We've heard some strange inspirations for movies in our time – the Monopoly film springs to mind. But basing a movie on an apartment? That's a winner. This is not a remake of The Apartment, which would be sacrilegious, but a film based on actual living quarters in a swanky area of New York.
Paramount has bought the right to an article that appeared in the New York Times called Mystery On Fifth Avenue. JJ Abrams, who likes a little mystery, will produce the film about a flat that was designed to feature hidden compartments, messages, puzzles, poems, codes and games in order to entertain the (apparently outrageously spoiled) kids of Wall Street financial experts Steven Klinsky and Maureen Sherry. The gimmicks all came together as a kind of scavenger hunt, with the apartment even having its own accompanying book and soundtrack. Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky are tasked with writing the script.
Two things occur to us. Firstly, with a bit of imagination, this could make an intriguing, and rather dark, children's film. Secondly, our own parents really screwed us over in the toy stakes.
You can see photos of the actual apartment here.