D&D Movie/TV Casting Begins Soon For D&D Movie?

According to Screenrant, Paramount's (Summer 2021) Dungeons & Dragons movie is about to begin casting.

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There's a few tidbits to be gleaned from the article:

• Paramount is looking at A-listers for the male lead
• The new draft of the script is by Michael Gillio
• The director is no longer involved, and the studio is looking for a new one

There has been plenty of news, speculation, rumour, and more about this movie over the last few years; in fact, I've been covering the various rumours for at least 5 years!

• New D&D Movie: July 23rd 2021
• What's The Latest On The D&D Movie?
• Joe Manganelio is Writing the D&D Movie? And Is it DRAGONLANCE?
• The D&D Movie Finds Its Director
• The D&D Movie That Never Was
• D&D Movie Takes Cues From GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
• New D&D Movie To Go Ahead - Produced By Lego Movie's Roy Lee

 

[Dioltach]

Summer 2012? Sounds like it might be a Dragonlance timetravelling movie!

 

[theworstdm]

I don't feel like a movie is the right format to fully capture the essence of D&D. What I fear we'll get is the 140 minute long Dungeons & Dragons Presents Generic Fantasy Movie #827. A limited series would give the creators more room to develop characters, do some world building and do some long format storytelling, all things that you get in D&D.

 

[theworstdm]

I'd watch that!

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I could be reading too much into semantics here, but the reference to a singular “male lead” might indicate that this is not a Dragonlance movie. Or at least, not a War of the Lance adaptation.

Don't know anything much about Michael Gillio, but his imdb credentials as a writer don't exactly inspire confidence here. Still, it's only one cook out of multiple mixing up the soup at this point.

Paramount is looking at A-listers for the male lead

 

[Mistwell]

They're looking to attach a big name actor to the project, rather than engage in project casting, I suspect. You attach a big name, to attract the better directors, who then bring in a casting director to cast the movie. You wouldn't normally cast a movie without a director in place, as the director usually influences the casting director.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I don't feel like a movie is the right format to fully capture the essence of D&D. What I fear we'll get is the 140 minute long Dungeons & Dragons Presents Generic Fantasy Movie #827. A limited series would give the creators more room to develop characters, do some world building and do some long format storytelling, all things that you get in D&D.

Unless the movie has the leads loot a dead comrade then use his body to wedge open a door its just another generic fantasy flick to me.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

They really have to bring Bruce Payne back or it's just not real.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

View attachment 105499

They really have to bring Bruce Payne back or it's just not real.

 

[robus]

Sounds like it's already heading into design by committee so I still have a bad feeling about this. But if they're going for it, then Joe Manganiello should be cast. He's a huge D&D guy and would make a perfect lead for something like this. But they'll probably find someone whose heart is not in it and it'll end up kind of sad.

Also I hope they have the courage to let the actors interpret their characters. Ridley Scott did that with Blade Runner and it ended up with a bunch of idiosyncratic and interesting characters.

But totally second the TV series idea - 15 episodes -> 15 levels. And then reboot the whole thing for the next season.