Alert – Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley set to produce The Sims movie as they aim to have an ‘impact’ similar to her hit Barbie

Six months after it was first reported that Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley were producing The Sims movie, the news has been confirmed.

Electronic Arts (EA), the company that has published the long-running video game franchise, formally announced the project on Tuesday, according to Variety.

Robbie and Acklerley, both 34, are producing through their LuckyChap Productions company, with Kate Herron (Loki) now set to direct the film.

Herron will also co-write the script with Briony Redman (Doctor Who), though no production schedule or release date was given.

EA’s vice president and general manager of The Sims franchise Kate Gorman revealed on Tuesday that they want this film to have the same ‘impact’ as Robbie’s mega-hit Barbie.

Six months after it was first reported that Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley were producing The Sims movie , the news has been confirmed

Electronic Arts (EA), the company that has published the long-running video game franchise, formally announced the project on Tuesday, according to Variety 

EA’s vice president and general manager of The Sims franchise Kate Gorman revealed on Tuesday that they want this film to have the same ‘impact’ as Robbie’s mega-hit Barbie

‘What I will tell you is it’s very much rooted in The Sims’ universe. And what we want is to have a truly authentic ‘Sims’ experience brought to a theatrical release,’ Gorman said. 

‘So what you’ll see from us is that we have been wanting to get this right. We wanted the right partners and to make an impact the size of something like a Barbie movie is exactly what we want,’ Gorman added.

Barbie – which Robbie both starred in and produced through her LuckyChap company – topped both the domestic ($636.2 million) and worldwide ($1.445 billion) box office charts last year. 

Much like Barbie, The Sims is rooted in an iconic franchise, with the first video game debuting in 2000 and has since sold over 200 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.

The Sims is described as a ‘sandbox’ game where players create virtual people called Sims and build a life for them 

Gorman continued, ‘And we know there’s so much love and nostalgia, probably beyond what we would even realize, for The Sims and so many people like us have played throughout generations.’

‘So we want this to be an experience that reflects all that amazing history and play of so many people in this world, but also is something that you can share across generations and to be part of pop culture and culturally relevant,’ Gorman said.

‘Teaming up with renowned Hollywood powerhouses, this exciting new chapter for The Sims will bring its magic to millions more fans,” EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said. 

‘What I will tell you is it’s very much rooted in The Sims’ universe. And what we want is to have a truly authentic ‘Sims’ experience brought to a theatrical release,’ Gorman said

‘So what you’ll see from us is that we have been wanting to get this right. We wanted the right partners and to make an impact the size of something like a Barbie movie is exactly what we want,’ Gorman added

‘Teaming up with renowned Hollywood powerhouses, this exciting new chapter for The Sims will bring its magic to millions more fans,” EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said

‘It’s a testament to the enduring power of this beloved franchise, which has captivated more than 500 million players for a quarter of a century,’ she added. 

‘Our commitment to innovate across ‘The Sims’ universe of experiences and products will inspire all generations of Simmers,’ she concluded.

Gorman added the film will be, ‘very much rooted in The Sims universe,’ adding, ‘and what we want is to have a truly authentic ‘Sims’ experience brought to a theatrical release,’ though reps for EA later clarified its release plans have not been finalized.

‘You will see a lot of ‘The Sims’ universe come to life and you will see a lot of the classic experiences that our players have in the games come to life in the movie,” Gorman said.

‘And that’s what we really want to deliver on, is just an authentic Sims experience, and really have the most expansive Sims offering we’ve ever had to bring that delight and share the experience of playing The Sims with so many people or their friends or families who may not have actually played The Sims, but you can help tell that story through watching a [movie] about The Sims universe,’ Gorman said.