If a "real" D&D movie were made what would most folks out there like to see?
Low Magic - High Magic?
What setting, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Eberron?
How a certain character chose to become an adventurer?
How a party came together and their adventures?
Something low level, mid level, high level, epic?
Serious (like most game sessions), really gritty - more realistic than most games, or tongue in cheek?
A movie of a novel?
A movie of a module?
A movie telling just a movie telling a story in a D&D world?
Specific actors for certain roles?
Certain classes/races definately in out?
Etc.
For myself, I would like to see something between serious and gritty. In a forgotten realms type world with a little more though give to the ramifications of magic in the world.
The party would be together and pick up a new member who would be the principal voice in the story.
Mid level stuff - but clearly a world were high level stuff was happening.
I think thats what the best campaigns are like - I think that would capture the best story elements.
What do others envision?
Greyhawk.
Mid-level magic, fairly gritty and realistic. It's not about characters of spectacularly-epic proportion.
High Magic exists, and PCs occasionally cross paths with it. Despite that, mid-level PCs define the history and destiny of the world.
Besides, Greyhawk IS D&D. The original DMG is packed full off GH references. Practically half the PH spells and DMG magic items are named for GH NPCs. Granted, this appeals to old-timers like me; many will identify with FR more.
Regards,
Jack
who will unapologetically sing the praises of GH until the Lands of Iuz freeze over :)
If a "real" D&D movie were made what would most folks out there like to see?
Low Magic - High Magic?
What setting, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Eberron?
How a certain character chose to become an adventurer?
How a party came together and their adventures?
Something low level, mid level, high level, epic?
Serious (like most game sessions), really gritty - more realistic than most games, or tongue in cheek?...
For myself, I would like to see something between serious and gritty. In a forgotten realms type world with a little more though give to the ramifications of magic in the world...
If a "real" D&D movie were made what would most folks out there like to see?
It already was made. It was called The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Gamers, Conan the Barbarian, Willow, Ladyhawk, Sinbad's Golden Voyage, Jason and the Argonauts, or perhaps the Dark Crystal (there was even a cartoon). There are so many even halfway good D&D movies I forget which. I do know none of them had the words "D&D" in their name.
I really have no want to see the mechanics of D&D clerics, and bards enacted on the screen unless done in an ironic or humorous way. Unfortunately the mechanics of D&D are such a part of the game and so blantly unreal in places that to do a "good" D&D movie you would have to strip much of what makes D&D D&D out of it.
As for setting I suggest the world of "Homebrew" that way no-one feels left out or alienated because the 800 lb gorilla that is Forgotten Realms got picked over their Dark Sun or Hollow World setting. Also there's less baggage. Middle-Earth is popular even though it doesn't have four or five monster books worth of beasties populating it.
I think of all the possible D&D worlds/stories/etc... that might make it to the screen, something based on one of the first two Dragonlance Trilogies might have the best shot, as these books did their best to hide their game roots. Movies based on games based on a multiple people's fantasy fiction would be better served by eliminating the middle man.
GGG
A perfect D&D movie. Hmmm.
Definitely no comedy (or comedians) involved in it. I’d really like it if it was serious. I mean, there could be a few funny situations, but enough with the jokes and the one-timers.
I’d like to see a good use of magic for a change. Explosive fireballs, lightning bolts, meteor storms. I’ve had enough of the telekinesis mage fights.
Each movie could be about a different group of adventurers, with some re-occurring characters. Also, each movie could be in the same setting (say Greyhawk) but with a different adventure for each film. They could have titles like “Greyhawk Chronicles: The Tomb of Horrors” or “Greyhawk Chronicles: The Temple of Elemental Evil”.
Each movie could be set in different levels of adventuring. The first could be first level to introduce the public.
Each movie could start “in media res”, like the Indiana Jones movies. There’s nothing like starting a story right in the middle of the action. I do that sometimes with my group.
The main villain (or villains) would have to be smart, and wouldn’t be surrounded by incompetent buffoons.
The writers and directors would have to be gamers as well as writers and directors.
Ultradan
The writers and directors would have to be gamers as well as writers and directors.
Ultradan
Hear, hear!
GGG
I think the original Dragonlance Chronicles would be the best. And yes, for the love of god, give us someone who's actually played D&D making the movie, someone who actually cares about it and won't mutilate it to make a buck or two. Seriousness is a must- a comedy would flop. I agree that much of the abstract elements of D&D would have to be stripped, but I'm fine with that. DL was my first exposure to D&D, and I didn't know that until Dragons of Spring Dawning.
And yes, give us something that flashs for arcane magic, not invisible telekenesis, and make the flash with a decent budget. No more Wrath of the Dragon God stuff. Oh, and make sure the black dragon breathes acid!
Oh, for sure! And PLEASE!! Nothing like the crap that was the first "D&D" movie. That thing blew so bad I barely know where to begin trashing it!! The one thing that p@$#ed me off the most about that movie was the fact that although they had made a "party," all they did was travel from one site to another together! The main rogue character did all the action!! How long do you think real PCs would go for a game like that? "Ragnar, Sheela and Bo-bo, you are forced to stand and watch as Mr.Happy kills the Lich and it's Red Dragon mount in an epic battle of good vs. evil. Don't worry, you can carry his sword to the next encounter." Yeah, right...
Yes a good D&D movie would be a one that does not SUCK! Enough of these directors who know just the name and have no experiance with the game whatsoever. DOWN WITH BAD WRITING, DIRECTING AND ACTING!
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I have to agree that Dragon Lance: Chronicles would make an excellent movie (or maybe a trilogy). At the same time, I can't help but wish that they would take some of the better stuff from both Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms and turn them into films. From Greyhawk maybe the novelization of Tomb of Horrors. I loved the Paladin character from that one. Or maybe take one of the Dungeon storylines and turn it into a film - Age of Worms maybe? For the Forgotten Realms, they have a whole host of books and adventures to choose from. I just don't think they should have anything with Drizzt and company or Elminster.
Director of Narrative
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Each movie could be about a different group of adventurers, with some re-occurring characters. Also, each movie could be in the same setting (say Greyhawk) but with a different adventure for each film. They could have titles like “Greyhawk Chronicles: The Tomb of Horrors” or “Greyhawk Chronicles: The Temple of Elemental Evil”. Ultradan
ToEE was the first thing I thought of.
Has any poster here tried adapting a D&D campaign as a screenplay or novel? I've been experimenting with the latter, just for a lark, and finding that one has to do a lot of work to make good drama out of an enjoyable game--the requirements for the two genres are really quite different, I think. I recently started an Ed Greenwood book and put it down because it was all action and no character development (it wasn't explicitly a "D&D" book, but was clearly driven by the idea that you have to have a combat encounter at least every page). Of course, I'm not a big action movie fan, so maybe my ideas of what would be a good "D&D movie" are a bit skewed.
I didn't really enjoy, for example, the Lord of the Rings movies--partly because I'm too much a fan of the books. It was interesting to see Aragorn and Arwen developed more, but Gandalf smacking Denethor upside the head with his staff was just so totally not in keeping with what Gandalf's principles--it made me realize how awfully caricatured some of the characters were--the director didn't have faith in the audience's ability to relate to subtle characterizations at all. (Gollum was very well done, though).
I think you could certainly take a basic campaign premise and develop it into a good novel, but you'd have to play up the role-playing side, and cut out about 90% of the combat encounters and simplify the rest. You have to really simplify the world, especially for a movie--a few familiar races and monster types with one or two creatures that a hardcore gamer would recognize but not ordinary moviegoers. And many game mechanics need to be explained in a way that makes them sensible without reference to game conventions. Why do elves live to be 700 and need only 4 hours of rest per night? (As one of many examples). Successful fantasy novels answer these kinds of questions about the setting without belaboring the reader with explanation, making it all seem natural and real, not contrived. (Contrived, that was what that Ed Greenwood novel felt like to me, as do a number of other popular works in the genre--too much deus ex machina and too many cardboard characters. Sword of Shannara falls into same trap, IMO.)
All of that said, I think one could take some of the basic storylines from some of the better module series out of good old Greyhawk--GDQ1-7, for example (yes, Salvatore and his collaborators have overdone the Drow in print, but the original Greyhawk Drow, with Ecdrava and the conflict (?) between Lolth and EEG and the black bubble over Istivin could make a good movie, as long as the script-writer takes great liberties and doesn't follow the published adventure slavishly. Something from the history of the Greyhawk Wars? The treachery of Rary and the return of the Eight? AoW might actually be a good candidate, if one could figure out how to cut out a bunch of modules from the complex story. (A miniseries, maybe?) Knowing D&D but avoiding slavishness would be the key. Probably George R.R. Martin would be the man to hire for the screenplay part of the project, if one were to undertake it.
P of B
P.S. Not to offend any Ed Greenwood or Terry Brooks fans out there--just stating my personal preferences in fantasy film/fiction.
I have to agree with the Dragonlance idea.
The story itself has been vastly popular with tons of gamers, and has become iconic among roleplayers. The fact it is of a set length, with memorable characters, clinches it.
And it is chock full of dragons, which will draw a lot of people.
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Maybe a story of evil drow. Cunning plans, praying Lolth, views of different houses. City of spider queen would be nice example. Maybe hundered years exiled drow comes back home...
That was just my quick thought ;)
-Gildur
No offense, but I think (and hope) that the majority of DnD fans have had quite enough of Drow for now. 'Overdone' is putting it lightly.
I agree that dragonlance would be a great d & d movie. Its story is deep enough not to be boring and yet filled enough with action & magic to satisfy gamers & non-gamers.
I'd love to see elijah wood as tasslehoff (I believe he could pull it off even if most people nowadays think of him as frodo; remember when he played huck finn when he was just a kid? I know the mischievousness is still there in elijah hehehe...).
The tanis-laurana-kitiara storyline would appeal to a wide audience.
And think of the raistlin-caramon storyline in live movie...its progression from chronicles until legends...the ambition of raistlin to be a god would be awesome in a movie!
Also the dwarf-kender relationship of flint & tasslehoff would be a great balance of amusement and seriousness.
Actually, most of the characters in dragonlance would be very interesting movie characters; even the minor ones (bupu of raistlin, gilthanas-silvara story, etc.)
Indeed, dragonlance has great movie potential.
But of course, execution is another story.
Sturm Brightblade. His death scene brought me to tears in the book, it would do the same in a movie.
Sturm Brightblade. His death scene brought me to tears in the book, it would do the same in a movie.
Elmore's painting of that scene gets me every time I see it.
Dragonlance would be fantastic. It has, I think, a broader appeal than most of Salvatore's Drizzt books (Icewind Dale was good, but the books have become progressively more masturbatory since...woo Drizzt! He's the best...bleh), and it does a good job of being rooted in the rules of D&D without displaying those rules. So many of the D&D novels of recent memory come too close to describing the die rolls rather than their effects.
DL Chronicles has an added popular appeal: it's pretty close to being the Sparknotes version of Lord of the Rings. Similar characters, similar Big Evil plotline, but with a lot more humour thrown in. And, as much as I like Tolkein (which is bunches), the characters are far less detached.
Some of the above posts have mentioned the difficulty of writing game mechanics as drama. I think we can all agree, the beauty of this game is often the fact that the people around the table are what helps it transcend mere die rolls; you HAVE to play a module in order to make drama with it. Which is what Weis and Hickman did, in large part, to write the DL Chronicles. And then they went on into Legends, etc., after the world became literature rather than game. I think it's the best example of that kind of writing out there.
So I think WotC needs to start a small film company, Margaret Weis needs to come on as a screenwriter, and they need to hire Richard Ryan (Troy) to do fight work, and WETA for SFX.
And as long as I'm dreaming, they'll hire me on as part of the stunt/fight team.
Now I just need to figure out who should play Fizban...
Eberron! Hands down. Its got so much going with people and different factions and nations that its perfict for a film. I meen come on the setting gets its concepts from movies so why not flip it around and do a movie based on it. The big plus is that all the high level NPCs are gone so when your watch the move you realize the adventures in there are truely heros and all that. Or the movie can focuse on the actual last war and the divelopment of the warforged and how secrets were discovered in Xan'derk ledding to there creation. There are a million ideas to do if makeing a movie. I just totaly came up with all this on the fly for concepts about making a movie in Eberron imagin what a actual "Good" writer and a director could do with it. I'm thinking Peter Jackson to direct a D&D movie. He has yet to do a bad film in my oppion since lord of the rings and king kong.
I would have to say Forgotten Realms for a setting, and Peter Jackson for a director (Even if he isn't a gamer, he's a Tolkien nut which is just about the same thing). The main thing would be to use , I don't know, maybe one of the hundred plus novles as a base for the movie. Possibly one of the New York Times best sellers? (War of the Spider Queen anyone?)
Have the characters dress the part (Armor for the fighters and leathers for the thief.) use magical items that come from the DM's guide, and spells from the players handbook. Remember that Dragons have an IQ higher than a T-Rex and can speak. Make the villians believable, and don't be affraid of an 'R' rating.
Oh and if anyone suggests casting ANYONE with the last name Wayens in it HAVE THEM DRAWN AND QUARTERED!
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Has anyone here thought about using the Adventure paths(shackled city,age of worms)as a basis for a movie?
I mean who would you cast? For example:(warning, not in order)
Balabar Smenk: Jon Lovitz.
Kullen: Ron Perlman
Orbius Vhalantru: Tony Jay(the voice of the beholder from Baldur's gate: Dark Alliance 1)
Annah Taskerhill: Alicia Keyes
Todd Vanderboren: Steve Buscemi
Zachary Asxlain 2: Matt Damon
Cora Lathenmire: Jessica Alba
Loris Rakian: Russell Crowe
Zarik Dhor: Michael Dorn
Lashona: the ice queen from narnia.
Allustan: Liam Nielson
Kyuss: Michael Clarke Duncan
Jenya Urikas: Martina Sirtis
Sheriff Cubbins: Tommy Lee Jones
Manzorian: Patrick Stewart
Adimarchus:Mark Hamill
Triel Eldurast:Cree Summer
Kazmojen: Vin Diesel
Prince Zeech: Ozzy Osbourne(sorry could'nt resist)
And outside the APs:
Drizzt : Orlando Bloom
Artemus Entrei: Ryan Reynolds
Elminster:Sean Connery
I'd get back into this discussion, as I'd dearly love to see a real D&D film, but I think I used up all my fight on film discussion entitled "Seriously..." in the Dungeon Magazine General Forum.
Except for this: There can never be enough good fantasy films. Don't let your love of other good fantasy (or your dread at seeing bad fantasy films) stymie you from accepting that a one day, somewhere on the horizon, a great D&D film will be released.
I also agree that Dragonlance Chronicles is by far the best series to consider adapting, though I'd love love love to see Greyhawk on the silver screen.
No offense, but I think (and hope) that the majority of DnD fans have had quite enough of Drow for now. 'Overdone' is putting it lightly.
Amen and thank you!
Sturm Brightblade. His death scene brought me to tears in the book, it would do the same in a movie.
Crap! Of course, how could have I forgotten about sturm's death scene??!!
Very true, indeed....it's gonna be an awesome heart-wrenching scene!
And as long as I'm dreaming, they'll hire me on as part of the stunt/fight team.
ooo...ooo...me,too...me,too hehehe :)
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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I would have liked to see a Dragonlance movie, but not so much now. A previous poster commented on how it's a sparks notes version of the LotR. I'm afraid that's probably true--A successful D&D movie would need to be more original and not leave audiences feeling that Peter Jackson did it better. Perhaps in another 10 years we could see a good Dragonlance movie.
Since Dragonlance is out and I'm thinking new and original, Eberron could be good choice. It's already built on a premise of cinematic action and adventure. Eberron is also novel enough to not look like a knock off of anything else out there.
If it were up to me, I would use the setting material more than the mechanics of the game for inspiration: Everything from original concept art to current product lines. I would then examine classic pulp adventure and WWII movies. My story would have all new characters and a plot with more in common with Indiana Jones or The Mummy than the last two D&D films.
That is not to say that I would use an over abundance of magic to replace technology but rather I would focus on A world in the shadow of the Last War. Such a place is very much like our world was in the shadows of WWI & II. I would say that Indiana Jones is basically a sword and sorcery adventure with the time line advanced which makes it an ideal example of how to do it right.
Formula: Villains and minions you love to hate (nazis or emerald claw), a powerful relic (the Ark of the Covenant, the Rod of Law or whatever), dungeons to explore (Egyptian Pyramids, or abandoned temples of Xen'drik.) and absolutely cool heroes (better make sure the budget for the actors is good.)
Finally, loose the D&D logo and Hollywood stigma. An Eberron logo alone would be better. People who cared would know it was D&D and anyone else wouldn't be turned off by previous experience.
Of course Eberron has one drawback. There is a vocal group of players who are adamantly anti-Eberron. Would they be willing to watch a movie set in a campaign world they wouldn't play in?
Of course Eberron has one drawback. There is a vocal group of players who are adamantly anti-Eberron. Would they be willing to watch a movie set in a campaign world they...
I love Eberron too, but I can think of another drawback. . . it'll take three times the budget for the F/X. I'd go small and focused, without a specific campaign and the ensuing baggage. Bring genuine charachers and dialogue to the screen, and show D&D-ness without wasting screen time having to explain D&D-ness.
Special effects are a secondary concern, and for goodness sakes, stop wasting money trying to F/X a dragon!
Who knows, maybe there are a couple of guys out there working on a screenplay as we speak. . .
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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I love Eberron too, but I can think of another drawback. . . it'll take three times the budget for the F/X. I'd go small and focused, without a specific campaign and the ensuing baggage. Bring genuine charachers and dialogue to the screen, and show D&D-ness without wasting screen time having to explain D&D-ness.
Actually the FX budget wouldn't need to be that high--a script could avoid Sharn or spend very little time there and focus on smaller distant places. Which was sort of what I was thinking. But you're right Eberron would tempt hollywood into over the top FX nonsense.
On the upside I think an airship which is fairly static would be easier in terms of FX than an active dragon.
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I would never go to a theatre to see an Eberron movie. I have, on principle, taken a firm vow to never buy or condone any Eberron anything. I don't want to start a hate thread but I am sure that alot of posters and gamers would agree. For someone to split their core audience, even say by 15%, would be disasterous to the profit margin of the movie. They would need to choose a different setting or just go generic (best bet). I know alot of people are sick of drow but any of the Drizzt books would translate well to screen IMO. Great action, Guenhyver, magic, dark soul struggling to adapt/come to terms with his past and nearly magical fight scenes. Sounds like a good movie to me. Wesley Snipes is gettin on in years but I picture someone like a cross between him and Jet Li to play the lead. There are alot of undiscovered talents coming out of china and japan right now. The underdark ones would be hard to do due to the lighting problems, but maybe the series in Ten Towns, giants, trolls, ramoraz(sp?), goblinoids, undead, etc. even the white dragon Wulfgar fought as a test. Good stuff.
FH
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Since Eberron is mentioned, I guess I've just got to comment. Like Fake Healer, I have a desire to never support anything specifically Eberron. I just really don't like the whole techno-magic world idea. That's not to say that Eberron would not make a good movie.
Like any other film these days, it would depend on whether or not the people making it went for style, substance, or the proper mixture of both. I think too many people in Hollywood go to one extreme or the other these days. And as far as an original movie goes. Most people in Hollywood wouldn't know original if it Power Attacked them with a +1 Keen Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe. Just look at the crap coming out of there these days - everything seems to be either a reality TV show, the remake of an old classic, or the reinvention-via-movie of a TV show that a bunch of spoiled, whiny Baby Boomer Hippies need to feel good about their miserable lives. Why I ought to....
Oops, sorry! For a second there I thought I was in the "Place your rant here..." thread again. Anyway, I think we just need to be patient.
I was generally pleased with the SciFi channel's "Dune" mini-series after the horrendous 1985 movie with Sting in it.
I think a D&D based SciFi channel mini-series might be more plausible.
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I would love a weekly show on sci-fi channel that was D&D. Not some "Hercules the legendary journey" or "Zena" style cheese. A gritty, exploration of the D&D world with PC death and drama and serious tones. Season 1: The Sunless Citadel, Season 2: The Forge of Fury. Add love interests, barroom brawls, shopping at the magic shop, etc. I would set my DVR to record it every friggin' week. No cutting corners with special effects either. Use good old-fashioned puppeteering and pyro-tech not the crap you saw on the Hercules show where the monster didn't really look like it was there. Good dramatic actors would be real helpful also. Cameos by people like Cary Elwes, Lou Ferrigno, Liv Tyler, Jet Li, Orlando Bloom, Patrick Steward, etc, wouldn't be too overly expensive and would generate some needed crowd-draw. It could work but who will take the risk and pitch something like that to a network? There doesn't seem to be alot of balls in TV shows today.
FH
As much as I would love to see Eberron put into film I think it would be a bad idea. If done right I think it would do well, but I have no faith it would be done anywhere near right. We would wind up with another no plot, all action, big name actor, special effects orgy of cheese and bull spit *cough*lord of the rings meets blade*cough*
Move vote is for Dragonlance as far as what would do well, get gamers and non-gamers in the seats, please critics, ect. I don't think it would be too much of a streatch to get away from becoming a lord of the rings rip off (assuming peter jackson was allowed no where near it, and threatened with sloppy ogre love if he even asked). My biggest suggestion would be not getting the big name actors. The only "name" I would even suggest would be Conery, and that's due to him being the only dragon on screen that didn't make me want to tear body parts off myself.
Now, given that this is all hypothetical, my vote for a D&D movie that was only ment to please me would be Ravenloft. Make it either R or NC 17, shatter every childish (in my opinion) illusion of good versus evil, give the audience a chance to think and form their own opinions (rather than ramming it down their throats who the main hero/villian is), give Christopher Walken, Christopher Lambert, and Denis Leary characters to play (possibly not primary characters, but something), possibly toss in Jessica Biel as something appropriate (gypsy or priestess, NOT a hard-a$$ warrior type), and somehow cause the accidental but horrific death of peter jackson and jessica simpson durring filming. Vecna needs at least one sceen, Strahd must be in the movie and done with the utmost care. Findout whoever caused the magic in the character interaction in Firefly/Serenity and get them to recreate it (with the threat of death if it winds up like beffy/angel).
That or Darksun, Rusle Crowe as a gladiator again, along with the girl from resident evil and lost (season two?).
Regardless, stop with this made for children action light crap. Movies like that have their place, and at times I do enjoy them (loved all the harry potters except for the most recent) but not here, not in my ideal D&D. People from saw/saw2 must be involved, blood must be spilt, orcs must be scary (one thing lord of the rings did well), undead need to be bloody terrifying, the party must get wounded, no character will be allowed to be the one you KNOW isnt going to die. It should not pull punches in anyway, violence, nudity, language, gore, strong emotion in all spectrums.
and yes, magic and dragons need to be done RIGHT. we can take a remake of a crappy movie, put a hack director behind it, butcher it worse than it was, but the bloody ape expresses human emotions better than the cast. so why can't we have a dragon that doesn't belong in southpark? why do we have wizards that use only light/heat metal/mage hand? why do we get surfing elves? and why for the love of all that is holy are dwarves reduced to pathetic jokes?
(sorry if this came off odd, I'm suffering from a four day long headache and and several year long lets-sell-peter-jackson's-organs-on-ebay fetish)
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Director of Narrative
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Personally, while I'd like to see a good D&D based movie, I don't think I'll ever get the chance. SO I'd much rather see a generic fantasy movie, done really well.
The magic of reading (and gaming) is that it forces you to imagine, at your greatest potential, what you are reading. Movies force-feed this imagination to you through someone else's filter, which is why most gamers would automatically dislike a D&D movie (and have). It would never be YOUR game. From what I've read here on these boards, we've got a pretty large scope of opinion on how our worlds (often the same world) operate, and we're a fairly small tight-knit community.
I've been disappionted by every film adaptation of a great fanasy novel/series or comic. Not that some of them, or parts of them weren't great, but there is always a push by studios to tweak some part of the storyline, and usually that is enough to turn me off. (Why didn't they just make Rogue's character in X-men Jubilee? Bobby a kid?)
One of my favorite, if not fully my favorite fantasy series is the Wheel of Time books. And as much as I love them, I would set out on a quest to destroy the studio if one announced that they were making an Eye of the World movie. Kidnap the producer, hack bank accounts, torch the soundstage; whatever it took :P And after seeing the second D&D movie (which wasn't nearly as bad as the first) I think I would extend my mission to include an attempt to make another one.
That is unless all of us here get consultant jobs for it. That'd make it tolerable.
(Why didn't they just make Rogue's character in X-men Jubilee? Bobby a kid?)
Because Magneto didn't want a fireworks display, but rather someone to do his dirtywork for him, and Drake acts like kid so why not make him one?
Well that's what I think anyway.
;) GGG
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Director of Narrative
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(Why didn't they just make Rogue's character in X-men Jubilee? Bobby a kid?)
Because Magneto didn't want a fireworks display, but rather someone to do his dirtywork for him, and Drake acts like kid so why not make him one?
Well that's what I think anyway.
;) GGG
I suppose you're right about Bobby, but 1) it wasn't Magneto's choice, but the writer's and 2)she didn't have to be a kid....if you want a teenage friend of Wolverine then use either Kitty or Jubilee.
And we're getting off topic but only slightly off. Kinda like scribbling in the margins. But it does go to show a point about what Hollywood does to stories that already have a cannon. Just like Dragon and Dungeon don't prefer submissions that are based in a particular world, Hollywood always co-opts a storyline for what they percieve is a better storyline. Which means that if someone goes out on a limb and actually gets a studio behind a D&D movie project, they'll never do something true to existing stories/modules/worlds. But god I'd love to eat my words on that one.
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On this same track, what are some of the specific things you'd like to see in a D&D movie? Here's my list
- a fight with a beholder.
- someone getting the old illithid brain extract treatment.
- some undead being turned, including some low HD ones being destroyed.
- a dwarf who isn't comic relief.
- the following spells being cast (magic missile, fireball, lighting bolt, and Evard's Black Tentacles)
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I would prefer to see Evard's Intruding tentacles;> I would like to see them stay off of the goblinoids and maybe do kobolds, and such. Elementals would be cool. Gricks, carrion crawlers, stirges, ferrets of legend and whatnot. Magic: I would like to see bless, acid arrow, divine might, mace of odo, and shrink or enlarge. Cool magic weapon effects would be nice. A few scenes in a first person mode showing what detect magic, detect evil, and darkvision(D&Dstyle) look like. Basically gimme visuals for some of the classic things that frequently happen in a game.
FH
In that god awful D&D movie, I'm surprised we didn't actually see the actors roll dice before jumping into battle. Man did they miss the boat with that movie (Beholders as guard dogs???).
Ultradan
In that god awful D&D movie, I'm surprised we didn't actually see the actors roll dice before jumping into battle. Man did they miss the boat with that movie (Beholders as guard dogs???).
Ultradan
*starts frothing at the mouth* My beloved beholders! Treated so badly! *cries and flies into a rage*
urrrr.....baaaaaaaad movieeeee.....
Anyway, things I'd like to see:
* Any kind of special FX that doesn't scream "CGI CGI CGI!" like a kobold on crack.
* Believable armor and equipment. Sorry, no chainmail bikinis allowed. That's just dumb and really really impractical.
* Intelligent dragons. PLEASE, for the love of Bahamut.
* A BBEG and his henchmant that doesn't make me giggle when I hear them talk.
* A plot. A good one that I can't drive through the holes with a mack truck.
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I was generally pleased with the SciFi channel's "Dune" mini-series after the horrendous 1985 movie with Sting in it.
I think a D&D based SciFi channel mini-series might be more plausible.
I fully agree,
any of the established novel series would be excellent, especially if it had Drizzt.Or if they created a new mini-series based on an established setting/ adventure path.
ULTIMATE: a series in which the episodes are based on either an actual ongoing game or submissions sent in by gamming groups
game on
WotC did a press release back in 2001 about a FR series to be developed by Fireworks Studios (careful on Fireworks Studio homepage - it's Flash). I haven't heard anything beyond that, though.
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WotC did a press release back in 2001 about a FR series to be developed by Fireworks Studios (careful on Fireworks Studio homepage - it's Flash). I haven't heard anything beyond that, though.
Yeah, I don't remember seeing anything on this for a cpl years, probably. What I do remember was that R.A. Salvatore was supposed to be involved in someway but that it *wasn't* going to be a Drizzt series.
Dragonlance Chronicles
If a "real" D&D movie were made what would most folks out there like to see? ...
One that doesn't subject us to a sequel :-P
Jack
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Some other things I would love to see...
-A wizard break his staff in a retributive strike.
-Daern's Instant Fortress being used(we had one in our Raveloft Campaign that came in real handy).
-A Pit Fiend duke it out with a Balor (seriously, has anyone ever done this in a game?).
-Someone get backstabbed.
-Gnolls!
-A death knight riding a nightmare (I can't help it, Lord Soth was always one of my favorites).
-A death knight riding a nightmare (I can't help it, Lord Soth was always one of my favorites).
Aberzombie has a softh thpot for Soth!
Ultradan
It has long been a dream of mine to take the painting of Lord Soth's Charge (I'm sure you've all seen it...) and repaint it on a wall. Big, large, and in charge. Life size, even. And put red LEDs for his eyes.
I have a softh spoth for Soth as well. :-D
I must say that the Dragonlance Chronicles would be best. They were actually my first exposure to D&D, ever, back when I was in 7th grade. I read them and just thought they were great fantasy, only finding out sometime in Dragons of Winter Night that it was based on this "D&D" game, which I had only heard next to nothing about.
Every character in the series is vital, and every one of them undergoes a great deal of development. It would be a great movie, but it would need to be loooong. Longer than all the LotR movies. I mean, four hours or more per movie. That would turn many, many people off.
The problem with getting a good Sci-Fi channel series is the Sci-Fi channel. It sucks. End of story.
My take is that the BEST D&D movie that could be made would take a bit of some setting's history, a story of a campaign or established novel/series (see DL Chronicles again). Don't worry about "showing", and certainly DON'T tell about D&D's mechanics. Let the movie speak for itself. Note that in DL books, you hear about things like Beholders, bugbears, etc., but rarely if ever see one. They focus more on the characters and plots of a book, rather than trying to incorporate everything they possibly can from the MM and other supplements.
A movie should do the same. The only that should/needs to be conveyed is a general sense of what wizards do, what clerics do, maybe what druids do, but everything else pretty much speaks for itself. Don't tell why or what someone is doing, just have them do it and get on with the plot and development.
Again, provided the adaptation was very faithful, the DL Chronicles achieves all of this splendidly. They get my vote, and while I don't see it happening anytime soon, if ever, it does stand a better chance now, with the success of movies such as LotR (which I did like, a LOT; the character development was very good) and Harry Potter. Unfortunately, that says nothing for its chances of being done RIGHT.
Oh, and an Eberron movie would probably just end up as a plotless special-effects extravaganza. I'll pass.