D&D Movie/TV Spider-Man: Homecoming Writers Talk D&D Movie

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley talked to Hollywood Reporter about the D&D movie, it's comedic themes, and how the directors are working directly with WotC.

They directed Game Night, and wrote Spider-Man: Homecoming. They mentioned that they had been supposed to fly here to the UK to scout locations in March, but the pandemic interrupted that.

They also mentioned comedic elements and characters in the movie, which currently has a projected release date of May 27th, 2022. No actors are yet cast.

It's not an out and out comedy, but it is an action-fantasy movie with a lot of comedic elements and characters we hope people will really get into and enjoy watching their adventures.

Daley plays a weekly D&D game, so he is familiar with the genre. But the pair are working directly with WotC.

We haven't been accosted by players yet, but we are working with the Wizards of the Coast, the brand holders of D&D. They are the experts. We have people there that we work with and it's pretty helpful, because as much as we know about D&D, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the 45 years of lore that's out there, so these guys are such a resource. If we need a particular spell that a [high]-level wizard could do, they could give us a list. It's a lot of fun.

 

[Eis]

wait I skimmed a bunch of this thread but I saw a few people mention Modern English......are they, like, still around? And even if they are do you really think they could do a good soundtrack for a Dungeons and Dragons movie? I mean, I like "I'll Melt with You" a lot but jeez

 

[OB1]

Couldn't be happier than the choice to have Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley writing the movie. They proved with Spider-Man that they can work in the scrutiny of two powerful executive teams (Marvel and Sony) to create a memorable story about a brave adventurer facing deadly perils, and did so with humor, heart, and respect for the source material without being slavishly devoted to it. All of those skills should serve this film well.

If I had one hope, it would be that they set this in Exandria or Eberron instead of the Realms. Eberron because it lends itself so well to Indian Jones style adventure, and Exandria because the setting feels fresher than the Realms and is how many current D&D fans were introduced to the game. Not holding my breath for it, but I can dream

 

[Mercurius]

I think they should speak in a way people would understand in the 21st century, while not having them talk in meme-language. The language should be similar to Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit.
Comedy should be a part of the movie, but the movie shouldn't be a comedy.
The movie should not be a redo of any existing D&D books. No Drizzt and the Crystal Shard, no Elminster books, no Blackstaff books, none of those. This would not be appreciated by most of the community, and wouldn't draw in the attention of non-D&D players. They need a new story to appease a broader audience.
Start small. Don't try to make a universe with the first movie, but hope for the best.
Have good writers, cast, directors, and CGI. These are important. Bad writers make plot holes and terrible dialogue. Bad cast make scenes cringy. Bad directors destroy movies. Bad CGI makes the scenes with it basically unwatchable.
Have fan service in the movie, but don't make the movie be about fan service. (This is what went wrong with the Force Awakens, in my opinion.)

This is about it. Making a good movie for D&D is probably somewhere along these lines.

You’re hired.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

If I had one hope, it would be that they set this in Exandria or Eberron instead of the Realms. Eberron because it lends itself so well to Indian Jones style adventure, and Exandria because the setting feels fresher than the Realms and is how many current D&D fans were introduced to the game. Not holding my breath for it, but I can dream

I worry that Matt Mercer's poor humble head would explode if he got a multimillion dollar feature film.

I suspect it will ostensibly be set in the Realms, but I also suspect it will be very, very lore-light and self-contained.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I want them to bring back the original D&D movie setting, which WotC had planned on releasing a setting for (!) before the movie was a giant flop. They still had a few articles about the setting buried on their website, last I looked.

Yeah, I'm a contrarian, but I actually thought the setting, as outlined by WotC (and not anyone actually involved with the movie) had pretty solid bones.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I worry that Matt Mercer's poor humble head would explode if he got a multimillion dollar feature film.

I suspect it will ostensibly be set in the Realms, but I also suspect it will be very, very lore-light and self-contained.

Critical Role is big, but not quite big enough to get a D&D movie that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. Most people I know don't know anything about it or Exandria. It will have to wait awhile, provided this movie turns out good.

I hope it's lore-light. They can't start delving into the lore without opening up a Pandora's Box that could destroy the movie if they go too far.

 

[Birmy]

As Zagyg above has mentioned, this isn't quite true.

He'd done several critically acclaimed and financially successful works in the years after out of rehab - he wasn't washed up. But, his contracts were regularly holding back something like 40% of his pay as a guarantee of him staying sober and continuing to do the job.

RDJ was a risk, but not from the perspective of his talent.

I mean, it sounds like we're in agreement--you just said "risk" instead of "gamble." I don't think anyone's arguing Downey isn't/wasn't a talented guy (I'm certainly not). I suppose I take issue with OP's use of the phrase "height of his powers," which simply isn't true.

 

[Birmy]

I want them to bring back the original D&D setting, which WotC had planned on releasing a setting for (!) before the movie was a giant flop. They still had a few articles about the setting buried on their website, last I looked.

Assuming we're thinking of the same articles, you can find them here! (I've had that page bookmarked for years, but have never had an opportunity to use any of that material).

 

[OB1]

Critical Role is big, but not quite big enough to get a D&D movie that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. Most people I know don't know anything about it or Exandria. It will have to wait awhile, provided this movie turns out good.

I'm not saying it's a good idea because of the existing fan base, but because the material seems to connect well with a modern audience. And connecting with a larger audience than just D&D enthusiasts will be critical to the success of the film, just as the MCU had to reach more than just comic book fans.

That said, as Critical Role maintained their rights to the setting (just looked it up in Explorer's Guide to Wildemount) I strongly doubt Paramount would pay for that license on top of what they are paying WotC.

I hope it's lore-light. They can't start delving into the lore without opening up a Pandora's Box that could destroy the movie if they go too far.

For sure, regardless of what setting it's in this is critical. Again, like Guardians of the Galaxy or Star Wars, focus on the characters and caring about what they are trying to accomplish, and you can sprinkle in lore and keep moving. Focus on lore and you'll lose your audience in a hurry.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I'm not saying it's a good idea because of the existing fan base, but because the material seems to connect well with a modern audience. And connecting with a larger audience than just D&D enthusiasts will be critical to the success of the film, just as the MCU had to reach more than just comic book fans.

Yes, the world would probably be great for a movie.

For sure, regardless of what setting it's in this is critical. Again, like Guardians of the Galaxy or Star Wars, focus on the characters and caring about what they are trying to accomplish, and you can sprinkle in lore and keep moving. Focus on lore and you'll lose your audience in a hurry.

Exactly. You don't need all the lore, just enough to establish the world, make a goal in the plot, and move on.