Ben Affleck to Direct, Matt Damon to Star in Film About McDonald’s Monopoly Scam

According to industry reports, Ben Affleck is attached to direct and Matt Damon is set to star in a new feature from Fox, based on the true story of an ex-police officer who reportedly rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly promotional game. The scandal, detailed in reporting by Jeff Maysh, alleges that the scheme enabled participants to claim more than $24 million in cash and prizes through an elaborate fraud network.

The original longform article by Jeff Maysh drew significant attention and triggered a bidding interest from multiple studios and producers. Among the creative teams linked to the story were established filmmakers and stars exploring adaptations of the same reporting, highlighting both the journalistic appeal and cinematic potential of the real-life saga.

Fox has developed the project with screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, known for their work on the Deadpool franchise, attached to write the screenplay. Producer credits for the film include Fox executive Matt Reilly and Madison Ainley of Pearl Street, who will oversee the production alongside the studio. The project remains untitled at this stage.

The story adapts a complex conspiracy that, according to the reporting, involved a wide range of characters: former law enforcement officers, organized crime figures, psychics, strip-club operators, drug traffickers, and others who conspired to falsely claim millions of dollars in prizes. The reported scheme combined insider access, forged or pilfered promotional pieces, and a network of collaborators who cashed in on high-value prizes.

For filmmakers, the tale offers a number of dramatic angles: the procedural details of how the fraud was executed, the moral and legal consequences for those involved, and the social context that allowed the operation to flourish. It also presents opportunities for dark humor and pointed satire about corporate promotions and the lengths some will go to exploit them.

Affleck and Damon’s involvement brings additional industry attention given their longstanding collaboration and public profile. Affleck’s return to directing and Damon’s leading role suggest a character-driven approach that could balance the crime elements with personal and ethical stakes. With Reese and Wernick writing, the screenplay is likely to blend sharp dialogue with high-stakes plotting, drawing on the writers’ experience in mixing action and humor.

While specifics such as casting beyond Damon, a release schedule, or production timeline have not been announced, the project’s combination of a headline-making true story and a high-profile creative team positions it as a notable adaptation in development. Studio backing from Fox and production oversight from experienced producers indicate a mainstream release is intended once the script and pre-production phases are complete.

This film adaptation follows a broader trend in Hollywood toward dramatizing contemporary true-crime stories that reveal unexpected or scandalous dimensions of everyday institutions and promotions. When handled carefully, such adaptations can illuminate the human elements behind the headlines and the systemic vulnerabilities that allowed wrongdoing to occur.

As the project moves forward, additional information on casting, a production start date, and an official title will likely be released through studio announcements. For now, the collaboration of Affleck, Damon, Reese, Wernick, and the listed producers suggests the film aims to be both entertaining and grounded in the troubling reality that inspired the story.