EXCLUSIVE: Walden Media has acquired rights to turn Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? into a live-action film involving Jennifer Lopez. I’d heard that Walden Media will develop the property as a vehicle for Lopez to play the title character, but Walden Media said at this point, she’s attached to produce only. The hope is to turn the property into National Treasure meets The Thomas Crown Affair. The logline: When the ACME agency’s greatest detective Carmen Sandiego becomes the world’s greatest thief, it’s up to her former partner to follow her clues and track her down. Their cat-and-mouse game leads the partner to confront a greater mystery: Is Carmen really a thief or a hero? The property originated as an educational computer game before it was turned into an animated TV series.
The film will be produced by Lopez and her Nuyorican Productions’ partners Benny Medina and Simon Fields, and Underground Films’ Nick Osbourne, Trevor Engelson and Devin Andre. Walden Media CEO Michael Bostick and SVP Evan Turner are steering the property after it was acquired from Hougton Mifflin. The property fits into Walden Media’s mandate to create properties that challenge kids; Carmen Sandiego is used as a teaching tool in more than half of elementary schools nationwide. The project tried the movie route once before; Disney optioned it in the late 1990s and developed a version for Sandra Bullock, but it never went anywhere.
Lopez, who now works her movie jobs around her music career and judging duties on American Idol, most recently wrapped What To Expect When You’re Expecting with Cameron Diaz for Lionsgate and the Taylor Hackford-directed Parker with Jason Statham for FilmDistrict. She’s repped by UTA.
No joke, this sounds like a no-brainer. Good for her!
Gotta wonder how educational this will be…
She’s a thief!
Oh COME ON. This is brutal. If there is one thing that could happen to a Carmen Sandiego movie that would make me not excited about it it would be Jennifer Lopez. JLo did not sit in front of her IBM computer as a child with her Fodor’s guide playing Where In Wherever is Carmen Sandiego! Sacrilege.
Congrats Devin! Huge!
This is great. I always pictured Catherine Zeta-Jones, but JLo will be great. Interested to see who writes and directs. Should have a Spy Kids tone.
This is going to be a epic movie. She will be great for this. Looking forward to it.
WOW! This is awesome. What a great idea and perfect attachment. JLO is Carmen Sandiego!
“The film will be produced by Lopez and her Nuyorican Productions’ partners Benny Medina” I thought those two hated each other’s guts and she fired him when he was her manager.
Yes, she did fire him. But then she hired Simon Fields, who has produced some fine movies in earlier days.
this is such a commercial idea / property. Smart move on Walden’s behalf. I like those guys at Underground.
Her Eddie Murphy family phase
Carmen was never a hero. she’s a villain. check your source material, Walden Media.
obviously u know nothing about carmen’s character
I hope this don’t turn into another “FEEL THE NOSIE”? cause no one in that movie was even puerto rican.
That’s the least of that movie’s problems. First and foremost is the fact that no one at Nuyorican knows how to produce anything of quality!
She’s perfect and will be great… as long as all the other elements are good. She’s a better actress than singer IMO.
Rock-a-pella or STFU!!!
I’m glad SOMEBODY remembered the PBS kids quiz show. It’s a classic. Lynne Thigpen, we miss you. “FIVE are the senses you need FOR catching crooks. THREE rounds TO insure that justice is WON. Go get ’em gumshoes!”
I think JLo is to weak – it should be Salma Hayek or Anne Hathaway… someone who has more UMPH who is able to be feisty and not just bland…
Carmen has to be able to tease the kids mercilessly and be almost brutal about it while remaining distant and strong… I don’t see that as JLo’s strong point…
Way to go! So proud of you. Can’t wait to see the completed project.
I’ve always seen Angelina Jolie portraying Carmen Sandiego (as long as she plays it like Lara Croft). But good on Walden Media for picking up the franchise.
In the Spanish media they are saying Marc is broke and Jenny Low is a billionaire and he is looking a big settlement. That is why she kicked his ass out.
Carmen is selfish, arrogant thinks she is the best at what she does & thinks no one will ever beat her at her own game. Sounds like Lopez.
Interesting and exciting, JLo is great in every field, singing, dancing, acting, fashioning, whatelse! Her Carmen Sandiego will be hit and hot
LOVE Jennifer Lopez! But I think Carmen needs to be played by someone younger.
Awesome news for Devin. One of the hardest workers in town.
IT WILL BE INTERESTED TO SEE HOW JENNIFER LOPEZ WILL MADE CARMEN SANDIEGO COME ALIVE. IT WOULD HAVE BE NICE TO CARMEN SANDIEGO PLAY BY AN UNKNOWN ACTRESS BEACAUSE MOST FAN WILL COME TO SEE JENIFER LOPEZ PLAYING ANOTHER ROLE. GOOD LUCK TO CARMEN SANDIEGO WHEN IT DEBUT IN THE THEATER NEXT YEAR. YOUR TRULY CHARLES DAVID HASKELL
WHOOPS! Carmen was NOT a detective, she was the leader of the thieves. ACME pursued her, and you were supposed to figure out, “Where in the World” she was! Jennifer Lopez sure looks the part.
In the back story of the Carmen Sandiego games, Carmen was indeed a fallen member of ACME. Her inside knowledge and frustration at the stupid criminals she dealt with while she was a detective led her to pulling off elaborate plots without getting caught.