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The first legal shots are fired.
The outcome of the initial legal clash between Hasbro and Sweetpea (backed by Universal and Warner Brothers, respectively) was inconclusive. Both sides employed sharp lawyers, arguing that Courney Solomon has had twenty years to turn D&D into a movie franchise and failed and that Hasbro now deserves the rights 'back' (slightly inaccurately, as the movie rights were sold long before Hasbro bought WotC, or indeed before TSR was absorbed into WotC), whilst Solomon's lawyers pointed out they have a script in development with WB as a 'tentpole' project right now. The judge seemed rather annoyed by the whole thing and asked both sides to settle out of court, but that's not happened.
Both Universal and WB can see the big franchise potential here: a franchise that can generate not just big character films like the DC and Marvel things, but a whole universe where you can dramatically switch genres between films. Neither side are going to give up that potential - however remote of actually being successful - easily.
Anything since then?
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I know one thing for certain whatever D&D movie that they decide to make shouldn't be based on the desires of the fanbase. Definitely not a fanbase as fractured, nitpicky and contrary as D&D fandom.
Let someone come up with a decently paced, action filled adventure with relatable characters. Find decent actors and a director who is going to treat the material with respect and not a too cool for school attitude ("Whaddya want? it's D&D. how serious do you expect people to take it...") a decent effects budget and you'll have a decent film.
Slap a D&D logo on it and you're done. Do we really need anything else to tie to the brand other than say the actual brand? No not really. The only people who are going to be bothered and upset by that are the fanboys and since theyre a fickle fraction of the movie going market they dont matter all that much.
A GOOD movie with the Brand on it WILL be a D&D movie.
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Tremble mortals, and despair. The mighty armies of Hasbro and Warner Brothers have lined for battle. Their lawyers prepare to unleash litigious fury and, oh, hang on, they've all kissed and made up.
So yeah, Warner Brothers and Hasbro have unexpectedly joined forces with the redoubtable Courtney Solomon and have greenlit an official D&D movie set in the Forgotten Realms, with proper money and (hopefully) a decent director behind it.
That just happened.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tremble mortals, and despair. The mighty armies of Hasbro and Warner Brothers have lined for battle. Their lawyers prepare to unleash litigious fury and, oh, hang on, they've all kissed and made up.
So yeah, Warner Brothers and Hasbro have unexpectedly joined forces with the redoubtable Courtney Solomon and have greenlit an official D&D movie set in the Forgotten Realms, with proper money and (hopefully) a decent director behind it.
That just happened.
. . . Interesting; I've been disappointed so many times before that I can only remain curious, rather than actually get my hopes up, but interesting nonetheless. Just, not so campy as the Transformer franchise, please!
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I think we can safely say this is definitely happening: both sides have spent way too much money in legal fees alone to wimp out now, and Hasbro clearly want (rather unedifyingly in their desperation) a DC/Marvel/Star Wars-style mega-franchise, which D&D rather uniquely fits.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hopeful of the end product being any good, but we are going to see a big-budget movie based on an RPG hitting the screen, which is kind of crazy. In fact, if Hasbro were bonkers enough to help raise $220 million for the Battleship film, I wonder what they're going to bet on a movie based on something that has actual stories attached to it. It'd be rather insulting if it was much less.
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I just hope it has good CG. The creatures in the 3rd one were the best part of the movie, especially that one undead. (If you've seen it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.)
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I think we can safely say this is definitely happening: both sides have spent way too much money in legal fees alone to wimp out now, and Hasbro clearly want (rather unedifyingly in their desperation) a DC/Marvel/Star Wars-style mega-franchise, which D&D rather uniquely fits.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hopeful of the end product being any good, but we are going to see a big-budget movie based on an RPG hitting the screen, which is kind of crazy. In fact, if Hasbro were bonkers enough to help raise $220 million for the Battleship film, I wonder what they're going to bet on a movie based on something that has actual stories attached to it. It'd be rather insulting if it was much less.
Oh, I totally think it's definitely happening, my point was that I have been SEVERELY disappointed by the production values of every single D&D based movie (yes, that includes Mazes & Monsters, starring Oscar winner Tom Hanks) thus far.
. . . I remain hopeful. Willfully hopeful!
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They're going to spend money on it. Certainly more than $100 million and probably closer to $200. Maybe not more than that, Hasbro probably learned its lesson from BATTLESHIP and Warner Brothers aren't quite as crazy as Universal (who actually made BATTLESHIP). But OTOH a D&D FR movie is going to have an enormous amount of stories, characters and lore to draw upon and has a lot more franchise/sequel potential.
I can see them going fairly crazy with the money for this film if they really want.
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I am worried we will have a story about a drow ranger exiled from his people.
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"The Crystal Shard" was a pretty decent book (as far as RPG novels go), and so was "Homeland". It's just that all the others got progressively worse.
I'd much rather see pretty much anything of Elaine Cunningham's stuff on screen, though.
Oh god no. Her books were horribly written, had incredible mary and marty stus and she didn't even read the player's hadnbook before writing mixing up many things including schools of magic.
I hope that not a single one of her novels ever gets translated to the screen.
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"The Crystal Shard" was a pretty decent book (as far as RPG novels go), and so was "Homeland". It's just that all the others got progressively worse.
I'd much rather see pretty much anything of Elaine Cunningham's stuff on screen, though.
Oh god no. Her books were horribly written, had incredible mary and marty stus and she didn't even read the player's hadnbook before writing mixing up many things including schools of magic.
I hope that not a single one of her novels ever gets translated to the screen.
Well Elaith "the Serpent" Craulnober is probably my favorite Forgotten Realms character (though Blackstaff is a really close second), so I liked a good bit of her work. However, your complaints aren't completely without merit.
As far as on topic, please god let this be a good and worthy representation of the hobby we all love, my heart cant handle another debacle like we got in 2000, hopefully we get a talented, stellar director.
I think they will be watching the development, reception, and turn out of the Warcraft movie very closely.
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I think the reason why I like Elaith the most is that he is one of the relatively few Forgotten Realms characters who showed actual character growth as things went along, and it was pretty well nuanced. You can tell there is this gradual progression towards possible redemption for him. I dont think we would have ever seen him cross over into full "good" territory, but I could definitely see him settling in nicely to a TN alignment.
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Elaith was a good character I'll give you that.
My heart forever rests with Bruenor Battlehammer.
The mother of all fantasy dwarf stereotypes? No, thank you.
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I'm hoping for an Azure Bonds movie!
It has Elminster in it--the Nick Fury of the Forgotten Realms!
And redheads! redheads!! redheads!!!
They can motion capture Andy Serkis as Dragonbait and Peter Dinklage as Phalse!
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I do not one of the novels to be made, all the novles would be chopped up butchered messes on the screen (Like 99% of all books put on the screen)
Give me an original story SET in the Forgotten Realms, with cameo's familiar settings and npcs and the occasional organization that peppered through our campaigns and I'll be all kinds of giddy.
Basically, do what all the DMs have done for years. Take the boxed set and write a story there...
Havent read anything in this thread yet, but to transcribe my comment on facebook, for an article my friend shared (which was my first actual in-depth look at this potential film. This particular article, if you must know)
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"A great opportunity to bring Forgotten Realms to life"? Oh frag me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE D&D, and LOVED Faerun (back in 2nd edition, 3rd was alright). 4E Faerun = total shit. HAven't been able to check out 5E Forgotten Realms yet.
BUT! Even in all that case.... I expect this will be a Drizzt or Elminster film. While I'd love to see something about the Harpers doin' their thing in Thay, or hell, even the Seven Sisters (forgot what their actual title was), they're probably going to go with their go-to iconics. In this case, Drizzt and Elminster.
God forbid if I start seeing more Drizzt clones at my table. Got no problem with drow, but the "dark brooding hero who was the one good member of his race that escaped from it and now tries to save the world that is against him" has been overdone to death.
Personally, I'd prefer to see... Oh... i dunno..... DRAGONLANCE! Chronicles, first trilogy. Dragons of Summer Flame never happened.
Or, hell. Give some time and attention to one of their OTHER awesome worlds. Ravenloft for example!
But, no. The guy who wrote Conjuring 2 & Wrath of the Titans? Never seen Conjuring 2, but Wrath of the Titans, yes. All I gotta say, is By Orcus what is wrong with these people? And it's "big budget"?
Don't expect it to be good. Expect it to be MAGICAL-MICHAEL-BAY-SPLOSIONS! and very litle actual plot worthy of a good adventure. So, yeah. Don't expect to go there seeing the same kind of story depth or character development you'd find at a good, long-runing group. Go there expecting to see a Hollywood Block Buster, with lots of fighting, lots of special effects, lots of screaming, and lots of explosion (FIREBALL!).....
Why can't they do what need be done and throw some money at, like, Salvatore or Greenwood or Weiss & Hickman to make the damn script?
Further proof that Hasbro does not care about D&D. Only about money.
So, yeah.... Those are my thoughts as is.
I fear for the future of D&D, particularly since I expect people will come into the game expecting the "OMFG EPIC RAWR FIGHTS WITH HUGE MAGICAL-BAY-SPLOSIONS" and find "You're all sitting at a tavern, when an injured woman bursts in screaming about orcs..."
The backlash would be like trying to take on Cthulhu while only level 2.
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Azure Bonds actually has a relatively grounded plot (woman wants to remove a tattoo, and hijinx, they ensue), that quickly escalates (assassins, a duel with a dragon, a flying god-mass, a witch, a lich, a bunch of cultists, and a beholder with mouths instead of teeth).
A cameo by Elminster, a trip across Cormyr to Shadowdale, across the Elven Wood, Westgate, and the para-elemental plane of minerals (gems).
It also has a female lead, a cute animal companion (Dragonbait), and even some bards for some cross-promotional pop music!
Azure Bonds actually has a relatively grounded plot (woman wants to remove a tattoo, and hijinx, they ensue), that quickly escalates (assassins, a duel with a dragon, a flying god-mass, a witch, a lich, a bunch of cultists, and a beholder with mouths instead of teeth).
A cameo by Elminster, a trip across Cormyr to Shadowdale, across the Elven Wood, Westgate, and the para-elemental plane of minerals (gems).
It also has a female lead, a cute animal companion (Dragonbait), and even some bards for some cross-promotional pop music!
That sounds like the best movie ever.
That sounds like the best movie ever.Azure Bonds actually has a relatively grounded plot (woman wants to remove a tattoo, and hijinx, they ensue), that quickly escalates (assassins, a duel with a dragon, a flying god-mass, a witch, a lich, a bunch of cultists, and a beholder with mouths instead of teeth).
A cameo by Elminster, a trip across Cormyr to Shadowdale, across the Elven Wood, Westgate, and the para-elemental plane of minerals (gems).
It also has a female lead, a cute animal companion (Dragonbait), and even some bards for some cross-promotional pop music!
One of the best FR books I've ever read. Actually, I liked it MUCH more than I did Drizzt (I only kept reading Drizzt for Bruenor, Jarlaxle, and Entreri).
Azure Bonds needs a movie. Now.
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I am worried we will have a story about a drow ranger exiled from his people.That could be the best thing happening in terms of movie actually... all indoor sets, etc. (save money by not flying to locations.. spend more on actors?)
Yeah, and Gods forbid that they base a movie on a great selling series that comes from Forgotten Realms. Most of the people hating Drizzt do so because they liked the first few books then it was pointed out how whiny he was in his self-reflective internal monologues...and that Salvatore has a sort of formulaic bent to his writing, and then they decided to think like they were told to and hate on the entire series and the author. I personally don't care if they use the Dark Elf stuff but if they do it will do well and would have more fans out-of-the-gate than most other Realms series.
My vote would be for the Cleric Quintet, personally, but I also wouldn't mind a foray into the Harper stuff.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Alias's armor is only like the cover after she's taken in by Cassanna.
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I liked the Drizzt books in high school (should I be posting that to the confessional page?) :(
I really liked the Drizzt books up until around the Hunters Blades trilogy...
I haven't read the stuff in the Sundering yet though, so it's possible Salvatore was just writing what he had to appease the WotC overlords and he's back in good style with the new ones he's written (the Companions, and the trilogy Companions after that).
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I like the Drizzt books up till 4E and the scuttling of Forgotten Realms. The transistions books felt like he was a side character in someone elses story... Someone I disliked greatly mind you. and the trilogy after that had him join with an evil party and was lame.
I'm a book behind, but with The Sundering and the return of familiar faces, I'm starting to enjoy them again.
IIRC, Salvatore hated the idea of the Sundering and everything related to that, but had to include that stuff, or have someone else write Drizzt. This is why writing about characters you the author have no rights over really is a bad idea.
sorry I am rusty on the Faerun terminology...by "sundering" I thought that referred to what happened to the setting with the transition of 3E to 4E. If the Sundering = 4E to 5E, reinterpret my above remarks accordingly.
The Ghost King is the worst book I ever read.
I love dwarves. And He's just so DWARF :D
I also love dwarves. That's why I loathe what Salvatore did to them in his books and it's one of the reasons why he's such a bad writer.
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I owe Salvatore a debt of gratitude for curing me of an embarrassing Drow obsession.
I also met him once and got to see a draft of something he was writing. I had no idea he was a published author. I pointed out to him that he'd misspelled Lolth.
Years later, I look back at that moment and cringe.
I owe Salvatore a debt of gratitude for curing me of an embarrassing Drow obsession.
I also met him once and got to see a draft of something he was writing. I had no idea he was a published author. I pointed out to him that he'd misspelled Lolth.
Years later, I look back at that moment and cringe.
!!!
Is this the origin of the alternate "spelling" (i.e. obvious misspelling) of Lolth "used" in Menzoberranzan (Lloth -- because these drow were originally rebels ...or something)?
Carry on.
--C.
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Lloth is Welsh. ;-)
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the most interesting story from FR would be the fall of Myth Drannor
I love dwarves. And He's just so DWARF :DI also love dwarves. That's why I loathe what Salvatore did to them in his books and it's one of the reasons why he's such a bad writer.
Gotta disagree with this. YMMV but I love Salvatore's dwarves.
Don't help much that almost nobody else DOES anything with them. He's defined the iconic dwarves almost as much as he has Drow....