D&D General What Are Dragonlance's Weis & Hickman, and Actor Manganiello Cooking Up?

Actor and D&D superfan Joe Manganiello and Dragonlance co-author Tracy Hickman have both posted a cryptic image on their respective social medias showing themselves, along with Margaret Weis standing together in front of a large dragon statue at Wizards of the Coast's offices in Renton, Washington.

Hickman's image was accompanied by the words "Something is coming...", and in Manganiello's case "WE'RE BACK", to which Wizards of the Coast replied "Welcome back to the table!" A later photograph from Weis also included Laura Hickman and Dan Ayoub, who was named head of Dungeons & Dragons back in July of this year.

The posts have sparked speculation as to what they might mean, with guesses ranging from a revival of Manganiello's Dragonlance TV show project--which was no longer in development after he stated in February 2024 that "Dragonlance is not a property WotC are interested in developing further currently"--to a new Dragonlance-based D&D adventure.

Weis and Hickman co-wrote a new Dragonlance trilogy in recent years following a legal dust-up with Wizards of the Coast which was ultimately dismissed without prejudice, so it would seem that any bad blood from the dispute has been left in the past.

The question now remains--what are they all cooking up this time?

 

[Dire Bare]

That being said, it's a completely different scale. The entire Chronicles trilogy fits within the first two Wheel of Time books, page-count wise.

Well . . . if they include the "Lost Chronicles" and other disparate elements of the story. If the script writers start with the original trilogy, add the Lost Chronicles trilogy, add in elements from the original game modules, and other bits and pieces added on over the decades . . . the "Dragonlance Chronicles" becomes a much larger story!

Although yeah, still not Wheel of Time order of magnitude . . . unless we're thinking on the franchise level with the hundreds of Dragonlance sequels and prequels published!!!

 

[Dire Bare]

Weiss and Hickman have been adamant that WotCs 5E Dragonlance is not their Dragonlance. Hence they the new novels are "Classic Dragonlance".

Weiss and Hickman do not own or control Dragonlance. At all. The story, the characters, the world, the entire franchise is 100% owned by WotC. WotC does not need W&H's permission or approval for anything Dragonlance.

Now, WotC realizes that involving W&H and having that be a positive, friendly relationship can help make the project successful, so that's what they are doing. But W&H do not have veto power on story or world-building elements.

 

[mamba]

I mean, the gods had their true magic-using clerics all disappear during the Cataclysm. If that wasn't the gods abandoning their people, I don't know what is.

that was the gods saving the true believers from the by then unavoidable Cataclysm due to all the other people having abandoned the gods.

I agree they are all jerks, lines up pretty well with stories about gods in plenty of (formerly) existing faiths though

 

[DarkCrisis]

Weiss and Hickman do not own or control Dragonlance. At all. The story, the characters, the world, the entire franchise is 100% owned by WotC. WotC does not need W&H's permission or approval for anything Dragonlance.

Now, WotC realizes that involving W&H and having that be a positive, friendly relationship can help make the project successful, so that's what they are doing. But W&H do not have veto power on story or world-building elements.

I am aware. I also think they wouldnt want their names attached to stuff they dont approve of

 

[Marc Radle]

I just re read the originally trilogy recently and it really holds up. I kept imagining it as a TV series as I read and it made me really sad that it wasn’t happening …

Now the thought that it might be happening after all is awesome!

 

[Umbran]

Mod Note:
Folks,

Discussion of real-world religion isn't appropriate on this site. Please step away from that area of discussion. Thanks.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Considering some of the bizarre societies that sprang up in the real world, yeah - I could see it working. (Maybe not for terribly long, but then again...)

One of the things I've often wondered is if Goldmoon's mother (or father) might not have been a plainsman or she inherited her traits from one of her non-plainsfolk ancestors.

...Or, she might have been taken in as an orphan or Moses-case as raised as if a nativeborn, though you'd think that sort of thing would have stood out in a way that one of the companions at some point would have floated that question if that was the case.

Goldmoon is a descendant of an elf (See the Dark Queen novel) as well as a Xak Tsaroth cleric named Michael. Riverwind's ancestors include a Solamnian. Both of them had lots of ancestors who weren't Que-Shu so being blonde really isn't here nor there.

 

[Autumnal]

It’s all misdirection. They’re work on an Age of Sigmar show.

Okay, or not.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I meant in general. WoT is probably the biggest non-Tolkien fantasy ever (maybe Stormlight has surpassed in in sales?) and still could not hold an audience. I think GoT was an anomaly and DL would legit bomb no matter how good the production was because the story just isn't very good.

GoT managed to look good and have interesting characters established in episode 1. The TV adaptation of WoT had unlikeable characters and looked a bit naff. It’s amazing it lasted as long as it did. Frankly, I don’t think the quality of the original novels really matters in order to make a successful TV show. If DL could manage cool eye candy and likeable main characters (with good actors) it could do just fine.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

GoT managed to look good and have interesting characters established in episode 1. The TV adaptation of WoT had unlikeable characters and looked a bit naff. It’s amazing it lasted as long as it did. Frankly, I don’t think the quality of the original novels really matters in order to make a successful TV show. If DL could manage cool eye candy and likeable main characters (with good actors) it could do just fine.

Yes, but once the showrunners ran out of books to adapt and the creator left the writers room the show took a massive turn. A good story doesn't matter if the showrunners can't adapt it competently.