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?

 

[mamba]

I would not in any way call that art cheesy.

cheesecake, i.e. 50s-style pinup, not cheesy, see esp. Tika

 

[Scribe]

Elmore's art was definitive in defining the look of the main characters, and I would not in any way call that art cheesy.

 

[Azzy]

If Dragonlance is going to stay beholden to Elmore's artwork, then it should remain buried in the past.

 

[Parmandur]

why would he

Because that is how he is depicted in the art of the original material, here is one non-bearded image of Tanis thst shows off the clothing details, but it is a pretty consistent pattern:

Now, in the context of the mid-80s in rural Wisconsin, I think itnis clear the artists and writers were juat trying to get a different flavor going from straight Renn-Faire attire...but yeah, any modern adaptation has some sensitivity waters to navigate very carefully.

 

[Scribe]

If Dragonlance is going to stay beholden to Elmore's artwork, the it should remain buried in the past.

Better that, than changed as I always say. If its just 'so offensive' then forget it, leave it as is as a positive memory for the rest of us.

 

[Azzy]

Better that, than changed as I always say. If its just 'so offensive' then forget it, leave it as is as a positive memory for the rest of us.

Why not do what humans have done throughout the history of mankind, and keep reinterpreting old stories to be more reflective of the current audience of the time? I mean, look at how the King Arthur legend has been reinterpreted throughout the centuries. The Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot, the Holy Grail, etc. were all later add-ons. Compared to that, swapping the ethnicities of a couple characters is inconsequential.

 

[Scribe]

Why not do what humans have done throughout the history of mankind, and keep reinterpreting old stories to be more reflective of the current audience of the time? I mean, look at how the King Arthur legend has been reinterpreted throughout the centuries. The Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot, the Holy Grail, etc. were all later add-ons. Compared to that, swapping the ethnicities of a couple characters is inconsequential.

Because I'm tired of "really cool subversive" changes to the IPs I'm a fan of for questionable purposes.

Write new stories if you don't want to tell them as they are.

God, we really did luck out with LotR.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Because I'm tired of "really cool subversive" changes to the IPs I'm a fan of for questionable purposes.

Write new stories if you don't want to tell them as they are.

God, we really did luck out with LotR.

Are you aware that Peter Jackson’s trilogy aren’t the first movie adaptations of Tolkien’s works?

Ralph Bakshi’s rotoscope animated Lord of the Rings movie was released in 1978. In it Aragorn is depicted as a Native American, though his actor is English. It’s a pretty interesting stylistic choice.

I generally don’t think changing the ethnicity of a fantasy character in an adaptation is that big of a deal. It often does not matter much, if at all. While there are definitely stories where the character’s race matters, those generally take place on Earth and explore how it affects them and how people treat them. That’s generally not a consideration in fantasy worlds where people care more about which species you are than what your skin tone is.

I admit it’s been a while since I read the Dragonlance books. I didn’t particularly enjoy them. But I also don’t remember the ethnicity of Goldmoon mattering all that much for her role in the story. She’s the cleric that brings back the old gods. Her being blonde-haired, blue-eyed is a reference to Joseph Smith. I don’t think any adaptation needs to keep the real-world religious stuff in Dragonlance. I think the series would be improved if it avoided it.

 

[bedir than]

If people can deal with multiethnic casts for Shakespeare I think we can handle it in pulp fiction.

That or you're going to have to start demanding Othello is played by a white dude because that was historically true.

 

[Azzy]

Because I'm tired of "really cool subversive" changes to the IPs I'm a fan of for questionable purposes.

Why is changing a few ethnicities "subversive" to you?