'The Sims' Is Turning Into a Movie! We Have Some Theories About the Plot
Many millennials grew up playing 'The Sims,' creating lives for themselves different from reality. Now there’s a movie in the works.
Published March 25 2024, 1:14 p.m. ET
Millennials all nearly died over the news that The Sims will be turned into a movie. The computer game is an iconic mainstay for many people who grew up in the ‘90s and many of us still play The Sims today. It gives us the ability to create characters, live through lives and generations, work any job we want, and access the darkest parts of our minds. And now, Margot Robbie is making it into a film.
After the success of Barbie, Margot is stepping into the role of producer with Loki director Kate Herron directing. Electronic Arts, which created The Sims, is also set to be involved. But because The Sims is such an open-ended role-playing game (RPG), we can’t help but wonder what The Sims movie will be about.
What is ‘The Sims’ movie about?
The Sims is considered an open sandbox, meaning that every player’s game differs from each other’s. It isn't like The Witcher or Cyberpunk 2077 — RPG games with a clear adventure that’s similar for almost every player. The Sims is so open-ended that you don’t even have to complete tasks. In a way, we play The Sims just to enjoy the journey of the game. And unlike many games, there’s no way to “win” The Sims.
In some ways, this makes The Sims similar to Barbie because everyone played with their Barbies differently growing up. In addition, both are considered “for girls” despite their popularity. And Barbie proved that just because something is for the girls doesn’t mean it can’t be profitable. We expect The Sims film to do something similar to Barbie by going extra meta. Perhaps some of the non-player characters (NPCs) we know and love will gain consciousness.
However, Margot’s production company, LuckyChap, which also produced Barbie, Saltburn, I, Tonya, and more heavy hitters, hasn’t announced what the actual plot of The Sims will be. And because of the nature of the game, it really could be anything.
In 2007, a version of ‘The Sims’ movie was slated for development but was later killed.
Rumors of a Sims film have been circulating for nearly two decades after the movie rights were purchased by 20th Century Fox. But after Disney’s merger with Fox, the project was killed alongside almost 300 other slated projects.
At the time, IMDb said of the plot (via The Sims wiki): “Pleasantview citizens are always well-mannered. But newcomer Andie starts to uncover the 'real' Pleasantview, for not only is Pleasantview full of cheating, lying, deceiving, secret-ridden people like the Goths, Don Lothario, and the struggling Newbies, but they are being ruled by a greater power. Andie is terrified to discover they are stuck in a video game being played by millions universally.”
Already, this plot has a meta element that we’d love to see in the upcoming film. But because it seems to be a completely separate project from the 2007 version, we doubt that this former plot will play a part in the upcoming version. So what could it be about?
There are many different theories about what ‘The Sims’ movie will be about.
One of the most iconic parts of The Sims is the recognizable NPCs. The Goth family is probably the favorite and most well-known, and for good reason. Bella Goth disappeared after The Sims 2, and in The Sims 3, there are several easter eggs hinting at her purposeful disappearance. Books called Where’s Bella and Murder in Pleasantview could be referenced for a true crime Sims film.
Alternatively, The Sims movie could also play on at-home players’ affinities for killing their Sims in unique ways. Will we see a horror-esque film in which characters we know and love suddenly drown in pools because the ladder is taken away? Or will a Sim get eaten by an Adult Cowplant? It could draw from Happy Death Day, forcing Sims to gain consciousness over and over again just to get killed again.
We also know the uptight, yet friendly, Geoffrey Landgrab. If he and Nancy don’t appear in the film, we will be up in arms. Perhaps the movie will follow a new character who tries to break Geoffrey and Nancy out of their suburban shells. Or we’ll get hit with the chaos of characters completing known Sims challenges, such as the 100 babies challenge or the 100 heartbreaks challenge.
Whatever the plot of The Sims movie, we will definitely be there on opening day!
