D&D storylines for a movie?

LuisCarlos17f · Mar 23, 2019

A famous franchise isn't enough. It has to be a really good story. Do remember the best and worst movies of Batman. Conan, the movie from 80s was a true blockbuster, but the last one, that with Jason Momoa (without beard)...

And a good story isn't enough. Do remember Robotix cartoon or the Zoids...(Mmmmm, maybe the trick should be adaptation for D&D, for example mechas with monster traits as warforged, shardminds or another living construct PC race. Why not a "Mad Max/Road warrior" version of "Bigfoot and the muscle machines" for d20 Apocalypse?)

But asking a good story is like wishing a supernatural romance novel set in Ravenloft. Possible but not easy. And a good story isn't only for the first season.

I suggest it again as idea for a plot: Using magic like a allegory about state and economy. The clerics want to control the magic nodes "to protect and help the people" but we have to obey their rules for our own good, and arcanes and sorcerers are feared and envied by the masses. These don't trust them, and wizards says their powers is got by effort and talent, but they aren't believed. Should the magic nodos and sources of mana to be controlled totally by the clerics, or maybe the worst mistake is allowing to choose for you by who don't worry about suffering consequences when they are wrong?

* We have got other option: Urban Arcana. D&D in modern world. Why? Because modern age is cheaper than medieval atrezzo. There is a "Urban Arcana" movie, "Bright", with Will Smith, a cop whose new mate is an orc.

But I am afraid we will not see it until d20 Modern 2.0. to be ready.

* If Gormiti is popular among this children generation, why not "Battle Beasts"? In the hands of a good script "Inhumanoids" could be a good teen action+horror movie.

Maybe they could publish a D&D version of "Equestria Girls" ("My little pony: friendship is magic" spin-off) meeting D&D version of Battle Beasts.

* Disney doesn't need D&D. They could do a remake of "Dragon slayer" or "the black cauldron". Warner doesn't need D&D because they can use its DC character "Warlord". Movies and videogame studios would rather to create their own franchises because they can change the canon about the background as they want...(have you seen the remake of "Charmed" teleserie?).

Hussar · Mar 23, 2019

Actually, according to Wikipedia, the original Conan The Barbarian actually wasn't a blockbuster, although it was a commercial success. It made money, but, that's about as far as it goes. To be fair, that's a lot better than the Jason Momoa Conan.

Giltonio_Santos · Mar 24, 2019

The Temple of Elemental Evil would be a great choice, IMO. They could have a sequence explaining the origins of the temple to begin it (like Galadriel's Prologue, from The Fellowship) and use The Village of Hommlet for a first movie.

gyor · Mar 24, 2019

Brimstone Angels Saga, The Sundering series, Avatar Trilogy, Legend of Drizzt, Spellfire Series, Ring of Winter, Unbroken Chain deulogy, Cale's novels, Return of the Archmages, The Harper's series, The Priests Series, the Wizards series, Cormyr and Evermeet.

Traycor · Mar 25, 2019

It's interesting that the articles from EN presented this movie news as just another crumb in a long line that's led no where for years.

The original exclusive from ThatHashtagShow that was being quoted in the article says they want to start filming in as little as 3 MONTHS. That means the project has been fast tracked and is a major priority for the studio. If they can make it happen, they will.

UngainlyTitan · Mar 26, 2019

[MENTION=6802378]LuisCarlos17f[/MENTION] for a modern setting I would go for something like Warspell: the Merged

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WarSpell-M...&qid=1553620903&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr
Which is D&D with the serial numbers filed off.

UngainlyTitan · Mar 26, 2019

What a D&D movie needs is engaging characters. The actual story plot is not too important, if the audience can empathise with the characters. Modules are too directionless, they are from a story perspective, background.

UngainlyTitan · Mar 26, 2019

Traycor said:
It's interesting that the articles from EN presented this movie news as just another crumb in a long line that's led no where for years.

The original exclusive from ThatHashtagShow that was being quoted in the article says they want to start filming in as little as 3 MONTHS. That means the project has been fast tracked and is a major priority for the studio. If they can make it happen, they will.

They can say what they want, until there is a director and a cast it is going nowhere.

Traycor · Mar 26, 2019

ardoughter said:
They can say what they want, until there is a director and a cast it is going nowhere.

On the one hand, of course it needs a director and cast to be made, but on the other, a 3 to 5 month timeline is very telling. That means the studio is hiring crew and doing preproduction right now. This news tells us that the project has become a fast track priority, which means they are willing to dump money in people's laps to get it made, and they are actively taking meetings to put things in place. None of that is a guarantee it will get made, but I think the current situation is far different than what's being presenting. For this news to be true, many people are actively working right now to make the movie happen. That's a far cry from where we've been in the past.

UngainlyTitan · Mar 26, 2019

I dunno, I payed a lot more attention to this sort of thing when I were a lad and back then until a director was attached there was no point in getting excited and even then timelines meant nothing until a cast was also signed up.