The biggest question on everyone’s lips is who Oscar-nominated Australian star Margot Robbie will play in her production company’s next big live-action film following the success of Barbie.

Will her brilliantly nuanced co-star Ryan Gosling return with his unique Kenergy?

After their success with the 2023 live-action neo-feminist comedy drama, could we see them reuniting for another original film based on the classic board game Monopoly?

Who would she play?

Certainly not Milburn Pennybags, more commonly known as ‘Rich Uncle’ Pennybags – Mr Monopoly – the internationally recognised mascot of the game. He’s a chubby, old moustached man, who wears a morning suit with a bowtie and top hat.

That’s The Fall Guy Gosling’s gig.

Maybe his fictitious wife, Madge?

Or would she go back in time to 1905 and cast herself as Lizzie Magie, who created the original Monopoly known as The Landlord’s Game.

At the annual trade fair, CinemaCon, in Las Vegas this week, it was announced Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment has joined forces with Hasbro Entertainment, a division of the American toy and multimedia company, to produce what the Lionsgate Studio is spruiking as “their next blockbuster”.

While Barbie scooped the awards pool in all but the Oscars in March, it was the highest-grossing Hollywood movie last year, raking in more than $1.46 billion at the box office.

“We want to make more films that have the effect that Barbie has,” says Robbie, whom friends refer to, coincidentally, as “Go”.

“I don’t know if it has to be Barbie 2.

“Why can’t it be another big, original, bold idea where we get an amazing filmmaker, a big budget to play with, and the trust of a huge conglomerate behind them to go and really play?” she told Variety in a recent cover story.

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‘Monopoly provides incredible platform for storytelling’

Cinema owners inside the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace “loudly cheered” at the news LuckyChap was to make a live-action film based on the world’s most popular board game.

Head of film for Hasbro Entertainment, Zev Foreman, said Monopoly “provides an incredible platform for storytelling opportunities”.

Dr Claire Whitley, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University says it’s a “mutually beneficial arrangement”.

“Monopoly has a different history and position to Barbie, but the key point remains that the resounding success of the Barbie film is now the gold standard for partnerships between production companies and existing IP [intellectual property], and no doubt Hasbro is hoping for a similar outcome.

“It promises them a kind of contemporary relevance that is almost impossible to manufacture through marketing alone.”

Whitley reckons Robbie won’t take a lead role this time, preferring to focus on “producing rather than acting in high concept adaptations”.

If she does, it might lean into feminist messages we saw in Barbie, and opt for a community organiser or aspiring real estate mogul who needs to fight powerful and cynical industrial foes.

It will also highly likely be an origin story, with Mr Monopoly as an out-of-control capitalist who threatens the livelihoods of less wealthy or down-on-their-luck citizens.

He could also be the well-meaning mayor, a community leader or narrator.

The handsome Gosling playing an old Mr Monopoly could be a bit too intimidating, she says, but he could play a younger Milburn and how he got so rich.

“Hollywood loves an origin story, as it means the potential for a suite of films and therefore a suite of money,” adds Whitley.

‘Forget pink, wear top hats and monocles’ to the cinema

Meanwhile, this will be a marketing dream.

“Pink is out, we’re wearing top hats and monocles to the theatre now,” forecast The Cut.

What about a role for the tokens like the cannon, thimble, top hat, iron, battleship, and boot, battleship, race car, scottish terrier, cat, penguin, rubber ducky?

“This could be an incredible ensemble film!

“It would be interesting to see them try to include some of these characters with a live-action/animation hybrid, à la Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

“Regardless, I’m sure both Robbie and Gosling will at least make cameos!”