While itnis true, it is still both a physically compact and thematically focused Setting, as opposed to the govsmackomg smorgasbord of the Forgotten Realms.
It is both, a huge opportunity without needing to worry about ruining a preexisting story...but also a challenge, because they have to build without a preexisting story.
Obviously, two books is on the table, but for Dark Sun in particular...with such a small Setting (smaller than the Adventure area in Princes of the Apocalypse, which is in the middle of nowhere)...it would suffice.
Wouldn't be shocked at all. In fact, if Dark Sun does eventually, next year is just going to be an in-style year for grimdsrl post-apocalyptic fantasy, with the Mistborn RPG also dropping.
Very possible, though a quick search doesn't find any acknowledgement of an influence.
Hidden Fortress is still a pretty archetypal heroic story, just the viewpoint framing is from the picaresque farmers.
Yup, the OG was inspired heavily by The Hidden Fortress, and Akira Kurosawa Samjrai movie about two peasants who traipize through the background of a high stakes Samjrai drama.
Importantly, he says that after Ed Harris addresses him as "sailor"...so that is pretty clearly the screenwriter lampshading the Bond connection. In fact, I saw a crazed conspiracy video once that connected Harris character to the incident where Connery Bond faked his death in Southeast Asia...