One of pop culture’s greatest questions may finally
be answered, as Walden Media has acquired the film rights to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The
live-action adaptation of the children’s edutainment series is rumored to star
Jennifer Lopez, though as of now she is only signed to a producing role.
Children of the 90’s
will no doubt remember Carmen Sandiego as the crimson-cloaked thief whose dastardly
yet educational crimes included stealing all Japan’s sushi and the Mason-Dixon line. Originally a computer game meant to teach geography and
history, the “Sandiego” brand grew to include a Saturday morning cartoon, a
game show and a book series. This also isn’t the first time the property has been optioned, as Disney tried to make it a vehicle for Sandra Bullock in the late '90s but the project never went to production.
The globe-trotting thievery is being used as a framework for what Walden hopes will be a mash-up of National Treasure and The Thomas Crown Affair. Deadline has the company's current plot
description:
“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?”
No word yet on when these questions will be answered, as a release window remains unconfirmed.