game can expect when it comes to The Sims movie. But it wasn’t the first time the popular game made a dramatic debut to the world of film and TV. In 2020, a reality show based on the game, The Sims Spark’d aired on TBS for one season. The show was a reality competition where players completed in challenges based on building, design, and storytelling within the game.

The Sims Movie Release Date Speculation

As said earlier, The Sims movie is still in its early development stages, so there’s no official release date yet. The movie will likely have a 2026 or 2027 release date, depending on how soon they can get a big studio to back the project. It will also depend on how soon they can start filming. 

Meanwhile, LuckyChap has more projects in the works. One such project was a remake of the 1934 murder mystery The Thin Man. This project is said to be a co-production with LuckyChap and Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B.

Aside from The Sims movie, there are other films based on popular games and toys coming up in Hollywood. Borderlands, based on the active shooter game, will premiere on August 9, 2024. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart.

A Polly Pocket movie, written by Lena Dunham and starring Lily Collins, is also in the works. A Barney movie, based on the popular purple dinosaur, is also in the works, starring Daniel Kaluuya. Vin Diesel is also starring in a film based on the popular Rock’em Sock’em robot toys.