'Stretch Armstrong' heads to big screen

Hasbro's musclebound toy Stretch Armstrong will become the star of his own movie.

Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty) has been commissioned by Universal to write a script based on the action figure, whose limbs can stretch up to four feet.

Hollywood has been trying to make a Stretch Armstrong movie for more than ten years, with Disney at separate times hiring Danny DeVito and Jackie Chan to lead the proposed blockbuster.

Last year, Universal inked an exclusive partnership deal with Hasbro to make movies from their toy and board game brands. The agreement was prompted by the success of Transformers and Paramount's decision to make a film from the G.I. Joe toy line.

Other Hasbro movies in development include Ridley Scott's Monopoly, Candy Land and Ouija.

"This is a new well from which to draw intellectual properties that bring a pre-awareness and nostalgia," Stretch Armstrong producer Bennett Schneir told Variety. "They are drawing filmmakers who find a real emotional connection and resonance, and this is proving to be a compelling driver for motion pictures."