# New D&D Movie To Go Ahead - Produced By Lego Movie's Roy Lee



## Ebon Shar (Aug 3, 2015)

Let's hope that Producer title is a powerless bone they threw him to get him to drop his claim to the movie rights.  The real producer, according to an article I just read, is the guy that brought us The Lego Movie.


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

I hope you're correct.  But, I thought most often for the powerless bone they more typically use "executive producer" (like Stan Lee gets for Marvel movies, though he's not involved in the production).

I note the statement is that "Solomon and Zeman will be attached to produce all Warner Bros.-produced Dungeons & Dragons film and television productions."  Which implies that there can be non-WB productions.  

We can hope that the agreement is basically since WB already paid money for rights, they are involved initially, but under some conditions they cease being involved.  Maybe they get right of first refusal?


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## Mark CMG (Aug 3, 2015)

qstor said:


> http://comicbook.com/2015/08/03/dungeons-dragons-movie-officially-announced/
> 
> I wonder if the script will be any good. Someone on Facebook mentioned it will be set in the Forgotten Realms





You can add this to the top post, qstor, if you like.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/dungeons-dragons-legal-settlement-paves-812674


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## Ebon Shar (Aug 3, 2015)

What Mark said, but here's the relevant quote from the Hollywood reporter:  

The upcoming Warner Bros motion picture will be based on a script by David Leslie Johnson (Wrath of the Titans) and produced by Roy Lee (The Lego Movie, How To Train Your Dragon) with the involvement of Hasbro chief executive Brian Goldner and chief content officer Stephen Davis. It will take place in the popular D&D campaign setting of the Forgotten Realms.


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## Consona (Aug 3, 2015)

_written by Wrath of the Titans' David Leslie Johnson_...


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## Ebon Shar (Aug 3, 2015)

Consona said:


> _written by Wrath of the Titans' David Leslie Johnson_...




Yeah, I choked on that a bit as well.


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## qstor (Aug 3, 2015)

Mark CMG said:


> You can add this to the top post, qstor, if you like.
> 
> 
> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/dungeons-dragons-legal-settlement-paves-812674




Thanks


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

Yah.  Presumably, it is going to be the "Chainmail" script WB had commissioned before the court case started.

Wrath of the Titans is *not* something I'd laud as credit.


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## qstor (Aug 3, 2015)

Here's the official press release from Warner Brothers.

http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/ne...dungeons-dragons-feature-film-franchise-based


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## qstor (Aug 3, 2015)

I wonder if we'll get official D&D Legos as a result?


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## Mr. Flibble (Aug 3, 2015)

May God have mercy on our souls...no, not Bhaal! I mean that other guy.


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

I find it interesting that they made this announcement *after* Gen Con.


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## hejtmane (Aug 3, 2015)

s long as it is better than that piece of dung from 2000 

Some of the casting was brutal I mean come on Marlan Wayans thief squeals made me want to vomit

The story line was all over the place the heroes where laughable. Pleas please let the casting. writing and directing be better


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## Kramodlog (Aug 3, 2015)

Forgotten Realms? Why not say "set on the Sword Coast"?


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## CrusaderX (Aug 3, 2015)

Is this likely to be a Drizzt movie? Or a story with new characters?


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## Consona (Aug 3, 2015)

qstor said:


> I wonder if we'll get official D&D Legos as a result?









 Oh man!!!...the two best things in the world put together.


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## Wulfang (Aug 3, 2015)

I must be the only one that liked the year 2000 D&D movie ... I thought the premise and even some of the casting good... it just felt low budget and not taken seriously by some of the actors.

In any case, I am more interested on which rendition of the Forgotten Realms were going to see. Something completely new? Or something based on Salvatore's / Ed's works?


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

goldomark said:


> Forgotten Realms? Why not say "set on the Sword Coast"?




Hypothesis - they are working with the "Chainmail" script, which may not be specifically set in FR at all, having been developed before WB had any rights.  If they have decided to move it to FR, but haven't hashed out the details/rewrites, they may not be committed to it being on the Sword Coast.

Hypothesis - they just think "Forgotten Realms" will yield more useful marketing than "Sword Coast".


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

Sylvain_L said:


> In any case, I am more interested on which rendition of the Forgotten Realms were going to see. Something completely new? Or something based on Salvatore's / Ed's works?




The articles going around say the script is already written, by Johnson.  This is probably the script WB commissioned before the court case, titled "Chainmail"

WB was taking a risk and jumped the gun in having a script written at all.  I think they'd have avoided commissioning something directly referencing Salvatore or Greenwood's novels before they had any rights at all.


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## Ghost2020 (Aug 3, 2015)

DO NOT call it DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS...good lord no.

If they base it on the Crystal Shard, one book per movie, perfect.

The Forgotten Realms: The Crystal Shard, etc that's the best bet.

Anything beyond that is just not going to help. They need to actually get away from the name that was used 3 times already for not well received movies.


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## Chimpy (Aug 3, 2015)

Oh gawd, this sounds like recipe for disaster. Yeah as the above poster mentioned, I hope it's not got D&D in the title.

I actually think a film set in FR could work, but it needs to be well written, well directed and well produced.


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## Wulfang (Aug 3, 2015)

Ghost2020 said:


> DO NOT call it DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS...good lord no.
> 
> If they base it on the Crystal Shard, one book per movie, perfect.
> 
> ...





I'd have to agree, but not exactly for the reasons you mention. Most people probably don't even know those movies exist lol. But the title just doesn't say anything about the movie, other then its a fantasy story. So yeah I hope they call it something like "The Crystal Shard" and just put D&D in sub-text , essentially like they do for the novels.


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

Chimpy said:


> I actually think a film set in FR could work, but it needs to be well written, well directed and well produced.




Isn't, "to work, it needs to be well-written, well-directed, and well-produced" true for the majority of movies?


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## Trickster Spirit (Aug 3, 2015)

Ghost2020 said:


> DO NOT call it DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS...good lord no.
> 
> If they base it on the Crystal Shard, one book per movie, perfect.
> 
> ...






Sylvain_L said:


> I'd have to agree, but not exactly for the reasons you mention. Most people probably don't even know those movies exist lol. But the title just doesn't say anything about the movie, other then its a fantasy story. So yeah I hope they call it something like "The Crystal Shard" and just put D&D in sub-text , essentially like they do for the novels.




They won't do this, nor should they - as Sylvain points out, almost no-one's ever even heard of the Made For TV or Direct-to-DVD D&D movies, but more importantly, _their entire brand strategy for the last several years has been to leverage the Dungeons and Dragons name_.

They're going to double down on the D&D name, not avoid it. That's what the whole point of "turning D&D into a cross-media experience" has been about. I expect the movie titles to look like the Hobbit movies: Dungeons and Dragons: The Crystal Shard, Dungeons and Dragons: Streams of Silver, etc. etc.


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## halfling rogue (Aug 3, 2015)

I know they're all about the D&D brand and the IP etc, but I don't see how a (can we say, let's face it) generic fantasy will be very successful. I don't care what you call it, unless it's called Lord of the Rings it's not likely to make a big splash. That's not to say I won't see it 

I've said this before, and I know WotC/Hasbro executives don't see it this way, but I think the soul of D&D is the game. So it's hard to package that in a brand that seeks to extend beyond the game. It's rather easy with video games because...games. But with other media (that doesn't directly impact the game on console or around the table...ie movies/tv) I think you will fail if you shoot for "This is Dungeons & Dragons". Like others on here I think the best way to market a Forgotten Realms/Sword Coast movie is to downplay "This is D&D" and maybe (creatively) come up with a way to convey "This is a realm of D&D", and unfortunately at that point we've already lost some sheeple. 

Which brings me back to the game being the soul of D&D. If they were to make a movie, I would love for it to be something that really reflects the game. Center it around a gaming group that gets transported to the Forgotten Realms. Or translate some way of allowing the gaming group to effect the Realms, whathaveyou. (Isn't this exactly what was taking place in LEGO Movie? How awesome was that?) Make the movie reflect the feeling we get playing the game. That means a certain level of lightheartedness you'd find around the table should be injected. Heroic deeds and epic fails. Have the audience get wrapped up in that aspect rather than trying to force feed them some weird names and some backstory lore that scrolls along the screen or read by an ominous voice.

Really, if you're only going the fantasy route (with no 'game' aspect to it) then you have to knock it out of the park, like grand slam style. You need to hit on all cylinders; story, acting, effects, writing. It's a tough genre. Otherwise, I'm expecting the same ol thing, which, even if it's halfway decent, will likely fail (unfortunately).

Seriously though, a D&D movie ala LEGO Movie would be perfect. The 'outside' real world effecting the 'inside' game world without the knowledge of the inside world. That way you could have your fantasy movie, have it in FR, even have your IP characters you want to pimp and you still make the game the soul of the movie. I think it could be done.


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## martinlochsen (Aug 3, 2015)

Wrath of the titans... my god... this will be horrible. Not that I would expect anything else from a d&d-movie.


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## Trickster Spirit (Aug 3, 2015)

halfling rogue said:


> I know they're all about the D&D brand and the IP etc, but I don't see how a (can we say, let's face it) generic fantasy will be very successful. I don't care what you call it, unless it's called Lord of the Rings it's not likely to make a big splash. That's not to say I won't see it
> 
> I've said this before, and I know WotC/Hasbro executives don't see it this way, but I think the soul of D&D is the game. So it's hard to package that in a brand that seeks to extend beyond the game. It's rather easy with video games because...games. But with other media (that doesn't directly impact the game on console or around the table...ie movies/tv) I think you will fail if you shoot for "This is Dungeons & Dragons". Like others on here I think the best way to market a Forgotten Realms/Sword Coast movie is to downplay "This is D&D" and maybe (creatively) come up with a way to convey "This is a realm of D&D", and unfortunately at that point we've already lost some sheeple.
> 
> ...




Such a movie could be done and done well, but I doubt it's what Warner Brothers has in mind. That worked for The Lego Movie, because basically everyone is familiar with what' it's like to play with Legos. A film with more than the barest placement of easter-egg-level in-jokes referencing game mechanics wouldn't be funny to anyone but D&D players though. And I suspect Dungeons and Dragons is attractive to Warner Brothers precisely because they ARE looking for a generic fantasy franchise; the fact that D&D is also Planescape is also Dark Sun is also Eberron is also Ravenloft is too much to drop on the uninitiated in one go. Better for them to focus on Forgotten Realms for, say, the first three movies, then launch a spin-off series in another campaign setting.


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## Umbran (Aug 3, 2015)

halfling rogue said:


> Really, if you're only going the fantasy route (with no 'game' aspect to it) then you have to knock it out of the park, like grand slam style. You need to hit on all cylinders; story, acting, effects, writing.




Maybe I am wrong, but my personal thought is that a gimmick used in another movie by the same producer will come across as cheesy, and will not mean you don't otherwise have to hit it out of the park.  The LEGO movie did hit it out of the park, that conceit aside, so we cant' say it was the gimmick that did the trick.


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## Hand of Evil (Aug 3, 2015)

wonder if it will be an animation and not live action.


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## neobolts (Aug 3, 2015)

This is glad news. With the movie rights at home again, we can see the proper settings brought to life, and (hopefully) a proper respect for the properties and lore. While not on the scale of Harry Potter fandom, D&D fandom cares about the source material, and if WB treats D&D with the respect that Harry Potter received, D&D is in good hands indeed!

I'd go with an original character, a plucky young hero starting out who becomes part of something bigger, getting to interact with classic FR locations and characters. If they are working from an original script, they should bring in Mearls and his team to ensure the lore is correct and bring in Greenwood/Salvatore for the novelization of the film. The film should be integrated across everything D&D: a board game, a module that runs alongside the story*, minis, etc.  I'm optimistic! And how couldn't I be, the other D&D movies looked like careless cash-ins. I've never even been motivated enough to see them.

*(For example: "We have news from Waterdeep, sir. A team of heroes fought their way out their the city's labyrinthine sewers and arrived with the update at dawn." A single line about this in the film, about an offscreen element that drives the main story. This could be YOUR PARTY.)


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## neobolts (Aug 3, 2015)

goldomark said:


> Forgotten Realms? Why not say "set on the Sword Coast"?




Let's hope. The most iconic locations are there. 

Setting a FR movie elsewhere would be like making a Lord of the Rings movie set wherever the guys on the giant elephants showed up from. Being JRRT, I'm sure the elephant guys have a massive tome of lore about them. But it doesn't make them the obvious choice for the first movie to get made.


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## halfling rogue (Aug 3, 2015)

Trickster Spirit said:


> Such a movie could be done and done well, but I doubt it's what Warner Brothers has in mind. That worked for The Lego Movie, because basically everyone is familiar with what' it's like to play with Legos. A film with more than the barest placement of easter-egg-level in-jokes referencing game mechanics wouldn't be funny to anyone but D&D players though. And I suspect Dungeons and Dragons is attractive to Warner Brothers precisely because they ARE looking for a generic fantasy franchise; the fact that D&D is also Planescape is also Dark Sun is also Eberron is also Ravenloft is too much to drop on the uninitiated in one go. Better for them to focus on Forgotten Realms for, say, the first three movies, then launch a spin-off series in another campaign setting.




I too, doubt that is what WB has in mind. I too think WB wants generic fantasy.

But regarding LEGO I didn't have in mind the easter eggs and in-jokes, (though How to Train Your Dragon had a few RPG mechanic jokes) for the D&D movie, but more how they integrated the real world with the 'play' world through the story.


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## Nebulous (Aug 3, 2015)

I'm sure that a Drizzt trilogy would make them billions of dollars.  Regardless of how good it actually is.


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## halfling rogue (Aug 3, 2015)

Umbran said:


> Maybe I am wrong, but my personal thought is that a gimmick used in another movie by the same producer will come across as cheesy, and will not mean you don't otherwise have to hit it out of the park.  The LEGO movie did hit it out of the park, that conceit aside, so we cant' say it was the gimmick that did the trick.




I don't know if it's a gimmick, I just think it was done well for LEGO. I'm not saying copycat how they did LEGO but to implement the same idea for D&D.


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## Carl H (Aug 3, 2015)

There is literally nobody else I want involved in this movie more than I want Vin Diesel involved in this movie.

Edgar Wright is a close second.


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## Trickster Spirit (Aug 3, 2015)

Carl H said:


> There is literally nobody else I want involved in this movie more than I want Vin Diesel involved in this movie.
> 
> Edgar Wright is a close second.




Steven Colbert's also a former D&D player...

I now dream of all the celebrities I want making cameos...


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## Carl H (Aug 3, 2015)

This movie will come out while Colbert is hosting late night.


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## Carl H (Aug 3, 2015)

I think it would be a mistake to make this a grim gritty serious fantasy movie.  I would prefer it go "the gamers" route personally. Though I don't expect that.


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## Will Doyle (Aug 3, 2015)

I think a good D&D movie should strike a slightly irreverent tone: serious threats and lots of action, but with snappy dialogue and plenty of laughs. "Joss Whedonesque", basically. The comics did quite a good job, I think. 

Good luck for this one. You never know!


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## Jester David (Aug 4, 2015)

Written by this guy, who hasn't done much of note and produced by a pretty prolific producer.
I think the quality might really comes down to whom they hire to direct...


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## IgnatiusJ.Reilly (Aug 4, 2015)

Well, look on the bright side, I can't imagine it being worse than the previous movies. They set the bar pretty low, rather painful to watch really.


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## Kramodlog (Aug 4, 2015)

neobolts said:


> Let's hope. The most iconic locations are there.
> 
> Setting a FR movie elsewhere would be like making a Lord of the Rings movie set wherever the guys on the giant elephants showed up from. Being JRRT, I'm sure the elephant guys have a massive tome of lore about them. But it doesn't make them the obvious choice for the first movie to get made.




It will be there with the current "synergy between products" business model. The video game is set there, thus the APs are set there, thus the source book is about that region, etc. 

Instead of doing a Nentir Vale style thing, going micro and maybe later macro, they went with a world first and then chose to have things happen in a specific region.


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## chibi graz'zt (Aug 4, 2015)

So awesome!! Best news of all: it'll be set in the Forgotten Realms!


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## EthanSental (Aug 4, 2015)

I might have missed it, but what's the expected release date of the movie?  2 years away probably?


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## Umbran (Aug 4, 2015)

EthanSental said:


> I might have missed it, but what's the expected release date of the movie?  2 years away probably?




None has been given that I'm aware of, so I would expect two years or more.


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## Legatus Legionis (Aug 4, 2015)

.


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## ExploderWizard (Aug 4, 2015)

I don't know much about this script they have, but the writer doesn't leave me feeling hopeful.  The major problem of bringing D&D to the screen that the 2000 movie didn't get is that a D&D party is team of equals. For some reason the fantasy genre of movies cannot get the staple of a lone hero & some hangers on trope out of their system. That crapfest 15 years ago was all about Ridley going on Ridleyquest to save the world. There were some mostly comic relief companions but it was his show. Very generic fantasy and very NOT D&D.

The script needs to be written with the aid of a consultant who knows the game and how it works, plain and simple. Without that input the movie has a much higher than average chance to be a generic fantasy film with the D&D brand slapped on it. The basic concept CAN work. The Avengers, & Guardians of the Galaxy both featured a team cast, and they were successful.


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## Legatus Legionis (Aug 4, 2015)

.


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## the_redbeard (Aug 4, 2015)

For me, the movies that have had the most "D&D" feel have not been fantasy movies.

The Man Who Would Be King - total player character scheme for gold and glory
The Treasure of Sierra Madre - yeah, mining and not a dungeon, but the characters are like so many I've seen at the table
Guardians of the Galaxy, ok this is more fantasy than sci-fi (not a lot of science in its fiction) but that's a Dnd campaign, complete with bar scene

I would have included the Hobbit on this list, but Jackson really, really needs an editor.


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## tuxgeo (Aug 4, 2015)

Umbran said:


> I hope you're correct.  But, I thought most often for the powerless bone they more typically use "executive producer" (like Stan Lee gets for Marvel movies, though he's not involved in the production).
> 
> I note the statement is that "Solomon and Zeman *will be attached to produce all Warner Bros.-produced *Dungeons & Dragons film and television productions."  Which implies that there can be non-WB productions.
> 
> We can hope that the agreement is basically since WB already paid money for rights, they are involved initially, but under some conditions they cease being involved.  Maybe they get right of first refusal?




This. A million times this! (Oh -- and _*emphasis added*_, above.) 

As long as I'm reading more into this announcement than is actually stated there, I'll add: 

The only thing Hasbro needs to do now is to _refuse to green-light any more D&D movies for a decade after this_ -- and the rights should revert to Hasbro, solely, because Solomon will have failed to execute a sequel within that time.


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## Hand of Evil (Aug 4, 2015)

I would also go TV route, aka STARZ's Ash vs The Evil Dead, Spartacus, Black Sails, Dare Devil, Game of Thrones, etc.


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## skotothalamos (Aug 4, 2015)

Umbran said:


> I hope you're correct.  But, I thought most often for the powerless bone they more typically use "executive producer" (like Stan Lee gets for Marvel movies, though he's not involved in the production).




FWIW, an Executive Producer credit is generally reserved for someone who contributes to the film's budget, up to and including the person who signs the checks. Sometimes it's a legal bone (in that they contribute financially by not suing us for using the property), but usually it's someone who put money up to get the project done, and can stop putting money up if they don't like what they see... Hardly powerless!


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## Kaodi (Aug 4, 2015)

Having a group of gamers be transported to the Forgotten Realms and suddenly become the heroes is _way_ too meta and cheesy, even if most of us have fantasized about something like that now and again.

If I were seriously going to go with a main character from the real world, I think I would go with something like a war reporter. Someone who has not fought themselves in the past (except maybe some defencive martial arts), but who knows how to stay alive in the middle of combat. Someone like that, who has a mindset based on our world, could go a long way to making modern values in a fantasy world seem more _plausible_, but in turn would be someone who still has to have the world explained to them (and thus the uninitiated in the audience). 

If I could I would cast Charlize Theron in that role.


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## MechaPilot (Aug 4, 2015)

They have a LOT of work to do with this movie.

I can't remember a film franchise where the fans of the source material were dead-set that any film about it was going to suck.  WB is going to have to really pull the lead out just to win over D&D fans disgruntled by the previous films, and then they have to sell it to regular people.


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## neobolts (Aug 4, 2015)

Kaodi said:


> Having a group of gamers be transported to the Forgotten Realms and suddenly become the heroes is _way_ too meta and cheesy, even if most of us have fantasized about something like that now and again.




I agree. This sounds hideous! Kids cartoons from the 80s are great, but this needs the modern sensibilities and self-respect of film series like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.


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## Scottius (Aug 4, 2015)

I know I shouldn't be surprised they're going to set a potential movie in the Realms but I'm still disappointed. Plus add in the fact this is being written by the person responsible for that atrocious Titans movie and I pretty much have no faith in this project from the outset.


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## garnuk (Aug 4, 2015)

I don't understand why D&D movies get treated so differently than D&D novels.


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## TrippyHippy (Aug 4, 2015)

Who they choose as a director is key.


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## Saxon1974 (Aug 4, 2015)

Courtney Solomon, did he direct the crappy 2000 version? If so, I want him far away from this!

I think animated could work, kind of done in a dark tone like the animated spawn series.


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## delericho (Aug 4, 2015)

Carl H said:


> There is literally nobody else I want involved in this movie more than I want Vin Diesel involved in this movie.




They could do a lot worse than to get him (and, ideally, the Rock) in and tell them to do whatever it is they do with those "Fast & Furious" movies, but with D&D in the title. There's a lot to be said for "unapologetically entertaining", especially when the alternative is the Jeremy Irons' school of overacting.


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## Chimpy (Aug 4, 2015)

Umbran said:


> Isn't, "to work, it needs to be well-written, well-directed, and well-produced" true for the majority of movies?



Haha, yeah!  very true!


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## Jhaelen (Aug 4, 2015)

Yuck!


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## Ryujin (Aug 4, 2015)

Kaodi said:


> Having a group of gamers be transported to the Forgotten Realms and suddenly become the heroes is _way_ too meta and cheesy, even if most of us have fantasized about something like that now and again.




It's also been done/is being done and is purposely meta, and cheesy. It's pretty much the plot of "The Gamers IV" and the reverse was done in the first "The Gamers" movie.


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## delericho (Aug 4, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> It's also been done/is being done and is purposely meta, and cheesy. It's pretty much the plot of "The Gamers IV" and the reverse was done in the first "The Gamers" movie.




There's a "The Gamers IV"?


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## Quartz (Aug 4, 2015)

There's a short story, "Days of High Adventure", which I think would make an ideal D&D movie if they aim for a 15 or 18 certificate. Definitely not PG!


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## RPG_Tweaker (Aug 4, 2015)

I hope those who make decisions realize that for a D&D reboot to be successful, they cannot simply reanimate its corpse with another soulless sword & sorcery schlock-fest. It has to be smart, immersive, and make you connect with the characters. No stagy drama, no generic portrayals, no slapstick. 

And please, please, _please_, at least for the first film, or three... no world-in-the-balance plots. Just the party vs. a local area menace, like in 13th Warrior.


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## Charles Rampant (Aug 4, 2015)

I am fairly positive that the role model for this film franchise that we should all look to is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They want to use Drizzt, Elminister and Baldur's Gate, for sure; those are recognizable and have brand power. They want a never-ending stream of cash. They want to start with an Iron Man, a film that will be self-contained but springboard loads of spin-offs, sequels and stuff in the same universe. I suspect strongly that the dudes at WB think that the D&D adventuring party is the equivalent of the Avengers; the mega-movie event that will bring together the characters from disparate other films into one smash-fest. Reviews of the Hobbit tended to mention that the Dwarves were all indistinguishable; nobody said that about the Avengers.


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## Ryujin (Aug 4, 2015)

delericho said:


> There's a "The Gamers IV"?




Not yet 

I know that the concept has been fleshed out and was solidified quite a while back. Matt Vancil seems to have known where it was going for maybe a decade or more. "The Gamers: Hands of Fate" aka "Gamers III" shows where it was going, as does the planned "The Gamers: The Series", that is sitting in the sidelines and waiting for the Patreon funding to hit the level necessary to support ongoing production.

https://www.patreon.com/zombieorpheus?ty=h

On the original topic, I think that there have been many D&D movies produced over the years. They just haven't explicitly said that they were D&D movies. The most recent that I can think of is the "Mythica" trilogy, with cameos by Kevin Sorbo, two of which have already been released. Sure, they're done on the cheap, but they aren't bad. They feature the old role playing trope of getting the party together, in a very D&D fashion, then the group going out to make their name.


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## nerfherder (Aug 4, 2015)

delericho said:


> They could do a lot worse than to get him (and, ideally, the Rock) in and tell them to do whatever it is they do with those "Fast & Furious" movies, but with D&D in the title. There's a lot to be said for "unapologetically entertaining", especially when the alternative is the Jeremy Irons' school of overacting.




Heh!  Very true.  The number of times I have seen a fantastic cast list, but the film itself has turned out terrible... #coughTPMcough#.


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## Ryujin (Aug 4, 2015)

delericho said:


> They could do a lot worse than to get him (and, ideally, the Rock) in and tell them to do whatever it is they do with those "Fast & Furious" movies, but with D&D in the title. There's a lot to be said for "unapologetically entertaining", especially when the alternative is the Jeremy Irons' school of overacting.




Well "Chronicles of Riddick" was Diesel's "Conan" movie. King by his own hand, and all of that.


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## delericho (Aug 4, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> Well "Chronicles of Riddick" was Diesel's "Conan" movie. King by his own hand, and all of that.




Indeed, even down to the final shot of Conan/Riddick on his throne.


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## Ryujin (Aug 4, 2015)

delericho said:


> Indeed, even down to the final shot of Conan/Riddick on his throne.




Yup, right off a book cover.


----------



## Zaran (Aug 4, 2015)

Umbran said:


> Yah.  Presumably, it is going to be the "Chainmail" script WB had commissioned before the court case started.
> 
> Wrath of the Titans is *not* something I'd laud as credit.




To tell you the truth I thought Wrath was better than Clash by quite a bit.


----------



## Umbran (Aug 4, 2015)

Zaran said:


> To tell you the truth I thought Wrath was better than Clash by quite a bit.




Not exactly a high bar, that.  Stepping over a broomstick lying on the floor is not a major feat.


----------



## rets82 (Aug 4, 2015)

Oghma save us!! Looking at David Johnson's IMDB page makes all the joy I felt when I read "New D&D movie to go ahead" fly, and is replaced with deep sadness.


----------



## Wednesday Boy (Aug 4, 2015)

Nebulous said:


> I'm sure that a Drizzt trilogy would make them billions of dollars.  Regardless of how good it actually is.




I think so too.  Emulate Marvel's production style and tactics and they'll have a hit with nerds and non-nerds.


----------



## qstor (Aug 4, 2015)

If the production value is good and there's a good script hopefully it will be good overall.


----------



## Nebulous (Aug 4, 2015)

Conjuring 2 and Wrath did not have particularly good scripts.   There's also a good chance a hack hollywood director will get attached.  Can you imagine D&D by way of MICHAEL BAY!


----------



## Dioltach (Aug 4, 2015)

Nebulous said:


> Conjuring 2 and Wrath did not have particularly good scripts.   There's also a good chance a hack hollywood director will get attached.  Can you imagine D&D by way of MICHAEL BAY!




Isn't that a pretty accurate portrayal of FR?


----------



## Nebulous (Aug 4, 2015)

Dioltach said:


> Isn't that a pretty accurate portrayal of FR?




If you replace Optimus with Elminster, maybe so.


----------



## Nebulous (Aug 4, 2015)

or add elminster!


----------



## Kramodlog (Aug 4, 2015)

Is it the FR movie we want or the one we deserve?


----------



## Jester David (Aug 4, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> It's also been done/is being done and is purposely meta, and cheesy. It's pretty much the plot of "The Gamers IV" and the reverse was done in the first "The Gamers" movie.



It's been done because it works. 
The catch with a D&D movie is that D&D isn't really about anything, there's no inherent plot, no starting point to hang the story around. You have to come up with the plot wholecloth. Having people enter the world of D&D helps with that, granting an instant motivation and framework for the plot. 

There are really three ways to tell a D&D story: straight fantasy, playing the game, and world crossover. You can have it be a generic fantasy adventure that happens to be set in the Forgotten Realms (_Lord of the Ring, Game of Thrones_)_. _You can set it around people playing the game and showing their characters (_Gamer _and _Gamers: Dorkness Rising_). Or you can have the crossover (the potential _Gamers 4_ and the _Dungeon & Dragon_ cartoon). 

Now, the first is problematic as there's nothing that differentiates it as being inspired by a role-playing game rather than being an adaptation of a novel/video game. Except, with a novel adaptation you have a starting place. You have to start from scratch with D&D, even in the Realms. You're not creating the setting but creating the characters and heroes and plot. It's a LOT of work and there's more room for creative liberties and the writer dropping the ball. 
D&D is meant to be a generic fantasy world. Which is advantageous for a game, as you can work with the familiar elements of other worlds. But it's lacking for a movie, as it seems familiar and unoriginal. Even if you fill a D&D movie with waves of IP monsters (beholders, mind flayers, dragonborn) it's still more a generic fantasy movie and less a D&D movie. 

The second works for fan films and media aimed at the players of the game. But it's super esoteric and likely to in-jokey to have widespread appeal. Plus, there's far less drama and tension with the characters not actually being in danger. 

The third just works. You have instantly relatable characters and the basis for some plot: find a way home. Plus it fits the tone of the game in so many ways, with the heroes being jokey and making pop culture references. And it has the added level of being a metaphor for the game: regular people immersing themselves in a fantasy world and being a hero. 
It's not even beyond the bounds of canon, as the Forgotten Realms is forgotten by our world as there used to be portals connecting them, and Elminster has popped into our world from time to time.


----------



## Carl H (Aug 4, 2015)

Jester Canuck said:


> It's been done because it works.
> The catch with a D&D movie is that D&D isn't really about anything, there's no inherent plot, no starting point to hang the story around. You have to come up with the plot wholecloth. Having people enter the world of D&D helps with that, granting an instant motivation and framework for the plot.
> 
> There are really three ways to tell a D&D story: straight fantasy, playing the game, and world crossover. You can have it be a generic fantasy adventure that happens to be set in the Forgotten Realms (_Lord of the Ring, Game of Thrones_)_. _You can set it around people playing the game and showing their characters (_Gamer _and _Gamers: Dorkness Rising_). Or you can have the crossover (the potential _Gamers 4_ and the _Dungeon & Dragon_ cartoon).
> ...





Well... That is a pretty logical and sound argument.


----------



## Nemio (Aug 4, 2015)

Chris Perkins is excited and perhaps even involved.
That's enough for me at this time 

Christopher Perkins &#8207 [MENTION=13127]chrisp[/MENTION]erkinsDnD
Warner Brothers, the film studio that delivered MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, is now bringing D&D to the big screen. #holyballs

Christopher Perkins &#8207 [MENTION=13127]chrisp[/MENTION]erkinsDnD

I can't discuss the extent of my involvement at this time, but I've been in some terrific meetings lately. 

Asa Allen [MENTION=4690]Allen[/MENTION]asa78   [MENTION=13127]chrisp[/MENTION]erkinsDnD so are you going to be writing or producing this D&D movie?


----------



## MechaPilot (Aug 4, 2015)

[video=youtube;IgyC9fQgmes]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgyC9fQgmes[/video]


----------



## Remathilis (Aug 4, 2015)

Huh. They're finally making a movie about D&D. Go figure.


----------



## Ryujin (Aug 4, 2015)

Jester Canuck said:


> The third just works. You have instantly relatable characters and the basis for some plot: find a way home. Plus it fits the tone of the game in so many ways, with the heroes being jokey and making pop culture references. And it has the added level of being a metaphor for the game: regular people immersing themselves in a fantasy world and being a hero.
> It's not even beyond the bounds of canon, as the Forgotten Realms is forgotten by our world as there used to be portals connecting them, and Elminster has popped into our world from time to time.




Hey, I didn't say that it doesn't work. I said it had been done before 

If you're going to do something that's been done before, hell, all the way back to Mark Twain and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", then you have two ways to go; campy, meta, and tongue-in-cheek, or damned good. Go the first way and you risk alienating either The Faithful, or the general public. The other way is just plain tough as you're trying to make a really good movie, not just a pop culture piece, if you want to succeed.

I expect that they'll go the first way.


----------



## Mark CMG (Aug 5, 2015)

Talien has some coverage up on his Patreon site now -

https://www.patreon.com/posts/3080857


----------



## Corpsetaker (Aug 5, 2015)

Oh no!

Chris Perkins is involved? Definitely worried about this movie now.


----------



## Morrus (Aug 5, 2015)

Nemio said:


> Christopher Perkins &#8207 @_*chrisp*_erkinsDnD
> Warner Brothers, the film studio that delivered MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, is now bringing D&D to the big screen. #holyballs




Warner Brothers, the film studio that delivered BATTLEFIELD EARTH, CATWOMAN, and Nick Cage's version of THE WICKER MAN, is now bringing D&D to the big screen. #holyballs!


----------



## Remathilis (Aug 5, 2015)

Morrus said:


> Warner Brothers, the film studio that delivered BATTLEFIELD EARTH, CATWOMAN, and Nick Cage's version of THE WICKER MAN, is now bringing D&D to the big screen. #holyballs!



So the D&D movie will feature a cat-folk fighting giant bees all shot in Dutch angle?


----------



## TheSwartz (Aug 5, 2015)

What Sweatpea actually released ought to be considered "criminal" in it's own right, and deserves it's own prosecution.


----------



## Nemio (Aug 5, 2015)

Corpsetaker said:


> Oh no!
> 
> Chris Perkins is involved? Definitely worried about this movie now.




Why is that if I may ask?
I'm a new DM and really look up to him.


----------



## Marshall (Aug 5, 2015)

Nebulous said:


> I'm sure that a Drizzt trilogy would make them billions of dollars.  Regardless of how good it actually is.




Not unless drow suddenly turn blue or green or red...Drizzt is a PC mess just waiting to  happen. 

Add in that noone who is not already a D&D fanboy knows who Drizzt is and I'm  praying for an original cast of characters. D&D could be the next Star Wars if they find a Luke Skywalker to base the story around.


----------



## Wednesday Boy (Aug 5, 2015)

Marshall said:


> Add in that noone who is not already a D&D fanboy knows who Drizzt is...




Guardians of the Galaxy had the same hurdle and they did okay for themselves.


----------



## MarkB (Aug 5, 2015)

Carl H said:


> There is literally nobody else I want involved in this movie more than I want Vin Diesel involved in this movie.




Dream casting: Vin Diesel as Minsc.


----------



## Ryujin (Aug 5, 2015)

Marshall said:


> Not unless drow suddenly turn blue or green or red...Drizzt is a PC mess just waiting to  happen.
> 
> Add in that noone who is not already a D&D fanboy knows who Drizzt is and I'm  praying for an original cast of characters. D&D could be the next Star Wars if they find a Luke Skywalker to base the story around.




I was thinking the same thing. Cast a white guy and put him in 'blackface', and it would definitely blow up.

They would have to burn half of a 2-2.5 hour movie in order to do an origin story, so that the average watcher would have a clue about what a Drow traditionally is.


----------



## Nebulous (Aug 5, 2015)

Morrus said:


> Warner Brothers, the film studio that delivered BATTLEFIELD EARTH, CATWOMAN, and Nick Cage's version of THE WICKER MAN, is now bringing D&D to the big screen. #holyballs!




lol. well said.


----------



## Dire Bare (Aug 5, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> I was thinking the same thing. Cast a white guy and put him in 'blackface', and it would definitely blow up.
> 
> They would have to burn half of a 2-2.5 hour movie in order to do an origin story, so that the average watcher would have a clue about what a Drow traditionally is.




Here's a thought, they could cast a black actor as Drizzt. Why the worry they'd cast a white guy? And really, if they make the drow character design alien enough, an actor of any race could pull it off without cries of "blackface"!

While the possible racist overtones of the drow race would be a minefield in a live action film, with careful storytelling and character design it's doable. Heck, Salvatore made it a strength in his novels by exploring themes of racism.


----------



## MechaPilot (Aug 5, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> I was thinking the same thing. Cast a white guy and put him in 'blackface', and it would definitely blow up.
> 
> They would have to burn half of a 2-2.5 hour movie in order to do an origin story, so that the average watcher would have a clue about what a Drow traditionally is.




Is that how long it took to describe what a spartan was in 300?  I feel you could do the "what is a drow" question serviceably in the same time given to describing the Spartan lifestyle in 300.


----------



## Ryujin (Aug 5, 2015)

Dire Bare said:


> Here's a thought, they could cast a black actor as Drizzt. Why the worry they'd cast a white guy? And really, if they make the drow character design alien enough, an actor of any race could pull it off without cries of "blackface"!
> 
> While the possible racist overtones of the drow race would be a minefield in a live action film, with careful storytelling and character design it's doable. Heck, Salvatore made it a strength in his novels by exploring themes of racism.




There could even be backlash over making a 'black' actor really black. Stranger things have happened.



MechaPilot said:


> Is that how long it took to describe what a spartan was in 300?  I feel you could do the "what is a drow" question serviceably in the same time given to describing the Spartan lifestyle in 300.




There's a general level of understanding as to what a "Spartan" is as it's something historic (and at least part mythical), and fairly well known to the average person. Not so a Drow.


----------



## evilbob (Aug 5, 2015)

Consona said:


> _written by Wrath of the Titans' David Leslie Johnson_...



And don't forget "The Conjuring 2!"

Yeaaaaaah.  That pretty much dashed all my hopes of getting decent movie.

Also, why did they say "this beloved property can finally make its way to the big screen after 20 years" when they made another D&D movie 15 years ago?


----------



## Mirtek (Aug 5, 2015)

Wednesday Boy said:


> Guardians of the Galaxy had the same hurdle and they did okay for themselves.



Because it got credit for being "the new marvel movie". Really, I literally talked to people who didn't know it's title when they went to see it, but went because it was the latest in the series of marvel movies and those had build enough street cred that it would not have mattered at all whatever marvel would have released, people would have went to see it because of the last ones.


----------



## Tonguez (Aug 5, 2015)

Jester Canuck said:


> There are really three ways to tell a D&D story: straight fantasy, playing the game, and world crossover. You can have it be a generic fantasy adventure that happens to be set in the Forgotten Realms (_Lord of the Ring, Game of Thrones_)_. _You can set it around people playing the game and showing their characters (_Gamer _and _Gamers: Dorkness Rising_). Or you can have the crossover (the potential _Gamers 4_ and the _Dungeon & Dragon_ cartoon).
> 
> .
> 
> ...




Oh yes please do a live action remake of the Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon - start with the Roller Coaster Ride and end with the redemption of Venger and actually bringing the kids home. That would be a movie


----------



## IgnatiusJ.Reilly (Aug 5, 2015)

I agree that using that silly plot from the cartoons is the worst idea I've heard in a long time. In fact, it's so bad that I wouldn't be surprised if they used it, when considering the previous movies. They should steer away from anything that would continue D&D movies being the laughing stock of theater. I think that people can handle a D&D movie that targets grown ups.


----------



## Jester David (Aug 5, 2015)

Tonguez said:


> Oh yes please do a live action remake of the Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon - start with the Roller Coaster Ride and end with the redemption of Venger and actually bringing the kids home. That would be a movie



I'd actually rather not see a remake. Because it's animated and a fantasy, the original holds up really well. And it's even still available for dirt cheap on Amazon. I've been watching them with my son and some of the episodes are solid. 

Were I in charge of the D&D movie I'd have the plot revolve around a soft reboot or sequel to the original. Anew group of people brought into the world and given different magical items, like a wand, sword, holy symbol, etc. Because that concept still works: if you have average people brought into a magical world, they need an edge to survive. 

During their quest to get home, they'd receive aid and advice from white haired lord who speaks in cryptic riddles. Near the end, he reveals he's also from their world and had the opportunity to return, but he and most of his friends elected to remain because this world needed heroes. Then he'd walks to the wall and wistfully touch a battered yellow shield...

I imagine the rights to the cartoon would be the issue and potential problem area. But a "lost episode" animated by a modern studio would be an awesome bonus feature for the DVD.


----------



## Hand of Evil (Aug 6, 2015)

Dire Bare said:


> Here's a thought, they could cast a black actor as Drizzt.



Wesley Snipe has wanted to play Drizzt for a very long time.  DreamWorks was producing it but that was a very, very long time ago, which may mean the character cannot be part of a D&D movie and belong to someone else.


----------



## MechaPilot (Aug 6, 2015)

IgnatiusJ.Reilly said:


> I agree that using that silly plot from the cartoons is the worst idea I've heard in a long time.




For me, the crackpot fan theory about Leto's Joker being Jason Todd fits that description.  That said, I don't think that recycling the cartoon premise would be a very good idea either.  Transitioning regular people into another world is very hard to pull off in a fun and engaging manner.  The original Matrix film did it pretty well, but that's probably the only good recent example that I can think of (I didn't see the Tron sequel, so I don't know how well or poorly that worked out).


----------



## Ridley's Cohort (Aug 6, 2015)

hejtmane said:


> s long as it is better than that piece of dung from 2000
> 
> Some of the casting was brutal I mean come on Marlan Wayans thief squeals made me want to vomit
> 
> The story line was all over the place the heroes where laughable. Pleas please let the casting. writing and directing be better




I am deeply offended.  Snails (my icon) was the least sucky thing in that whole movie.

But, seriously, the actors were fine.  The script tried to jam too much into one movie.  "Let's start with dragons, and dungeons, and more dungeons, and lots of dragons when the princes is saved at the climax!"  The genre itself requires a degree of melodrama.  Melodrama that moves too quickly will always leave the actors looking wooden.  The actors need some time to be allowed to blend humor and the human touch into their characters -- so I am serious that Wayans deserves kudos for making the effort.


----------



## HonorBoundSamurai632 (Aug 6, 2015)

Well I'm about to win the most unpopular comment in this thread.

They need to leave the movies alone. The last 2 D&D movies where horrible. Just ..... bad. Really, really, bad. And personally, as I've said before, I am sick and tired of The Forgotten Realms being shoved down my throat. It's cool that most of the comments here love the fact that it's set in The Realms (probably ...... The Sword Coast because that's the only area in The Realms now,) but really? Realms everywhere!!! 

(And here is where I get ripped apart) The War of the Lance trilogy is screaming for a live action movie. If it wasn't for those novels, and the success of them at the time of their release, I doubt that there would even be any D&D novels after that. Even the Gygax written novels (based in Greyhawk) were not that successful in the beginning. Those War of the Lance books really opened things up. I know the animated adaptation wasn't successful, but really ..... did you expect it to be? The animation reminded me of watching the GI Joe cartoon after grade school in the 80's, and the voice acting was just god awful. I'm sorry, I just can't see anything good coming out of this. It's times like this, I wish Hasbro would just STOP and accept the fact that not everything needs to be pushed into so many different media forms. D&D is a niche game ..... why can't they just accept that? (Probably because of $$$$$$$)


----------



## Henry (Aug 6, 2015)

Remathilis said:


> So the D&D movie will feature a cat-folk fighting giant bees all shot in Dutch angle?




"Dutch angle" sounds like a euphamism for something filthy. 

PRO: produced my Warner Brothers and not some direct-to-video house like Zinc Entertainment.
PRO: produced by Roy Lee. Lego Movie was done very well, and an involved and engaged producer often means a good movie.

CON: written by the Wrath of the Titans guy. I really disliked the structure of that movie, because there was NOTHING scriptwise that tied the audience to the protagonist. You need to either empathize with or really like a protagonist for a movie to work. I didnt care about WRATH's protagonist whether he or his family lived or died throughout the entire movie.

CON: If Drow ever make an appearance in a D&D movie, activists looking for a focus will descend on it like the Fist of an Angry God for its racist undertones. However, given the Law of Media Publicity, I'm not sure if this is a reason to avoid Dark Elves, or to absolutely include them.


----------



## Tonguez (Aug 6, 2015)

Jester Canuck said:


> I'd actually rather not see a remake. Because it's animated and a fantasy, the original holds up really well. And it's even still available for dirt cheap on Amazon. I've been watching them with my son and some of the episodes are solid.
> 
> Were I in charge of the D&D movie I'd have the plot revolve around a soft reboot or sequel to the original. Anew group of people brought into the world and given different magical items, like a wand, sword, holy symbol, etc. Because that concept still works: if you have average people brought into a magical world, they need an edge to survive.
> 
> ...




actually thats much cooler

I was thinking that even as a remake you'd probably want to make the "Kids" older - an 8 year old Barbarian just doesn't appeal to a general audience. Of course Narnia has already shown that the concept can work and appeal to adults too


----------



## MonsterEnvy (Aug 6, 2015)

Drow Skin is more a greyish color now. Not really black.


----------



## Dioltach (Aug 6, 2015)

MonsterEnvy said:


> Drow Skin is more a greyish color now. Not really black.




That's what you get if you use a generic detergent...


----------



## Wednesday Boy (Aug 6, 2015)

Mirtek said:


> Because it got credit for being "the new marvel movie". Really, I literally talked to people who didn't know it's title when they went to see it, but went because it was the latest in the series of marvel movies and those had build enough street cred that it would not have mattered at all whatever marvel would have released, people would have went to see it because of the last ones.




That's a fair point.  I think you can look back at Blade and Iron Man as examples too.  In my anecdotal experience non-nerds (and most nerds) had little to no knowledge of those characters but their movies were successes without having the new Marvel movie push behind them.


----------



## Charles Rampant (Aug 6, 2015)

If D&D is 'too generic', then why is Shannara busily being turned into a wildly expensive TV series? No, they will be going full hilt on creating D&D as a brand. Nobody had heard of Iron Man before his film except comics fans, and now he is one of the most visually recognizable heroes in the world. They'll be doing the same for our little hobby: that is what Hasbro has been working towards, and why Chris Perkins is the one that was sent to meet with Warner Bros. It is all about using the elements of the D&D mythos, backstory and history to create memorable links for the public. So that when they walk into a shop, and they see a fluffy eyeball with smaller eyeballs dangling from it, they'll know what it is. When they see a tall white woman with red hair and a distinctive hammer, they'll identify it as [XXX] character from that blockbuster movie last year, and who is on the front cover of the Xbox action game. Expect D&D specific monsters all over, and for them to be building new and old legends (Drizzt as well as new creations) to sell as toys. 

We may hope, as fans, that what we get _from the films_ is an enjoyable and authentically fantasy series of films. Apart from LotR and the Harry Potter films, there have been very slim pickings for fans of well-made fantasy films. I seriously doubt that they will go for a 'real people enter the world' angle, simply because that doesn't lend itself to the critical word in the press release: *franchise*. They don't want to make one film. They want to make TEN films, and toys and games and blankets and books and hats and kids bicycles and whatnot for every single one of them. You don't base a franchise on a gimmick; you base it on a solid mythos (Marvel comics, the X-Men storylines, and now D&D modules and tropes) that gives you room to endlessly spin out sequels.


----------



## Morrus (Aug 6, 2015)

The main thing for me is the style of the movie.  Is it going to look and feel like the LotR trilogy?  Or like the previous D&D movies?  Is it going to be all bright colours and one-liners, or is it going to have epic, sweeping themes?  Are the actor all going to be teenagers, or will there be some grown-ups, too?  The setting is almost irrelevant to me in face of those factors.


----------



## Ryujin (Aug 6, 2015)

Entsuropi said:


> If D&D is 'too generic', then why is Shannara busily being turned into a wildly expensive TV series?




Three words:

Game

of

Thrones.


----------



## Charles Rampant (Aug 6, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> Three words:
> 
> Game
> 
> ...




Sure. We are getting D&D movies in part thanks to Lord of the Rings. I'm simply noting that being derivative in whole or in part has never stopped Hollywood before, and the Shannara series simply shows a very prominent example. Fantasy is quite fashionable, especially if we accept the Netflix interpretation which would include superheroes.


----------



## Umbran (Aug 6, 2015)

Entsuropi said:


> I'm simply noting that being derivative in whole or in part has never stopped Hollywood before...




This is an *excellent* point.  Derivative movies are all over the place, and are often quite successful.


----------



## Ryujin (Aug 6, 2015)

Umbran said:


> This is an *excellent* point.  Derivative movies are all over the place, and are often quite successful.




At the risk of being derivative, I'll point out that I made a post about the cyclical nature of genre in movies a little while back


----------



## Charles Rampant (Aug 6, 2015)

Ryujin said:


> At the risk of being derivative, I'll point out that I made a post about the cyclical nature of genre in movies a little while back




I wasn't being derivative of your post. I was _rebooting_ it. With a hip, modern spin! And lens flair. Lots of lens flair.


----------



## Remathilis (Aug 6, 2015)

Henry said:


> "Dutch angle" sounds like a euphemism for something filthy.




Ever watch Battlefield Earth, no euphemism about it. 

But its a reference for film technique, seen here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_angle Battlefield Earth is entirely filmed in this sort of angle, making it look ridiculous and over pretentious.


----------



## Ryujin (Aug 6, 2015)

Entsuropi said:


> I wasn't being derivative of your post. I was _rebooting_ it. With a hip, modern spin! And lens flair. Lots of lens flair.




Don't forget the 'splosions, or you won't get into the Michael Bay hall of fame.


----------



## Tonguez (Aug 6, 2015)

Entsuropi said:


> I seriously doubt that they will go for a 'real people enter the world' angle, simply because that doesn't lend itself to the critical word in the press release: *franchise*. They don't want to make one film. They want to make TEN films, and toys and games and blankets and books and hats and kids bicycles and whatnot for every single one of them. You don't base a franchise on a gimmick; you base it on a solid mythos




We've already had 3 Narnia movies out of that gimmick despite the fizzle and Disney dumping it like trash.
fourth due next year (maybe).

as to merchandising who wouldn't want a Dungeon Master plushy?


----------



## Xavian Starsider (Aug 6, 2015)

Umbran said:


> Isn't, "to work, it needs to be well-written, well-directed, and well-produced" true for the majority of movies?




To be fair, I've seen movies that have done well without being any of these things (most of Michael Bay's catalog for instance). Also interesting to note that the OP doesn't feel well-acted is a requirement.


----------



## Dausuul (Aug 7, 2015)

So this movie will be, essentially, a duel between the Producer of Awesome and the Writer of Suck.


----------



## Umbran (Aug 7, 2015)

Xavian Starsider said:


> To be fair, I've seen movies that have done well without being any of these things (most of Michael Bay's catalog for instance). Also interesting to note that the OP doesn't feel well-acted is a requirement.




To be fair, he didn't exactly define what "to work..." meant.  

If by, "For the movie to work," meant, "for the movie to make money" then yeah, you're probably right.  Sad to say that's the nature of movies.

If he meant more like, "For many of us on EN World to not want to gouge our eyes out watching it," maybe I'm more correct


----------



## Werebat (Aug 12, 2015)

Forgotten Realms?  They could have been bold and chosen Athas!


----------



## Umbran (Aug 12, 2015)

Werebat said:


> Forgotten Realms?  They could have been bold and chosen Athas!




Probably not.  They are working with a script written a few years ago, that was probably in "generic fantasy".  You'd have to write specifically for Athas for it to be cogent.


----------



## Werebat (Aug 12, 2015)

They could have been bold a few years ago, and chosen Athas!


----------



## MechaPilot (Aug 12, 2015)

I just hope that

1) They take it seriously like LotR.

2) We don't just get generic fantasy out of the film franchise.  I want to see a good Ravenloft gothic horror film.


----------



## hejtmane (Aug 19, 2015)

HonorBoundSamurai632 said:


> Well I'm about to win the most unpopular comment in this thread.
> 
> They need to leave the movies alone. The last 2 D&D movies where horrible. Just ..... bad. Really, really, bad. And personally, as I've said before, I am sick and tired of The Forgotten Realms being shoved down my throat. It's cool that most of the comments here love the fact that it's set in The Realms (probably ...... The Sword Coast because that's the only area in The Realms now,) but really? Realms everywhere!!!
> 
> (And here is where I get ripped apart) The War of the Lance trilogy is screaming for a live action movie. If it wasn't for those novels, and the success of them at the time of their release, I doubt that there would even be any D&D novels after that. Even the Gygax written novels (based in Greyhawk) were not that successful in the beginning. Those War of the Lance books really opened things up. I know the animated adaptation wasn't successful, but really ..... did you expect it to be? The animation reminded me of watching the GI Joe cartoon after grade school in the 80's, and the voice acting was just god awful. I'm sorry, I just can't see anything good coming out of this. It's times like this, I wish Hasbro would just STOP and accept the fact that not everything needs to be pushed into so many different media forms. D&D is a niche game ..... why can't they just accept that? (Probably because of $$$$$$$)




Well I am old school my self and first D&D Novel that I remember exploding onto the scene was Dragon Lance and even how popular it was even for non D&D people that read the Fantasy Genre Books. That is kind of what I grew up on a lot of D&D back then was Dragon lance yes way before Forgotten realms. It is all cycles


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## HonorBoundSamurai632 (Sep 10, 2015)

hejtmane said:


> Well I am old school my self and first D&D Novel that I remember exploding onto the scene was Dragon Lance and even how popular it was even for non D&D people that read the Fantasy Genre Books. That is kind of what I grew up on a lot of D&D back then was Dragon lance yes way before Forgotten realms. It is all cycles




I just wish that WoTC would use cycles. Let Tracy and Margaret do what they do best and this is give us some of the best adventuring possible located in a place called Krynn. Sadly ..... WoTC continues to hold all those old settings we all love so much hostage.


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## Scorpio616 (Sep 10, 2015)

Werebat said:


> Forgotten Realms?  They could have been bold and chosen Athas!



yeeeeah, as much as I like Athas, that ain't happening after what happened with John Carter (of Mars).


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## Herobizkit (Sep 11, 2015)

War of the Lance already had a less-than-stellar animated movie made, and we already have a Fellowship of the Ring movie that is nigh un-watchable due to length.

That's right, I said it.

The movie's going to go with FR because it's the current established 'canon' universe in 5e.  There's nothing inherently special about FR besides the Drizzt bunch and the constant re-shuffling of the setting's Deities (which, for me, the Deities are at least 50% of FR's appeal).

Reboot the Icewind Dale series.  It's the easiest, safest, and most brand recognizable play.  We all know movies are made to make money, so might as well appeal to the masses.  Of course, I read the ID trilogy when I was kid... has anyone had kids who have also read it?

Also, because it's set for wide appeal, the 'grittiest' they'll even try to make it is PG-13 for bloodless violence and _maybe_ alcohol use.

What they need to do is make some kind of official "primer".  Make, like, I don't know... an hour-long internet movie or TV special explaining the FR and what the upcoming movie will entail.


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