D&D Movie/TV D&D Movie Synopsis Namechecks Harpers, Red Wizards, and Neverwinter [UPDATED - MAYBE NOT?]

A précis of the Dungeons & Dragons movie has appeared as part of its copyright registration, confirming it's set in the Forgotten Realms.

The film stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, and Rege-Jean Page.

An ex-Harper turned thief escapes from prison with his partner, a female barbarian, and reunites with a no-talent wizard and a druid new to their team in an effort to rob the cheating conman who stole all their loot from the heist that landed them behind bars, and used it to install himself as the Lord of Neverwinter. Only the traitor is allied with a powerful Red Wizard who has something far more sinister in store.

D&D Movie/TV - The D&D Movie Has Begun Filming!

Director Jonathan Goldstein tweeted "The campaign begins" with the following image! Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley will be directing the film which features "an ensemble cast and take a subversive approach to the game." The film stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith...

www.enworld.org

UPDATE -- Screenrant reported on the same story but has since posted: "Screen Rant has confirmed the below Dungeons & Dragons movie synopsis is not accurate." They haven't said any more or indicated how they've confirmed that.

 

[hopeless]

I was wondering if that no talent wizard is actually a former wizard's apprentice whose actually a sorceror and that will be discovered during the movie?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is close to my guess.

The Red Wizard is hard to pin down. I think Smith and Lillis are too young and nice to work as Red Wizards for an audience who has never seen a Red Wizard before.

Age is a good point. It seems likely that the "low level" party members are younger, which would make Page (31) the red wizard.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Rodriguez as the barbarian maybe. Lillis could also be playing a young, in-training barbarian

It says "partner". However you interpret that, at 18, Lillis seems a bit young for anything but the "new to the team" person.

Personally, I think our barbarian will be Pine's ex-wife.

 

[Parmandur]

As someone who just watched the new Mortal Kombat movie, which has a much less-well-known cast than this (and that's not dissing their skills, many of those actors are known for stunt-work), I can say that even a bad film can still be fun to watch. I don't regret watching it as it had some fun moments, and I don't think this movie will be worse than that one.

I'm doubtful this film will be amazing like in the tier of Guardians of the Galaxy, but if it hits the mark of "average Marvel movie" then we should all be happy with that result.

I'm setting my expectations low, but this could turn our pretty well.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Doesn't sound like my cup of tea. The Freaking Realms? Not a fan. A rag-tag bunch of inept morons on a heist? Definitely not a fan. I want a group of competent adventurers in a d@!# dungeon! Also, no cleric, as usual.

 

[dave2008]

Great news!

No bards. I'm in!

They don't mention it in the synopsis, but they multiclassed into a few levels of bard

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Huh? The Forgotten Realms has been around since 1st Edition. If you're referring specifically to the city of Neverwinter, that's been around longer than 4th Edition also.

Sorry. I could have been more specific but that would potentially ruin the joke. Since a few others caught that reference, however, I'll expand on it.

The specific plot points mentioned in the post were first introduced in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting, which was released specifically during 4th Edition. It highlights the new ruler of the city, Lord Neverember, who used political and financial maneuver to put himself into a position of power despite having no legal or biological claim to the throne. The Red Wizards play a key role in the current machinations, which... well, I don't want to spoil too much, but they are responsible for a lot of stuff that happened/happening in Neverwinter at the time.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

They don't mention it in the synopsis, but they multiclassed into a few levels of bard

That's why you just can't trust Hollywood.

No matter what the movie is about, they want to make it about themselves.

"What, you're saying that in this 'D&D' thing ... there is some sort of annoying, performance-based actor that is super thirsty? Why didn't you say so! Write up the part and call Tom Cruise's agent, NOW!"

 

[AOieiosle]

Honest to Gid, there is literally nothing in this production that looks remotely like that. Worlds apart. It might still not be great, but for very different reasons if so.

Maybe I'm squinting too hard, you're right. Doesn't seem kinda similar though? Of all the scenario plots you could do...

Comedy adventure made with trilogy in mind, a thief protagonist teaming up with adventuring party after a botched heist, mix of currently popular genre actors (Pine) and up-and-comers who've shown promise (Jurassic/Pikachu Justice Smith and Bridgerton's hot-right-now Rege-Jean Page). Antagonist is the only english actor (Grant) and he's someone in position of extreme power & conspiring with mages to do something even worse™.

 

[Mercurius]

You might be surprised at how often the word "subversive" comes up in copy regarding the Marvel movies. For the PG-13 general audience that WotC and Paramount are aiming at, Guardians of the Galaxy is a subversive take on science fiction, and Captain America: the Winter Soldier is a subversive take on Thrillers.

This reminds me of how "alternative" music in the 80s became pop in the 90s, or various counter-cultures become subsumed within the mainstream. At a certain point, it is no longer subversive, but has become the new flavor within the mass media norm.

Such "subversions" become assimilated into the mass media and are no longer subversive. At this point, what are they subverting? Older norms, but they have become the new norm - that is why everyone wants to emulate the MCU.

Or, in other words: