- Netflix acquires global rights to Catan for film, series, and scripted and unscripted formats.
- Production by Asmodee, Catan Studio, the Teuber brothers and Roy Lee
- There are no specific projects or confirmed dates, but there is a multi-format plan.
- The move reinforces Netflix's commitment to IPs like Catan and Monopoly.
The island of Catan is preparing to make the leap from hexagons to the screen: Netflix has closed a global rights deal to develop adaptations of the famous board game in multiple formats. The operation opens the door to films and series, both real image and animation, in scripted and unscripted projects (including reality).
The movement comes amidst a fever for adapting major intellectual properties: The platform is committed to a long-term narrative universe about a brand that has connected several generations of gamers and that, three decades after its launch, continues to grow in sales and cultural reach.
What Netflix has bought and what it plans to produce
The company has assured the global rights to the “Catan” franchise, with the intention of deploying a multi-format plan: feature films, scripted series, unscripted projects, and animation. The agreement involves key producers in the gaming ecosystem: Darren Kyman (Asmodee), Pete Fenlon (Catan Studio) y Guido and Benjamin Teuber, children of the creator Klaus Teuber, as well as Roy Lee (Vertigo Entertainment).
In the legal section, the negotiation was led by CAA and Goodman Genow, an indication of the scale of the pact and Netflix's intention to turn Catan into a relevant audiovisual franchise. For now, there are no announcements regarding casting or directors attached.
The creative roadmap is broad, but the company remains cautious: No titles or synopsis have been announced. specific, and there is no filming schedule or short-term release windows.
The voices of Catan: Teuber family, Asmodee and Netflix
From Catan GmbH, Benjamin and Guido Teuber emphasize that His father's vision was to bring people together around creativity, strategy and commerce: Collaborating with Netflix means A new chapter to bring that spirit to audiovisual storytelling, without losing the essence of the game of building, negotiating and expanding.
On the corporate side, an Asmodee executive, Thomas Koegler, puts the focus on cultural reach: for millions of people, Catan has been the gateway to modern board games, and this agreement will allow its universe to reach even wider audiences.
On the streamer side, Jinny Howe highlights that the strategic heart of the game offers “endless opportunities for drama”The idea is to explore tensions, alliances, and twists and turns that arise from resource sharing and territorial management, and integrate them into fictional and unscripted projects.
From a tabletop phenomenon to an audiovisual franchise
Released in 1995 as “The Settlers of Catan,” Klaus Teuber’s title has sold more than 45 million copies and is translated into more than 40 languages. Its popularity cemented it as one of the most influential board games of the modern era, with a very active global community.
The brand's recent history also includes previous attempts at adaptation: in 2015, Gail Katz secured the rights and there were talks with Sony, although those plans did not materializeNetflix's proposal renews its ambition, now with a more solid industrial fit and with key IP guardians involved from the start.
The legacy of its author remains very present. Klaus Teuber He passed away in 2023, and his family and team keep the creative direction of Catan, ensuring that any adaptation expands the game world without betraying its identity.
What can be seen on screen: possibilities and limits
The base material offers multiple paths: colonization of an island, management of scarce resources (wood, brick, wool, wheat, and ore), negotiation with rivals, and the risk factor of the thief. All of this provides narrative tension and shifting alliances suitable for episodic fiction or feature films.
Some imagine epic tales with territorial intrigues; others point to competition formats that test strategy and cooperation. Netflix, however, remains secretive: there is no official synopsis and decisions about tone, setting, and casting are left to later stages of development.
Netflix's strategy with gaming IPs
The agreement is in line with a broader editorial line: the company has reinforced its commitment to video game adaptations and board games. The recent catalogue includes milestones such as “Arcane" or "Castlevania", and on the boardgamer front it advances with “Exploding Kittens”, “The Werewolves” and a reality show already announced Monopoly after a pact with Hasbro.
For Catan, the industrial support is notable: together with Asmodee and Catan Studio, it participates Vertigo Entertainment, a production company with experience in major IPs. The combination of partners aims to a transversal and prolonged development, subject - of course - to the creative response and validation of the public itself.
If anything defines this movement, it is ambition and risk control: The Catan brand brings global recognition and a fertile strategic framework, while Netflix can modulate rhythms, formats and budgets without rushing dates or promises that later condition the creative team.
With the acquisition closed, the direct participation of Teuber's heirs and a team of producers with specific weight, Everything points to a phase of intensive development to design Catan's leap into audiovisuals. The order of arrival of the projects, their scale and the chosen artistic approach remains to be seen, but the exit box is already checked.
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