# If we were to see a new and better D&D movie, what setting would you like it to be?



## VGmaster9 (Jan 29, 2011)

Pick your choice


----------



## RangerWickett (Jan 29, 2011)

VGmaster9 said:


> Pick your choice




Mine?

Seriously, though, don't make a D&D movie. D&D is a game that makes silly sense. Make a "Crystal Shard" movie or something else that's a story first, based on a game second.


----------



## jonesy (Jan 29, 2011)

Nentir Vale? It's current. It's not that well established. The makers could work together with WotC? Yeah, I don't see it really working.

At this point I'm sceptical of the chances of any D&D movie turning out right.

My dream? A television series set in Mystara. Political intrigue, grand adventures, multiple vastly varied cultures, war, immortals & demons, etc. But you'd need a pretty fantastic budget to make it happen.


----------



## RangerWickett (Jan 29, 2011)

From the options -- Planescape. Let's go balls out and make it as weird and philosophical as possible.


----------



## Klaus (Jan 29, 2011)

I'd hire the crew that did Solomon Kane and have them hammer out a D&D movie set in the Nentir Vale (but really, anywhere would do).


----------



## Merkuri (Jan 29, 2011)

Gotta be Eberron.  I want to see dinosaur-riding halflings, elemental-powered airships, lightning rails, and warforged on the big screen.  In 3d!


----------



## VGmaster9 (Jan 29, 2011)

Merkuri said:


> Gotta be Eberron.  I want to see dinosaur-riding halflings, elemental-powered airships, lightning rails, and warforged on the big screen.  In 3d!




I too think an Eberron movie would be cool.


----------



## Merkuri (Jan 29, 2011)

I noticed that so far nobody has voted for the more "generic fantasy" settings (Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms).  Yet that seems to be what they keep giving us - generic fantasy movies labeled "D&D".


----------



## jonesy (Jan 29, 2011)

Merkuri said:


> I noticed that so far nobody has voted for the more "generic fantasy" settings (Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms).  Yet that seems to be what they keep giving us - generic fantasy movies labeled "D&D".



Plus a horrible Dragonlance animation. When they announced it I was thinking there's no way to shipwreck Autumn Twilight. Not that bad. And they did.


----------



## Thunderfoot (Jan 29, 2011)

Greyhawk, but ONLY if they get people to actually read the old box sets, manuals and such BEFORE they write the script.


----------



## Ahnehnois (Jan 29, 2011)

I think the Baldur's Gate series would make spectacular films. Not likely to happen, though.


----------



## VGmaster9 (Jan 29, 2011)

Merkuri said:


> I noticed that so far nobody has voted for the more "generic fantasy" settings (Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms).  Yet that seems to be what they keep giving us - generic fantasy movies labeled "D&D".




Well if they would do one generic fantasy setting, they should do Forgotten Realms. It's pretty much the maximalist of kitchen sink fantasy tropes. Greyhawk just seems inferior to FR and Dragonlance looks purely medieval (though the dragon army is what makes it so unique). Just my opinion.


----------



## jonesy (Jan 29, 2011)

VGmaster9 said:


> Dragonlance looks purely medieval (though the dragon army is what makes it so unique).



I always thought what makes it unique was that it's a setting which is struggling towards neutrality. Where extremes of good and evil are held as examples of things to avoid. You know, like the kingpriests and the dragonarmies. But I guess that doesn't translate that well.


----------



## Mark CMG (Jan 29, 2011)

Other - Non-descript, pseudo-medieval.


----------



## jonesy (Jan 30, 2011)

Going with the options in the poll, Spelljammer. Because it's way out there, and completely different from pretty much anything seen in fantasy movies. But it should probably be a horror movie > Illithid.


----------



## VGmaster9 (Jan 30, 2011)

Mark CMG said:


> Other - Non-descript, pseudo-medieval.




Well it includes other settings like Mystara, Birthright, Al' Qa'dim, Blackmoor, etc.


----------



## ssampier (Jan 30, 2011)

Spelljamer has mostly been done already (Treasure Planet) with poor box office results. Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms are almost too generic to differentiate from the successful Lord of the Rings film trilogy. 

My choice: Dark Sun

Would would Hollywood least likely to screw up?

Hollywood has put out some decent noir films. Hollywood struggles with fantasy movies, though. I would have to say Eberron. Emphasize the hard-boiled detective, the plucky sidekick and the tough-and-hot lady in Sharn. You can have magic and monsters, but the mystery should be primary.

Then you might have a half-decent Hollywood blockbuster on your hands. Otherwise anything more complicated get muddled in group think.


----------



## hopeless (Jan 30, 2011)

*Well here's a penny for your thoughts...*

Well I like the Mystara and Eberron options, but Eberron will cost "way" too much given how much could be put in and their track record isn't that great to begin with (excluding Jeremy Irons who can ham it up as much as he likes as far as I'm concerned!) and Mystara well I just can't see them doing justice to that setting after all Clash of the Titans could easily have been set there with a couple of alterations!

Me?

I'd go for a fresh outlook something like that movie I saw trailered a while ago with James Franco playing the part of a prince whose bride is kidnapped by a wizard with serious bad language and so he goes off to rescue her aided by a brother who could make Eddie Murphy at his worse look polite, a manservant and Natalie Portman!

And Natalie actually looks like she does well in that!

Now I'd have it set up that two kingdoms are seeking an aliiance against the stronger realms and this reuslts in the engagement between a prince and princess of each kingdom.
However the engagement party is interrupted by raiders who kidnap the couple and escape causing the two kings to come to blows resulting in one killing the other and assuming control!
Meanwhile the raiders learn what happened and decide they don't need one of their captives and they're enslaved whilst the other is led off to meet their master.
However the slave caravan intercepts a lone woman gathering herbs in the forest and they decide to add her to their cargo, only she turns out to be a powerful sorceress who easily overwhelms them and releases the prisoners giving them directions towards the nearest settlement before turning to leave.
The prince begs her help initially isn't believed but eventually decides its worth checking out and in the process recruits two of her friends to come along.
The quartet encounter two new members on the way, a cleric and a knight both of whom are survivors of a rescue parties sent after the kidnappers who reveal the kidnappers are led by a powerful sorceror.
They join forces but show open dislike for the party sorceress who doesn't much care for them either but they eventually reach the enemy stronghold and manage to sneak in through a secret entrance.
The prince backed by the cleric and the knight heads straight to rescue his bride whilst the others being more careful check things out discovering the dungeon is full of prisoners but poorly guarded since their master relies on his/her magic to keep things secure.
The prince and their two allies are easily caught revealing the knight to be a traitor sent to secure the missing groom.
Its revealed that the "sorceror" was working with the rival king so he could seize control and to insure the rival king doesn't turn on him he needs to keep the prince alive but not necessarily human as he turns his prisoner into a frog much to the prince's dismay!
The sorceress frees the prisoners and heads to confront the kidnapper whose revealed to be a wizard part of a guild of demon worshippers who depend on the sacrifice of sorcerors to keep their spellcasting abilities, however the wizard has bitten off more than he can cope with when he is easily defeated by the his enraged opponent.
Its now revealed that the sorceress's comrades are her father a paladin and her best friend who is a former fighter turned bard.
They discover what happened to the prince and confront the princess on her duplicity but the knight intervenes allowing her to escape or so the viewers think.
They help the prisoners escape the fortress and evade pursuit as the rival king's army moves in to secure the fortress.

This movie ends with the trio in bar discussing what to do as you leanr the rival king is slowly assuming control over the kingdom and then the sorceress grabs the prince/frog off the floor where he was gazing up a barmaid's skirt revealing she hasn't yet reversed the spell on him and isn't inclined to do so as the rival king has his men looking for the prince since he has yet to find the princess who we see in a brief flashback confronted by the sorceress who used a dimension door to slip ahead of her and then turned the princess into a mouse.

Said mouse is currently held in a small wicker cage that can be openly seen in the sorceress's possessions and her pet cat is enjoying tormenting the occupant.

Yes a bit too much care to suggest an alternative?


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone (Jan 30, 2011)

While I'd personally like to see a Greyhawk-based movie (Elemental Evil, anyone?), what I want is for an actual successful D&D movie.  For that to happen I think it needs to be a popular, recognized setting with popular, recognized characters, and I think that means Forgotten Realms.


----------



## Klaus (Jan 30, 2011)

Olgar Shiverstone said:


> While I'd personally like to see a Greyhawk-based movie (Elemental Evil, anyone?), what I want is for an actual successful D&D movie.  For that to happen I think it needs to be a popular, recognized setting with popular, recognized characters, and I think that means Forgotten Realms.



Recognized by whom? There are not enough people who know what a Forgotten Realm is to make that factor into the movie's success.


----------



## Merkuri (Jan 30, 2011)

Olgar Shiverstone said:


> For that to happen I think it needs to be a popular, recognized setting with popular, recognized characters, and I think that means Forgotten Realms.






Klaus said:


> Recognized by whom? There are not enough people who know what a Forgotten Realm is to make that factor into the movie's success.




Exactly.  What you need is popular, recognized characters who are known outside the gaming community.  So, we should make a D&D movie based on Lord of the Rings.


----------



## Richards (Jan 30, 2011)

You want a good D&D movie?  Put John Rogers on it - he's doing wonders with the D&D comic book, and I hear he has some experience with movie screenplays....

Johnathan


----------



## RangerWickett (Jan 30, 2011)

Richards said:


> You want a good D&D movie?  Put John Rogers on it - he's doing wonders with the D&D comic book, and I hear he has some experience with movie screenplays....
> 
> Johnathan




As much as I love jonrog1, I have to laugh, because he's got credits on Catwoman and The Core. Of course, it's hard to know in the glom that is Hollywood movie-making just who's responsible for making something suck.

I would pay to see the folks who did the Jackie Chan Adventures (also a John Rogers gig) make a fantasy animated film.


----------



## Klaus (Jan 30, 2011)

RangerWickett said:


> As much as I love jonrog1, I have to laugh, because he's got credits on Catwoman and The Core. Of course, it's hard to know in the glom that is Hollywood movie-making just who's responsible for making something suck.
> 
> I would pay to see the folks who did the Jackie Chan Adventures (also a John Rogers gig) make a fantasy animated film.



I liked The Core.


----------



## Ed_Laprade (Jan 30, 2011)

Voted for Greyhawk, but I don't care so long as I get to see a Cleric actually cast some Cure spells!


----------



## jonesy (Jan 31, 2011)

Olgar Shiverstone said:


> While I'd personally like to see a Greyhawk-based movie (Elemental Evil, anyone?), what I want is for an actual successful D&D movie.  For that to happen I think it needs to be a popular, recognized setting with popular, recognized characters, and I think that means Forgotten Realms.





Klaus said:


> Recognized by whom? There are not enough people who know what a Forgotten Realm is to make that factor into the movie's success.





Merkuri said:


> Exactly.  What you need is popular, recognized characters who are known outside the gaming community.  So, we should make a D&D movie based on Lord of the Rings.



15-20 million players of NFL fantasy football. Clearly we need to make a D&D movie about the Superbowl.


----------



## ssampier (Jan 31, 2011)

I still want to see my plucky sidekick Eberron movie, darn it.

Hmm, I wonder what Hollywood actors and actresses can do plucky....





jonesy said:


> 15-20 million players of NFL fantasy football. Clearly we need to make a D&D movie about the Superbowl.




Is Blood Bowl an option?


----------



## Mark CMG (Jan 31, 2011)

VGmaster9 said:


> Well it includes other settings like Mystara, Birthright, Al' Qa'dim, Blackmoor, etc.





I hyphenated nondescript to emphasize the "Non."  Any "named" setting would fall under my heading of Un-non-descript.


----------



## Ahnehnois (Jan 31, 2011)

Klaus said:


> Recognized by whom? There are not enough people who know what a Forgotten Realm is to make that factor into the movie's success.



We've had a rash of comic book movies based on little-known characters. Blade? Hellboy? Daredevil? Iron Man? The Walking Dead? I'd never even heard of any of those before they were made into movies, but there are some successful projects in there. Forgotten Realms has better "brand recognition" than many other properties which have been adapted to movies successfully.

I've never played D&D in the setting, but the computer games in it are very well known in the gaming community and the books have a substantial following.


----------



## Klaus (Jan 31, 2011)

Ahnehnois said:


> We've had a rash of comic book movies based on little-known characters. Blade? Hellboy? Daredevil? Iron Man? The Walking Dead? I'd never even heard of any of those before they were made into movies, but there are some successful projects in there. Forgotten Realms has better "brand recognition" than many other properties which have been adapted to movies successfully.
> 
> I've never played D&D in the setting, but the computer games in it are very well known in the gaming community and the books have a substantial following.



I'm not saying you can't make a FR movie. But wether the movie will be successful or not won't be affected by name-recognition.


----------



## VGmaster9 (Jan 31, 2011)

Just imagine if someone did do a new D&D and casted Bruce Payne to play as Damodar again


----------



## El Mahdi (Jan 31, 2011)

Personally, I don't think what setting is used really matters for the movie (though I did pick a few I'd like to see). Really, any setting will do, as long as context is provided for the viewer...specifically: what are the _rules_ of the setting; and _where_ is it. I think all of the D&D movies so far have suffered because they didn't adequately do this. It's not the only reason they suffered, but it's one of them, and I believe it's a significant oversight. 

For example, George Lucas purposely put a preamble at the beginning of Star Wars for just that reason. With the single phrase _"A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away..."_, he set up for the viewer that it's not in our galaxy or time, it's very different from our world, and we (as viewers) automatically accept that and need no further explanation. He then goes on and gives us some context for the story, so that even though it's an epically mythic story in a complex/alien setting that viewers have never seen the likes of before (except maybe in Star Trek), we aren't lost.

The D&D movies didn't do this.

But, along with the above, I think the problems with the D&D movies have been:

*Dungeons & Dragons* (2000): Big name actors (a plus) but not much character development. Storywise, not all that extraordinary. It had some good visuals, but no real sense of drama. It didn't attempt to be only D&D (for the people who know D&D), which was a plus, but it also didn't establish enough setting context with the non-D&D audience (the majority).

*Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God* (2005): No big name actors (not necessarily a minus, but it probably had an effect upon non-D&D viewers), but again with very little character development (even less than the first one). Okay storywise, but again, not extraordinary with a significant lack of drama. Way too much D&D (left non-D&D viewers knowing they were missing something, though not quite sure what it was). Also again, no setting context (non-D&D viewers didn't know _where_ this was taking place - was it some past age of our world, another world, or just some fantasy world essentially placed nowhere...?). Basically it came across as a slightly (very slightly) more expensive version of the story tape from the _Dragon Strike_ board game.


I don't know that much about the upcoming *Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness* (2011), as of course, nobody has seen it yet. But it does have the same Director and Writer(s) as *Wrath of the Dragon God*, and has no known names starring. And it seems like it's very much set in a D&D setting, with insider D&D setting info. Longtime D&D players will probably _"get"_ most of it, casual D&D gamers will _"get"_ some of it, and non-D&D gamers will probably again be going _"huh..."_.

I've heard said many times, when discussing drama in D&D games, that the game is not a novel or a movie. For the most part, I agree. However, there are lessons and tools present in movies/novels, that can be applied in games to provide a sense of drama. But, as much as the D&D game isn't a movie, a D&D Movie cannot be a game. First and foremost, it has to be a dramatic story...with all of the necessary components (character development, characters that veiwers can associate with, a story and setting that the viewer has context with, and most importantly - DRAMA). A D&D Movie can't simply be the visualization of a D&D adventure, and that's pretty much what we've had so far (especially the second one). It's why so many people have commented that a movie like *Season of the Witch* would have made a better D&D Movie than the official ones. (Granted, _Season of the Witch_ isn't going to win any Oscars, but it was still magnitudes better than either of the D&D Movies we've had so far...)

D&D Movies, in order to be successful, need to be aimed at non-D&D gamers first, then add in the "inside" stuff.

As long as a D&D movie isn't lacking in character development and Drama in the story, any setting will work...as long as viewers understand the context. Perhaps a preamble like Star Wars, would work. Something like this:

(for a _generic_ D&D Movie...)

A long time ago, on a world parallel to ours,
A world once connected to our own,
With lands rich in Magic and Legend,
Filled with Elves, Wizards, and Monsters,
A small group of adventurers will rise to fight an ancient Evil, 
With the fate of their world hanging in the balance.​ 
Welcome to the World of...​ 



 


I can imagine some even more interesting preambles for other, specific D&D settings...​ 
​


----------



## ssampier (Feb 1, 2011)

El Mahdi said:


> (for a _generic_ D&D Movie...)
> 
> A long time ago, on a world parallel to ours,
> A world once connected to our own,
> ...




"I am your guide to the realm of Dungeons & Dragons"


----------



## Ampolitor (Feb 1, 2011)

*Birthright*

A movie or mini series in Birthright would be awesome! A movie like the book WAR, or the Iron Throne. How cool would it be to see a GOOD movie showing the Gorgon. That was and probably will always be my favorite setting. My players and I had so much fun with that one, building our own kingdoms and taking on the Spider and Chimera.


----------



## tecnowraith (Feb 1, 2011)

Now here is a question to ask yourself. Would like to be live-action or animated? Plus you got to think of it this way: With live-action doing any D&D setting with either Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun or even Ravenloft you run into high cost of Effect to do any justice with the source material. With Animated, it may cost less  but you have to one choose medium of animated form and stay with it and not mix it like Dragonlance did. And do not with old art style either.

For live-action
Forgotten Realms could be done easily cause the geography could be easily done with sets.

Eberron will be harder in all aspects cause of it being "magitech" heavy and both stets and effects will be alot to do. If they go with 300 route and do green screen sets.

Dark Sun may be the easiest cause it's a desert world. Less magic and less metal but organic sets and props. 

Ravenloft would be another easy film to do cause its another vampire film with D&D races and creatures.

Now doing the green screen set would be easy to do for any D&D film and very stylized as well.


----------



## Jhaelen (Feb 1, 2011)

Imho, definitely Eberron. It offers the most and best opportunities for eye-candy, particularly things you haven't seen in every other fantasy movie yet.

Having said that, I wouldn't want to see another D&D movie unless it has a budget to push it into the neighbourhood of LotR. The movies so far have all been atrocious.


----------



## VGmaster9 (Feb 1, 2011)

El Mahdi said:


> A long time ago, on a world parallel to ours,
> A world once connected to our own,
> With lands rich in Magic and Legend,
> Filled with Elves, Wizards, and Monsters,
> ...




Nah, that sounds to credible. How about we have some retarded old guy seen in darkness with a torchlight looking at the audience before the movie starts? It would go like this:

"Hello my pretty, pretties, welcome to world of magical wonders and adventure. What? You never heard it before? Well let me tell you, it is a world there are braaaaave knights, pretty princesses (makes some feminine pose), and glorious kingdoms. Also (he whispers), there are FEROCIOUS monsters! There are humongous giants (does a "bom bom" noise as he moves his body side to side), there a nasty trolls (makes a "rarr" sound using his hands as a mouth"), AND, there are DRAGONS, who breath fire as hot as the SUN, AAAAAAAHHHHHH (trying to emulate a dragon breathing fire)! This is a story, where innocence rules over evil. (Dungeons & Dragons title shows up)"

This wouldn't exactly how it would be, but you get my drift.


----------



## TarionzCousin (Feb 2, 2011)

*Hello Kitty.* I want to see overmuscled barbarians in fur loin cloths slicing their way through hordes of cute kitties, penguins, frogs, etc.


----------



## hopeless (Feb 2, 2011)

*So what would YOU like to see?*

The scene opens up on a mountain range and it continues to cross the mountains before descending seemingly through a blizzard of snow before bursting free to gaze upon a snowbound landscape.
The mountainside is still clear and the image looks over a dazzling vista, its now you hear running and hoarse breathing as a figure seems to leap over and into view followed by a small band of others separated slightly as they seem to be running downhill.
One of them takes a tumble causing another to trip whilst the others jump clear and continue to run taking no time to see if their fellows are alright.
The two shake themselves and start to get up, both look up as a shadow looms over them and we see their terrified faces as the screen goes black as the name of the movie comes up...
"Dungeons & Dragons"


----------



## VGmaster9 (Feb 2, 2011)

You know, I think I should've made Mystara and Birthright separate options in the poll as well. Wish I could edit it to add them.


----------



## jonesy (Feb 2, 2011)

A Hollow World movie might get all the ERB fans to the movie theater. But do people still remember Pellucidar?


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 3, 2011)

I voted "Other": I think either Dark Sun or Spelljammer would rule for a D&D movie.


----------



## ssampier (Feb 3, 2011)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I voted "Other": I think either Dark Sun or Spelljammer would rule for a D&D movie.




I agree about DS.

As for Spelljammer, I think _Treasure Planet_ did an awesome job in the genre, but it didn't do well at the box office.

What would you do differently for Spelljammer?


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 3, 2011)

What would I want in a Spelljammer movie?
Beautiful spelljamming ships
Illithids as the main foe, perhaps behind a Drow bluff (Yes, I would cast Ken Jeong as a Drow)
Giff
Giant Space Hamsters


----------



## Kaodi (Feb 4, 2011)

jonesy said:


> 15-20 million players of NFL fantasy football. Clearly we need to make a D&D movie about the Superbowl.




Sort of. I think that given the popularity of fantasy fotball what is clear is that we need to make a King Arthur and the Knights of Justice movie, hehehehehe...

Like in the cartoon, a group of twelve football players, this time real football players, is called back in time to saddle in for an incapacitated King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The first big difference is that Merlin has also been incapacitated too. His stand-in is the guy who made this group his fantasy football team.


----------



## Kaodi (Feb 4, 2011)

One option would be to open up the movie with a party of adventurers already in the heart of a dungeon about to grab the treasure, when they are beset by its guardians, including a dragon... After some really over the top fighting and antics, it cuts to a tavern where a much shabbier and poorer looking version of the group is trying, unsuccesfully, to get a free round of drinks with their fabulous tale. And then the story begins...


----------



## Sutekh (Feb 4, 2011)

Seriously?

Dark sun.

All they need to do is copt the Prism Pentad books into one big production. You have evil and good magic, you have a God King who Is generally unapproachable but is still beset by problems. You have an interesting city in Tyr. You dont have any Dragons (although hes trying to become one). You have interesting monsters. You definetly have Heros in Rikus and co. You have chiseled bodies for the female audience to admire. (Whereas we can admire Sadira)

You have a possibly bad/good guy in Tithian. Is he bad? IS he good? Hes the character who picks the side of good if only to save his own ass.

The best bit? You avoid all the religon talk (and they could certainly copt the 2e mechanics to the now base 4e ones). Religon can sink a movie at the US box office. If they did other settings and you ignore the clerics etc you are cutting out a huge chunk of the setting by 'pretending' its not there. If you start with the default of aint no religon but worshipping the guy trying to build a frakin Ziggaraut then away you go. 

Go film it in Morrocoo or Algeria.


----------



## megamania (Feb 5, 2011)

Dragon Lance

Legend of Huma

Danail Craig as Huma


----------



## hopeless (Feb 6, 2011)

*Hmm...*

Well if its fantasy orientated how about the Magic Lost Trouble Found series by Lisa Shearin?

I'd recommend reading it especially as its lead is a heroine whose situation is somewhat helped by the fact her family is quite welll connected in a manner that needs to be read to be believed!


----------



## Man in the Funny Hat (Feb 6, 2011)

The setting in and of itself is irrelevant.  What is relevant is that the script is well-written REGARDLESS of background setting.  This means that any D&D movie is just about guaranteed to be abysmal because it is SO unlikely that a screenwriter with talent is going to pen a script oriented in some fashion around D&D, that it is going to be approved by those with the power to approve a "D&D" movie, and that it is going to be created by talented people - again by those with the power to assemble that pool of talent who are also controlling the rights to "D&D" movies.

Dream on.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 6, 2011)

_*sigh*_

So much for my _Giant Hamster-Riding Warforged Alchemists of Athas_ movie script.

Even though it may get optioned and greenlighted, there's no way it will make it through the editing process unscathed...


----------



## hopeless (Feb 7, 2011)

*So...?*

Do we stick with the tried and true formulae of Hercules & Xena or take a gander at the likes of the Gamers movies?

I particularly liked the sequel where it shifted to and from a gaming group and their respective characters.

Should "this" be the viewpoint of the next official d&d movie?

Okay how about I ask this.

If they were going to set a movie up in this fashion suggest who the players are and their chosen characters.

For example;

The Popular Girl: Intelligent, well-liked maybe not a cheerleader but the sort guys wish was their girlfriend and the girl girls actually could talk to and not be jealous about. Her secret is that her parents divorced when she was six and her father fell out with his former in-laws so that she had to get help to cope with her pain from friends at school who have grown up and somewhat apart as you do, but she still tries to bridge the gap and gasp actually joined the group to get close to a former friend who doesn't seem to understand she's actually interested in him.

The Munchkin: There's always one right the guy who wants to be the most powerful or rather throw in problems purely out of a wish to try things out that maybe shouldn't have been bothered with.

The rule lawyer: Maybe even the dm but he tried to find his niche by running the game and whilst his storylines might not be the best he's gradually learning that having fun with friends is becoming more important than becoming the killer dm.

The wallflower: The quiet one, always prefers to stay in the background and very rarely gets involved in the game. This time I visualise him as being the one the popular girl likes and this dates back when he and her current bestfriend helped her get over her pain over her parents divorce.
Unknown to him she recently split from her "boyfriend" when she caught him dating someone else and realised she really didn't care that much about him. She has a habit of ruffling his hair when he does something good and lightly smacking him around the back of the head (The Gibbs method) when he does something wrong, which can also transfer into the game for a comedic effect.

The Actor: Sees himself/herself as there for the role rather than the game and often is the butt of problems eventually leading to comedic effects when necessary perhaps plays a bard or another class except very badly and I don't mean Paladin!

Okay storyline I picture it starting out with a dungeon setting where we meet their characters and an initial adventure where a couple of them are killed thanks to the actor leading to a switch to the games table where this player decides to walk out requiring them to look for a new player.

Movie opening titles leads into school where the wallflower is being accosted by the popular girl who has become more interested in him leading to him being bullied by her boyfriend who she tells off before trying to go after him but he's already run off leading to a conversation with her bestfriend and some of her clique who openly wonder whats she doing.

Class eventually leads in to the wallflower chatting with the munchkin which said player reveals they're searching for a new player for their group and the popular girl overhears persuading the munchkin to let her join after she reveals she used to play before her former group decided to give the game up as they became more interested in boys.

She turns up for the first session with her old character which the rules lawyer checks and allows her to use leading to their first game where hilarity insues as she easily outplays the others helping them survive the rules lawyer's latest deathtrap dungeon.

The wallflower is a little angry since he sees her invading his space and openly demans to know why she won't leave him alone and go off with her boyfriend to which she reveals she broke up with him over a month ago when she found out he was seeing other girls since she wouldn't well you know.

Okay a bit much but that should at least get a few ideas stirring I hope!


----------



## Ed_Laprade (Feb 7, 2011)

That would probably make a good teen flick, but I sure wouldn't go see it.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 8, 2011)

Do an updated, live-action version of the D&D cartoon.  Sort of.

Like the cartoon, like J. Rosenberg's _Guardians of the Flame_ novels, and even _Jumanji_, do a movie in which modern, D&D playing teens/young adults fall through an interdimensional rift and become their characters.

You'd get the feel of the game, but also what it feels like to be a player...plus an uncommon dilemma.


----------



## hopeless (Feb 10, 2011)

*Okay...*



Dannyalcatraz said:


> Do an updated, live-action version of the D&D cartoon. Sort of.
> 
> Like the cartoon, like J. Rosenberg's _Guardians of the Flame_ novels, and even _Jumanji_, do a movie in which modern, D&D playing teens/young adults fall through an interdimensional rift and become their characters.
> 
> You'd get the feel of the game, but also what it feels like to be a player...plus an uncommon dilemma.




You could always go the route of say El Hazard or the new Tenchi spin off where they find themselves stuck in another world whether by accident or not even remembering how they got there... so they run into a group of adventurers and of course being roleplayers decide to get into the scheme of things after all who wouldn't want to play a wizard for real?

Admittedly they'd also be a little more careful, I imagine a heck of a lot more scared and they'd have to keep an eye out for them... still see that as a potential anime series than a movie though!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2011)

Flipping the script might be amusing, too.  Imagine Scarnight, a dracolich, secretly opens a portal into our world, and secretly plans it's conquer.  Shortly afterwards, another portal opens up, spilling a typical D&D party into our world- the party that was pursuing it.  

Hmmm, I can almost hear it, as Khal-Rhys- in police custody for brandishing a sword and destruction of property (he cut a truch in half) discussing his mission at the behest of King Ghond Hynor:


> Dr. Seaverman: Why this elaborate scheme with the Dimensional Portal?
> 
> Khal-Rhys: It had no choice. Its defenses were smashed. We'd won. Taking out Ghond Hynor then would make no difference- Scarnight had to wipe out his entire existence!


----------



## Meatboy (Feb 11, 2011)

If a DnD movie were to be successful at the box office I reiterate the suggestion of using something that people know. I would say taking the Drizz't series and making a movie based on them would end up having the biggest draw. I know quite a few people who don't have anything to do DnD who read those books.
   My 2 cp anyway!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2011)

I wonder how much Wesley Snipes would want for the job...


----------



## ssampier (Feb 11, 2011)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> What would I want in a Spelljammer movie?
> 
> Beautiful spelljamming ships
> Illithids as the main foe, perhaps behind a Drow bluff (Yes, I would cast Ken Jeong as a Drow)
> ...




If I had $50 mil, I would give to Danny just so I can see Giant Space Hamsters on the big screen.

With only $50 M we probably could only see the GSH, though.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 12, 2011)

I know how to do tricks with forced perspective (and the old "iguanas in costumes" = dinosaurs stuff) & green screens.

The trick will be editing out all the white marbles when the Giff are on the screen.


----------



## thejc (Feb 12, 2011)

Still think you've gotta go with a specific novel or story arc. To throw something as big and vast of a sea of material like D&D on a hollywood writers desk and try to make a movie is a much and usually translates to bad.

The comic movies have been relatively successful because they have a few things.
a budget
some star power
have stayed relatively close to the theme and personalities of the hero's(while not canon, you can totally envinsion this going down)
have marketed well across all age groups

While I have no suggestions on which novel/trilogy to use. It seems to me that simpler is better at the start. Something like Dragonlance may be to big to take all at the start. A lot of History, a lot of characters, villains. Off screen pieces. A wierd old man running around mostly insane with moments of sanity and you have no idea why mostly because you were watching things get blown up and the reptile guys getting killed.


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone (Feb 12, 2011)

Klaus said:


> Recognized by whom? There are not enough people who know what a Forgotten Realm is to make that factor into the movie's success.




It isn't gamers who buy the majority Salvatore's Forgotten Realms novels.  If Salvatore was relying on the gaming public, he'd never make the NYTimes Bestseller list, but now every one of his Drizzt books does.

Of course, it still has to be a decent movie.  Have you seen the Dragonlance movie? (Dragons of Autumn Twilight, straight to DVD).  *shudder*  It made me lose 3d10 SAN, and realize that in comparison the original D&D movie was excellent.


----------



## Klaus (Feb 12, 2011)

I stopped watching the Dragonlance cartoon before the scarring became permanent.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 12, 2011)

> ...in comparison the original D&D movie was excellent.




That comment just made ME lose 3D10SAN!


----------



## TarionzCousin (Feb 13, 2011)

If they do make another D&D movie, it needs to have Bruce Campbell in it.


----------



## NewJeffCT (Feb 14, 2011)

I don't think the actors are all that important, as long as you get some characters that the audience cares about, and a BBEG that the audience loves to hate.  The good guys should have some chemistry together as well - the best TV shows often have a cast that has a strong chemistry.

I also don't think setting is all that important - medieval Europe with magic and monsters works fine for me.  Or, it could be a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.  Or, it could be a future post apocalyptic earth where monsters and magic have replaced technology.

A decent story and some good action sequences, and something original/unique in the action because of the magic and/or the monsters.  Mind flayer brain-sucking works.

I wouldn't toss in a beholder just to have a beholder there...I would stick with a main villain and some similar supporting villains (meaning, having an underdark hierarchy of drow, mind flayers, duergar, aboleth, and other types, plus slaves and whatnot is too much for most people.)  Maybe mind flayers and a few 'slaves' that they have.  And, just make sure that the 'head' mind flayer is somebody the audience can easily identify and can hate.

I wouldn't get too complex, unless there is some sort of weekly series on SyFy.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 14, 2011)

A good wandering monster encounter- just to show the seriousness of the situation and/or the badassness of the party in question- would be a good idea, IMHO.

As long as it makes sense, that is.  No Remorhazes in the Desert of Desolation, for instance, or a Beholder wandering the sparse, idyllic woods near a small, prospering town.


----------



## Janx (Feb 14, 2011)

If we were to see a new and better D&D movie, what setting would you like it to be? 

Stun.


Kill would just raise too many questions.


----------



## VGmaster9 (Feb 18, 2011)

You know what would be pretty awesome, if someone made a D&D movie series that would have a plotline just like Star Wars.

It would start out with a group of soldiers walking through a forest trail until they're suddenly ambushed by evil soldiers, which are humans. After the attack is done, we see the villian (ala Darth Vader) with other soldiers by horses.

Then we see the hero (ala Luke Skywalker) who's a farmboy raised by foster parents. Later we see him somewhere while he's attacked by a bandit of some sort. Before the bandit could loot the hero, he runs away after seeing an old swordsman (ala Obi Wan). When they get back, the hero sees that his home is destryed and his foster parents murdered by more bandits. The hero then realizes that those aren't his real parents.

Then we see a princess (ala Leia) who lives in a kingdom. She hates doing feminine things like wearing dresses and sewing and instead wants to learn how to fight. However, she later realizes that a wedding has been arranged for her by her father. She then escapes the castle she's been living in and tries to survive while away.

The rest is up for you to decide


----------



## Klaus (Feb 18, 2011)

VGmaster9 said:


> You know what would be pretty awesome, if someone made a D&D movie series that would have a plotline just like Star Wars.




You mean Eragon?


----------



## VGmaster9 (Feb 18, 2011)

Funny, cause I never really saw Eragon (and I don't intend to).


----------



## Klaus (Feb 19, 2011)

VGmaster9 said:


> Funny, cause I never really saw Eragon (and I don't intend to).



It's kinda okay (the dragon effects are amazing), if you don't mind Star Wars with Dragons.


----------



## Morrus (Feb 19, 2011)

They should just use WotBS.  It's good enough for a video game, apparently.

Ooops.  Did I just give something away?


----------



## VGmaster9 (Feb 19, 2011)

Klaus said:


> It's kinda okay (the dragon effects are amazing), if you don't mind Star Wars with Dragons.




I just checked it out, and it's alot more similar to Star Wars than I thought.

BTW, are swordmages D&D's answer to the Jedi?


----------



## El Mahdi (Feb 19, 2011)

Klaus said:


> It's kinda okay (the dragon effects are amazing), if you don't mind Star Wars with Dragons.




Yeah, the effects were good, and I thought the movie was okay...then I read the book...

The book is almost nothing like the movie, virtually an entirely different story...and much, much, Much Better.


----------



## tuxgeo (Feb 19, 2011)

NewJeffCT said:


> < snip >
> 
> Mind flayer brain-sucking works.
> 
> ...




If not an underdark "hierarchy," perhaps it would be better to have an underdark "lower-archy," with the aboleths the lowest of them all. 

_Mighty forges of evil heated by blasts from titanic bellows, powered by slave labor, to fire and quench weapons of dark smashing and cutting: 
_"The Dark in the Bellows." 

It can start out with Mr. Mole cleaning his house, getting tired of it, and rushing off in exasperation, only to meet Mr. Wererat caulking his stealth-scow just upriver from the Were-wier; they both travel to the Old Wood to escape Mr. Bulette, who has trouble surfacing through the thick, intertwined roots of the trees there. In the Old Wood, Mr. CalamityBadger (you have to have _*something*_ new) tells them of the problems with the behavior of Mr. GiantToad and his bevy of worshippers, and his love of fast motorcars, and his debilitating WoW habit. 

Or not. . . .


----------



## ssampier (Feb 19, 2011)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I know how to do tricks with forced perspective (and the old "iguanas in costumes" = dinosaurs stuff) & green screens.
> 
> The trick will be editing out all the white marbles when the Giff are on the screen.




Excuse me if I'm being dense, but white marbles?

The other stuff sounded great. When I get more than $50 million you'll be my first contact.


----------



## Merkuri (Feb 20, 2011)

ssampier said:


> Excuse me if I'm being dense, but white marbles?




I think he was referring to:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 20, 2011)

Yup!


----------



## ssampier (Feb 21, 2011)

As Homer Simpson would say, "Now let's play the waiting game... Nuts to that. Let's play Hungry, Hungry Hippos!"

I did laugh at that. Strange I didn't get that earlier. I knew they were hippo men...


----------

