The Dungeons and Dragons film: Calls for shameless fan service

[Aeson]

I would use the players playing the game in the promotion material, not the movie itself. Why not do it straight like LoTR? Is that so bad?

 

[R_J_K75]

The opening scene is the party members first meeting in a tavern when the door slams open and an NPC runs in, randomly singles them out and approaches them to undertake a most epic quest where the fate of the multiverse hangs in the balance.

 

[Hussar]

I would use the players playing the game in the promotion material, not the movie itself. Why not do it straight like LoTR? Is that so bad?

Because we already have LotR. Or The Witcher. Or a hundred other straight fantasy stories.

Sure, they could do it straight, but, then, how is it not just "generic fantasy movie"? What makes it a D&D movie?

 

[Dausuul]

To be fair, the last one was a Canadian 125GP motorcycle racing champion, not a model

Wait, you can get motorcycle racing champions for only 125 gp? So much for inflation...

 

[Ath-kethin]

Sure, they could do it straight, but, then, how is it not just "generic fantasy movie"? What makes it a D&D movie?

IP. Specifically, WotC Product Identity. Nobody else is going to have beholders, illithids, or displacer beasts.

Now, the issue/concern they're likely to bring up is that making it "too D&D" might alienate non-gamers. But I don't see any reason that, if they focus on making a good movie that happens to incorporate classic D&D monsters and tropes, they can't make it work.

Jackson's Lord of the Rings didn't work because it was Lord of the Rings. It worked because he made compelling movies. The bits that made it Lord of the Rings may have done a lot of the marketing legwork, but that all means nothing if the movie sucks.

For evidence, see Dungeons & Dragons, 2000, plus sundry others.

 

[Ryujin]

I'd settle for the wizard being terrified of housecats.

Naah, the group just needs to see a gazebo on the hill and, with no warning or lead-in, violently attack it and burn it to the ground, in a scene that has no relevance to the rest of the story.

Also, someone needs to periodically produce a 10 foot pole from gods-know-where and ask if it would be useful in whatever situation they are in. After verifying that no, it wouldn't, the pole just disappears until the next time.

No one ever seemed to realize that the purpose of the 10 foot pole was to accurately measure, for making dungeon maps

 

[Ryujin]

The opening scene is the party members first meeting in a tavern when the door slams open and an NPC runs in, randomly singles them out and approaches them to undertake a most epic quest where the fate of the multiverse hangs in the balance.

If you haven't already watched the "Mythica" series, you should. They pretty much do the tropey D&D thing: Party formed in a tavern, through world saving levels of adventure, over the course of 5 movies. You can watch for free on The Fantasy Network.

EDIT - I think that the series might also now be available on Prime and Tubi.

 

[R_J_K75]

If you haven't already watched the "Mythica" series, you should. They pretty much do the tropey D&D thing: Party formed in a tavern, through world saving levels of adventure, over the course of 5 movies. You can watch for free on The Fantasy Network.

EDIT - I think that the series might also now be available on Prime and Tubi.

Is it comedy or drama/action or a little of both? I've been looking for something new to watch, so I'll check it out.

 

[Ryujin]

Is it comedy or drama/action or a little of both? I've been looking for something new to watch, so I'll check it out.

There's a little comedy in it. Especially if you think that Kevin Sorbo is funny when trying to be serious. (He has a few walk-on parts as the main character's mentor.)

 

[Ryujin]

Oh, also "The Mountain" from GoT is in the last of the series.

Correction: Hodor, not The Mountain.