The next D&D movie...

[KahnyaGnorc]

I think GotG did a good job with an ensemble cast, Rocket/Groot, Gamora, Drax, and Quill all got good screen time and fleshing out. The plot and villain were simple and fairly generic, though, so I think SOMETHING usually has to give.

I think that's the reason most ensemble casts concentrate on one or two characters (usually the "New Guy" and the leader) in order to not overly bloat the movie (with others getting more in later stories and tie-ins, especially if one of the others becomes a break-out character)

I would love something like Record of Lodoss War, but that was a series which would become way too bloated for a movie.

[Thomas Seitz]

Look if we have Mind Flayers, it's totally then that we have to have the Far Realms and Cthulhu. :p

[GM PDK]

KahnyaGnorc wrote:

I think GotG did a good job with an ensemble cast, Rocket/Groot, Gamora, Drax, and Quill all got good screen time and fleshing out. The plot and villain were simple and fairly generic, though, so I think SOMETHING usually has to give.

Agreed! still very watchable after the 4th time... :)

Challenge with D&D style compared to GotG is you have to slow everything way down. GotG/future/guns/gadgets high pace. D&D can also be that with magic/gadgets but not constantly otherwise you end up with a weird vibe like that new Robin Hood movie they made not long ago and that King Arthur movie they made a few years back (with Jude Law as the sorcerer BBEG) (in these two movies they used 'Knight's Tale's' fast paced modern music approach for some scenes to increase tension/action vibe... this works when used sparingly but if you're editing the movie and hit the techno-jazz-dance-music button every two minutes you completely lose medieval or fantasy genre)

I think Valerian did a pretty good job as well. The movie could almost be used as a framework for a D&D plane-hopping adventure (the planet-sized space station had different environments, cities, cultures... Rhianna as a singing/dancing doppleganger and Ethan Hawke as a rogue pimp... oh, and a complete tribe of barbarian elf CGI aliens who despite retaining their tribal ways were the most technologically advanced species in the galaxy... fun times! :) )

[Set]

Dragonlance's 'party' is huge. Tanis, Caramon, Raistlin, Riverwind, Goldmoon, Flint, Tasslehoff, Sturm, perhaps Laurana and Tika?

I'm not sure I want a starter movie to go quite that large (nor to necessarily be so dude-heavy or melee-heavy or human-heavy). OTOH, it's a great story, and could make a great LotR-style trilogy.

[Psiphyre]

Psiphyre wrote:

DragonLance would need AT LEAST a three-part movie series planned from the start (& if you include all the things that happened in the background that were only mentioned in passing in the books, e.g. Kita toted as a 'Hero of the Lance' when she was only ever presented as one of the Dragon Highlords, or Gilthanas & Silvara's mission to reveal Takhisis' treachery to the rest of the good dragons, etc. - if at all...), maybe four.

Oops!

I meant Kitiara, not "Kita"...

:p

--C.

[Marc Radle]

Set wrote:

Dragonlance's 'party' is huge. Tanis, Caramon, Raistlin, Riverwind, Goldmoon, Flint, Tasslehoff, Sturm, perhaps Laurana and Tika?

I'm not sure I want a starter movie to go quite that large (nor to necessarily be so dude-heavy or melee-heavy or human-heavy). OTOH, it's a great story, and could make a great LotR-style trilogy.

Oh, it would absolutely have to be a trilogy, and oh what an amazing trilogy it could be!!

The main characters have 3 strong and important female leads in the party (Goldmoon, Laurana and Tika); a half-elf (Tanis), an elf (Laurana), a dwarf (Flint), and a kender / half-ling (Tasselhoff) and we have a rouge (Tasselhoff), a wizard (Raistlin), and a cleric (Goldmoon) ... I’d say that’s a pretty diverse, varied and just about perfect party!! :)

[KahnyaGnorc]

With Riverwind and Goldmoon being American Indian-type ethnicity (albeit one of them having unusual hair colorings) added on to that.

However, a D&D movie would most likely be set in the Realms, considering how Realms-centric a lot of products are, and how popular it is.

[Thomas Seitz]

So I guess Sigil is out of the question then, Kahnya?

[phantom1592]

I still think that Dragonlance would be terrible. Even as a trilogy it would have to cut out HUGE important sections and just be disappointing. The cartoon they made was a perfect example. Excellent cast. Good animation... and ended up... meh. Disappointing is too kind.

MAYBE Dragonlance could work as a TV series... and wrap it up in 3-4 seasons... but lets be honest. Even the BOOKS cut out major important parts. Like when the party split up and suddenly Laurana had brokered a deal with the dwarves and retrieved the magic hammer. I kept flipping around thinking I'd missed a chapter, but NOPE... just wasn't there.

That would SUCK in a movie.

Now... maybe something like Legend of Huma? I seem to remember that was a standalone novel and would be fun worldbuilding... but the war of the lance?? Easy pass.

Regardless D&D is a somewhat toxic brand so betting everything on cliffhangers and a guaranteed trilogy is foolhardy. There's no guarantee that'll ever happen.

What I want is a band of adventurers running a unique story that is NOT based off a novel that I can point out every cut line in. I want it based in a world I recognize with landmarks, npcs and monsters that I've experienced in my games. I think that's the best way to go.

[KahnyaGnorc]

Thomas Seitz wrote:

So I guess Sigil is out of the question then, Kahnya?

For the first movie, most likely.

If the movie does well and the character move to higher level play? Hopefully, with planar adventures

Or, as an expansion of the D&D-CU down the road (if successful) . . .

[Thomas Seitz]

I just want Lord Soth to fight Stradh in Ravenloft while Orcus does professional wrestling moves against Demogorgon in the Abyss and the audience waits for a hero that never comes...

KahnyaGnorc,

Okay well here's hoping. Also apparently Joe Manganiello is going online to defend D&D's honor.

[KahnyaGnorc]

I remember the Ravenloft fighting game where you fought either on Soth's side ("regular adventurer" types) or Strahd's side (monsters). I usually played the hammer-wielding one-armed dwarf.

[Marc Radle]

Thomas Seitz wrote:

Also apparently Joe Manganiello is going online to defend D&D's honor.

Not sure what you mean by ‘apparently’.

Joe Manganiello has long been an incredible advocate for D&D. He was on Stephen Colbert recently talking about his love for D&D, he has a really cool line of very ‘80’s style metal D&D themed clothing, and he’s been using his connections in Hollywood to push the idea of a D&D movie.

Everyone should check out his D&D game room in his house - it’s awesome (search ‘Joe Manganiello's 'Gary Gygax Memorial Dungeon' on YouTube)

[Thomas Seitz]

Marc,

I meant apparently because some would be wrassler trolled D&D and Joe went to the mat for us.

As for Kahnya's remembrance... I don't recall that one.

Still like to see a kind of mixture old school 90s wrassling with Demon Lords in a four sided ring...

[KahnyaGnorc]

Thomas Seitz wrote:

Marc,

I meant apparently because some would be wrassler trolled D&D and Joe went to the mat for us.

As for Kahnya's remembrance... I don't recall that one.

Still like to see a kind of mixture old school 90s wrassling with Demon Lords in a four sided ring...

Here's the Wikipedia on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_%26_Blood:_Warriors_of_Ravenloft

[Quark Blast]

phantom1592 wrote:

...What I want is a band of adventurers running a unique story that is NOT based off a novel that I can point out every cut line in. I want it based in a world I recognize with landmarks, npcs and monsters that I've experienced in my games. I think that's the best way to go.

Yes this.

Principal photography has wrapped on next year's Dune movie. If they can make that book into a good movie... but then I think the quality of the base story is well better than any of the D&D campaign world books.

Maybe they could throw in a cameo of one or more of the big guns but a Drizzt story will only confuse the uninitiated and frustrate the initiates.

[Thomas Seitz]

So I guess QB isn't going with my Sigil idea either huh...

Thanks Kahnya!

[Quark Blast]

Thomas Seitz wrote:

So I guess QB isn't going with my Sigil idea either huh...

They already made that movie, I think.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets?

No?

[Thomas Seitz]

That wasn't quite the same thing and you know it QB...

[Psiphyre]

Yeah.

Valerian is more like Absalom Station than Sigil.

--C.

[Quark Blast]

Well, there's a lack of symmetry in the City of 1000 Planets that Sigil surely has, and Absalom station is more symmetrical but lacks the magi-tech feel that both Sigil and the City of 1000 Planets have.

So on the whole I think the next D&D movie would be better served by avoiding the Doorway-to-the-Verse feel and do something more classically D&D-ish.

[KahnyaGnorc]

I just want a good, fun adventure movie set in a D&D setting, that's accessible to the wider audience. Easter Eggs, references, and other nods to the wider setting would be great, as long as they don't bog down the movie (like, say, the Mummy movie or Iron Man 2).

Leave any explicit expansion of the story/setting for a post-credits sequence (like Iron Man 1)

All other details (main character vs ensemble, race/class combos, etc) should come secondary to the first point. It doesn't matter if it provides the perfect distillation of (part of) a D&D campaign, if it is too arcane and confusing for the general audience. It would be just as dead as a franchise as if it was a crappy movie.

[thejeff]

KahnyaGnorc wrote:

I just want a good, fun adventure movie set in a D&D setting, that's accessible to the wider audience. Easter Eggs, references, and other nods to the wider setting would be great, as long as they don't bog down the movie (like, say, the Mummy movie or Iron Man 2).

Leave any explicit expansion of the story/setting for a post-credits sequence (like Iron Man 1)

All other details (main character vs ensemble, race/class combos, etc) should come secondary to the first point. It doesn't matter if it provides the perfect distillation of (part of) a D&D campaign, if it is too arcane and confusing for the general audience. It would be just as dead as a franchise as if it was a crappy movie.

What do you mean by "a D&D setting"? One of the main published ones? Or just something D&D like?

I certainly agree that "good, fun adventure movie" is critical and that "arcane and confusing" would kill it, but I think some of the other points help distinguish it from more generic fantasy attempts without delving too deep into the details.

Especially the ensemble cast and different distinct class roles. Casters working as peers to the sword-wielding heroes instead of as mentor figures are fairly rare in past fantasy movies and that would be a good approach. Non-Tolkien races in the main cast would be another way to stand out.

And I don't think any of that would be a problem for audiences, if done well.

[Set]

thejeff wrote:

Especially the ensemble cast and different distinct class roles. Casters working as peers to the sword-wielding heroes instead of as mentor figures are fairly rare in past fantasy movies and that would be a good approach. Non-Tolkien races in the main cast would be another way to stand out.

Agreed. I very much want to see some of the 'party roles' familiar not only to tabletop gamers, but to online gamers, such as healer, support caster, debuffer, control caster, etc. in play, not just some dude hacking away, a sporadic and unreliable nuker, and a bunch of flunkies who mostly do reaction shots and cringe and cheer on the main protagonist.

It's a team game, and I'd like movie about it to be less 'the hero and his backup singers' and more of a core group that may not individually shine in every single encounter, but have their strong moments throughout the movie.

I especially want to see some gaming style uses of magic. Less generic blasts and shields, more webs and magic missiles and grease. (I wanted the same from the Dr. Strange movie, and was disappointed. No Crimson Bands of Cytorrak or Winds of Watoomb, lots of glowy shields and light-whip nonsense.) Yes to using magic to do more than blast stuff, and come off as a second-rate archer. It doesn't even have to be strictly D&D stuff. If the wizard locks someone's gaze and paralyzes them both (locking them into a staring contest) with a 'serpent's stare' spell, then they are at least doing something more controller-y and less blast-y.

And yes to the non-Tolkien races. We've seen enough dwarves and hobbitses in recent years, so a gnome, tiefling or (yuk) dragonborn might be a more 'D&D' flavored choice. If there are dwarves, elves and / or halflings running around, it might be nice to focus on how they are very, very different than Tolkein's versions, such as a dwarven wizard consulted as an NPC, or a short scrawny elf who *isn't* magically better than everyone at everything.

[Thomas Seitz]

Psiphyre wrote:

Yeah.

Valerian is more like Absalom Station than Sigil.

--C.

This sounds accurate to me since I honestly didn't see Valerian.

I always imagined Sigil more like wartime Sweden myself....

[GM PDK]

Valerian is awesome: you must see this movie ASAP Thomas

[Psiphyre]

GM PDK wrote:

Valerian is awesome: you must see this movie ASAP Thomas

I know that, overall, I quite enjoyed it!

Doesn't mean that others will, but...

Carry on!

--C.

[GM PDK]

I watched it four times so far and it doesn't get old... so they did something good with this movie. :)

[Werthead]

Quote:

Dragonlance's 'party' is huge. Tanis, Caramon, Raistlin, Riverwind, Goldmoon, Flint, Tasslehoff, Sturm, perhaps Laurana and Tika?

I'm not sure I want a starter movie to go quite that large (nor to necessarily be so dude-heavy or melee-heavy or human-heavy). OTOH, it's a great story, and could make a great LotR-style trilogy.

True, but the party splits early on, Fellowship-style, and then you have the sub-parties doing several different things for ages until they regroup near the ending. Fairly classic structure.

[Fumarole]

phantom1592 wrote:

Now... maybe something like Legend of Huma? I seem to remember that was a standalone novel and would be fun worldbuilding... but the war of the lance?? Easy pass.

I vote for Weasel's Luck.

[Quark Blast]

As long as they aim for a PG-13 rating I'll go see it.

[Thomas Seitz]

I did manage to catch parts of Valerian when SyFy had it on...but my dogs kept interrupting me.

Not sure I liked it...but I didn't hate it.

I'm still waiting for more info before I make judgments on D&D the movie.

[KahnyaGnorc]

Set wrote:

(I wanted the same from the Dr. Strange movie, and was disappointed. No Crimson Bands of Cytorrak or Winds of Watoomb, lots of glowy shields and light-whip nonsense.)

To be fair, he DID use the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak on Thanos in Infinity War (He just didn't verbalize what they were, but director commentary called them that)

For more traditional races being non-Tolkienesque, a cynical, tricky halfling street rat would be a far cry from the innocent, agrarian hobbits. Or the group's "muscle" being a goodly half-orc. In established D&D settings (other than Dark Sun), elves and dwarves are fairly Tolkienesque in general, but with exceptions (Pikel Bouldershoulder, for example).

I think if they kept the party small and iconic (warrior-type, caster-type, priest-type, rogue-type party of four), they might be able to pull of a true ensemble cast, while also introducing the setting, plots, and villains, without it being too bogged down in exposition or too rushed. It'll still be a balancing act.

[Quark Blast]

Fumarole wrote:

phantom1592 wrote:

Now... maybe something like Legend of Huma? I seem to remember that was a standalone novel and would be fun worldbuilding... but the war of the lance?? Easy pass.

I vote for Weasel's Luck.

Amendation to my previous comment:

The movie needs to be PG-13 and, if for some reason they go with the DL setting, I'm going to have to picket anything invoking Tinker Gnomes, Gully Dwarves, or Kender. Those may work well in a book but I can't conceive they could translate to a movie and be anything less than retching.

[Werthead]

Quark Blast wrote:

The movie needs to be PG-13 and, if for some reason they go with the DL setting, I'm going to have to picket anything invoking Tinker Gnomes, Gully Dwarves, or Kender. Those may work well in a book but I can't conceive they could translate to a movie and be anything less than retching.

The animated movie version of DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT did show that the "no sense of fear," "constantly being pretty happy" and "fully prepared to engage in combat" traits of the kender combine to make something that's pretty psychotic-looking, like a murderous death-hobbit who knows no fear but is still pretty cheerful. It wasn't the look I think they were going for, but it certainly made kenders more interesting (and terrifying).

[Captive Strix!]

Werthead wrote:

murderous death-hobbit who knows no fear but is still pretty cheerful

You just described a karate class with 4 year olds.

[Thomas Seitz]

I never thought of Kender as murderous death hobbits. Unless you're talking about insane kender from Ravenloft...

[KahnyaGnorc]

Dave Barry (Not Really) wrote:

Murderous Death Hobbits is a great name for a rock band

[Thomas Seitz]

I doubt the Tolkein estate would allow for a band to use the word "Hobbits."

[Fumarole]

The Killer Dwarfs are already a band.

[Thomas Seitz]

Yeah but everyone knows dwarfs are fighters anyway...

[JoelF847]

Looks like Paramount just cast Chris Pine to star in the new D&D movie. Hopefully the movie winds up being worthy of A-list talent.

[Thomas Seitz]

Well I mean it would be nice to have more than just Chris Pine headlining this...

[Quark Blast]

Full blurb, such as it is.
IMDB has a few more details, e.g. the writers and directors look like they have decent cred.

[Orville Redenbacher]

So are they going to also get Jason Sudekis, Jason Bateman, and wild card Charlie Day signed up?

[KahnyaGnorc]

JoelF847 wrote:

Looks like Paramount just cast Chris Pine to star in the new D&D movie. Hopefully the movie winds up being worthy of A-list talent.

There seems to be a rule that big blockbuster franchises require at least one Chris in it...

[Thomas Seitz]

Hey now! There's only three acceptable Chris and Pine is one of them. :p ;)

[Werthead]

D&D movie to start shooting in old GAME OF THRONES studios in early 2021.

They've booked the studio space, so it looks pretty firm at the moment. They're shooting in the Titanic Studios, aka the Paint Hall, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Hopefully this will turn out better than their last two fantasy projects shot there (before GoT was best-forgotten alleged comedy YOUR HIGHNESS).

[JoelF847]

Werthead wrote:

D&D movie to start shooting in old GAME OF THRONES studios in early 2021.

They've booked the studio space, so it looks pretty firm at the moment. They're shooting in the Titanic Studios, aka the Paint Hall, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Hopefully this will turn out better than their last two fantasy projects shot there (before GoT was best-forgotten alleged comedy YOUR HIGHNESS).

If the D&D movie turns our half as good as Game of Thrones did, I'd be happy and content with it. If it's Your Highness, I agree, I hope it will turn out better.

[Orville Redenbacher]

Alleged comedy? lol