In the decade since Kim Kardashian burst onto the scene as Paris Hilton's best friend and red carpet sidekick, she and her family have taken a few concepts that were pioneered by others before them ("famous for being famous" was pretty much Hilton's jam, and family reality shows exist thanks to families like the Osbournes) but the difference is, the Kardashians managed to turn themselves into such a mastered brand that it's pretty close to impossible not to hear or see the words "Kardashian" and "Jenner" on a daily basis. So when I heard the latest tabloid rumor that the Kardashians are set to star in their very own movie, I honestly wondered why this hasn't happened yet.
Bustle has reached out to a rep for the Kardashian family for comment, but has not yet heard back.
According to British tabloid The Sun (so, yes, please douse a huge pile of salt over this... for now), the Kardashian-Jenner clan "have been offered more than $100 million to star in the movie, which will have a full story line and be shot in Los Angeles and New York." And, Kardashian biographer Ian Halperin claimed to The Sun, "A top Hollywood studio executive told me today that his major studio intends to make a huge offer to the Kardashian family to star in a feature-length film. The studio’s research showed the Kardashians could become the highest TV show-turned-movie ever."
Halperin added, "The first Sex and the City movie pulled in close to $500 million worldwide and a Kardashian film would do almost double. The exec stressed that part of the deal would include a nine-figure upfront offer plus a back end of the film’s earnings." The article claims that momager Kris and her crew are, naturally, "very interested about graduating to the big screen."
Of course, it's incredibly important to note that this is purely a tabloid rumor at this point. But, if the rumor turns out to be true, this is the kind of move that is unprecedented, even by Kardashian standards. The family has tried their hand at everything from prepaid credit cards to clothing lines, acting as spokespeople for a plethora of different products, all the while smartly selling their eponymous brand. It's simply no secret that the family protects and promotes their brand with an iron-clad fist, with Kris Jenner at the helm. Regardless of what you feel about them individually or as a unit, the crew have created an absolutely larger-than-life persona, with each member acting as a piece of a very lucrative puzzle.
Their reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, is the key in the ignition to Jenner's vehicle of worldwide fame and domination, but it's everything else they do that has kept them famous and keeps that fame growing in spades. From social media to their personal successes (Babies! Marriages! Modeling!) and even failures (Marriages! Divorces! Rehab stints!), it honestly feels as if KUWTK the show (which is in its twelfth season and has frequently been cited as one of the most popular reality shows of all-time) is the slowest way to keep up with their daily comings and goings. But still, it works — the series consistently ranks high in its Sunday evening time slot, even though the "story lines" are often months behind and the show is often called to question for just how "real" the reality is.
It's because of this that a Kardashian movie makes perfect sense. For starters, the Kardashians are constantly doing things that simply haven't been done before... or if they have, they do it better and make more money while they're at it. There are pretty few examples of a reality show-turned-movie (The Real Cancun and the Jackass series come to mind), but it's a relatively untapped market.
That's what makes it perfect for the Kardashian-Jenner crew. If done well, it could be The Truman Show of a new generation. And even if it doesn't, it's sure to span copycats (why hasn't anyone made a Bachelor movie yet?). Pretty much every single thing they do is copied, from their makeup techniques to their attempts to "break the Internet." Even if this movie isn't successful, there's no doubt in my mind that it will be duplicated.
Several members of the crew have actually acted before (yep, it's true: Kim Kardashian has starred in three movies, and Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner have all acted on TV) but it remains to be seen if their unprecedented level of fame can translate into equally big box office dollars.
It doesn't surprise me in the least to hear that Kris could be working on a movie deal for her famous family — I'm only wondering what took her so long. Whether you like them or not, the Kardashians are a pop culture phenomenon, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. Who knows? The next stop could be the big screen. Your move, guys.
