Netflix Developing Animated and Live-Action ‘Catan’ Adaptations Across Film, Series & Unscripted

Netflix is officially rolling the dice on Catan, the globally beloved board game phenomenon from creator Klaus Teuber. In a new deal with Asmodee, the streamer has secured exclusive global rights to develop a wide range of adaptations spanning live-action, animation, film, series, and even unscripted formats.

Netflix announced that it has “traded a brick and a wood” to draw the rare Catan development card, marking the first time the fictional island will come to life on screen. The story will follow settlers navigating bountiful landscapes, shifting alliances, and scarce resources, while robbers roam the land, translating the game’s mix of strategy and negotiation into richly imagined storytelling.

First released in 1995 as The Settlers of Catan (also known as just Catan or sometimes even The Settlers), the game has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and been translated into over 40 languages. The game starts with two houses and two roads, and from there, you collect resources based on which tiles your houses touch and which numbers are rolled. You then use those resources to buy additional roads, houses, bigger houses, and development cards. Whoever gets 10 victory points wins.

The projects will be produced by Darren Kyman from Asmodee, Pete Fenlon from Catan Studio (an Asmodee studio), and Guido and Benjamin Teuber from the Teuber family, with Roy Lee (The Lego Movie, It) of Vertigo Entertainment also attached to produce.

“Millions of people are enjoying Catan since it was created, and for many, it remains a gateway to modern board gaming,” said Thomas Koegler, CEO of Asmodee. “It’s exciting to see the game expanding to a larger audience who will discover the richness of its universe… a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone’s homes.”

Jinny Howe, Netflix’s Head of Scripted Series for the US and Canada, added, “Anyone who has played Catan knows that the intense strategy at the core of the game has endless opportunities for some serious drama. We’re thrilled to partner across series, features, animation, and games to bring this world to life for hardcore settlers and new fans alike.”

Benjamin and Guido Teuber, co-CEOs of Catan GmbH, said, “When our father Klaus Teuber first introduced Catan thirty years ago, he imagined an aspirational world where people would gather by trading, building, and settling together — both at the table and beyond it. This collaboration with Netflix marks an exciting new chapter in that journey.”

The deal was negotiated by CAA and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson, and Christopher on behalf of Asmodee and CATAN GmbH.

The Catan projects will join Netflix’s growing slate of game-to-screen adaptations, both in the video game space and indeed in the board game space. On the video game front, you have the award-winning Arcane and Castlevania, plus upcoming adaptations of Gears of War and Bioshock. On the board game front, it announced an adaptation of Clue! and Monopoly, in addition to its existing animated series, Exploding Kittens. 

Interestingly, a digital version of the game is available on mobile via app stores, but there is no word yet on whether it could join the Netflix games library. It’ll be interesting to see if these come to fruition. On the surface, the game doesn’t necessarily seem the most ripe for stories to be told, given that the majority of the stories within the game are player-created. We’ll see how this develops!