The Next Big Poker Movie?

Let’s forget about Rounders, and let’s also forget about the more recent Hollywood fails that tried to capture, on screen, the life of a poker player. So how about looking forward into the future? Is there any hope of another great poker movie that could spark the mainstream imagination? Well, apparently there is; and NO, it’s NOT called Rounders 2.

It’s actually called ‘Molly’s Game’ and as you probably have guessed, the movie itself will be about the underground games organized by the Queen of the Hollywood Poker Scene, Molly Bloom. So what, you may say. Such a subject can’t possibly guarantee the movie’s success. And you would be right, that’s why we’re throwing a very interesting name in this discussion: Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin will direct the new TV poker drama as revealed a few days ago by Deadline.

Aaron who?

Who Is Aaron Sorkin?

Don’t worry if you never heard this name before, most of the non-cinephiles are in the same position (as well as yours truly). It’s not like he’s a giant movie director like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, or Martin Scorsese. In fact, he has never been involved in the actual making of a movie before. Sorkin will make his directorial debut with ‘Molly’s Game.’ And NO, this isn’t a terrible thing. Why? Because Sorkin is one of the best screenwriters in the business. He’s actually a big name down in Hollywood and very respected among his peers, writing successful and highly acclaimed scripts as of late like ‘The Social Network’ and ‘Steve Jobs.’ He was also part of the crew who produced the known TV series, ‘The West Wing.’

And before you even ask the question, let us tell you that Sorkin is already involved in writing the script for ‘Molly’s Game.’ He has been since November 2014 when Mark Gordon - a big-name Hollywood producer and president of the Producers Guild of America - bought the exclusive rights to adapt Molly’s memoirs. The official name of the movie is set to be 'Molly's Game, From Hollywood’s Elite To Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure In The World Of Underground Poker.'

Gordon alongside Amy Pascal - who oversaw the production of the Spider-Man franchise, three James Bond movies, and the Social Network - will join Sorkin behind the cameras in the attempt to create a box-office hit. How about that for a film producing crew?

Community’s Take: Optimism All The Way

Unsurprisingly, most of the 2+2 poker community is optimistic about the upcoming TV poker drama ‘Molly’s Game.’ And how couldn’t they be since such big names were thrown around at them in spectacular fashion? And if we also throw the subject of the movie into the mix - the life of a brilliant ex-skier with a broken heart after failing to make the U.S. Olympic team who tried her luck in the City of Angels and ended up organizing nosebleed underground poker games for big actors like Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, and Leonardo DiCaprio and also for Italian and Russian mobsters - we may be in for something big. As well as one mouthful of a description.

Some even dream of surpassing the Rounders success and hope that the movie will encourage more people to sit at a table and play some poker hands. Few however talk about the downside of such TV drama and correlating the game we love most with illegal activities, loan sharking, and organized crime.

We do not know how the movie ‘Molly’s Game’ will end up but we do know it could potentially be a lot of fun: just imagine Tobey Maguire or Ben Affleck playing as… well themselves. Wouldn’t that be exciting?