D&D Movie/TV Chris Pine To Star In D&D Movie

The long, slow process towards a modern take on D&D movies took a large step forward with the announcement of a huge star signed to the project. Considering that filming is set to start soon a cascade of announcements should be revealed in initiative order imminently. Filming begins in Q1 2021.

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley will be directing the film which features "an ensemble cast and take a subversive approach to the game."

Chris Pine In Talks To Star In ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ For eOne And Paramount; Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley Direct

Chris Pine To Star In 'Dungeons & Dragons'

deadline.com

Chris Pine has closed a deal to star in Dungeons & Dragons, the live action film based on Hasbro’s massively popular role-playing game from Wizards of the Coast. Hasbro/eOne and Paramount are jointly producing and financing, with eOne distributing in the UK and Canada, and Paramount the rest of the world.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

No need! The talent or appeal of various actors and celebrities is something I tend to be very glib about and you had no way of knowing that (I went back to check and oops! no winky emoji from me!) I genuinely do not like the actor's work (or maybe it is just the films he's been in?) but he could still be great in a D&D movie - I think it would depend more on the film's tack than any one actor.

Fair enough! I think his performance in the third Star Trek movie seals, for me, his suitedness to play a fantasy leading role. I enjoy him when he is on screen, but he rarely wows me. I do consider him quite a good actor, though.

And he's reliably competent and good for the success of any halfway decent movie, which makes me hopeful. Especially with huge nerds making the film, and the film having enough of a budget to justify grabbing him.

 

[TheSword]

My guess is that it will either be the sort of thing we'd see a crusader use in a movie, or something closer to a classic "viking sword", ie something very familiar, or something weird and unique and quite fantasy. I would be happy with a rapier, but I don't have the bias against them that some dnd players do. The only thing I'm strongly hoping against is the used of a longsword as if it is a heavy, unwieldy, weapon. I'm very, very, tired of that nonsense.

Oh dear gods above, you're serious. Firstly, the premise that critical acclaim doesn't count if it is a genre specific award is worthy of nothing more or less than enthusiastic derision. To put it kindly. A more honest and accurate appraisal would pretty much require me to break forum rules, because the line between criticism of an absolutely laughable argument and the person who made it is always fairly thin.

Second, if you are going to argue that Ursula Leguin, Guy Gavriel Kay, Neil Gaiman, among others, are not critically acclaimed, then you're simply proving objectively that you can't be taken seriously on the subject.

I’m saying that fantasy fiction does not compete critically with other works at the highest level.

If you look at the main literary awards, Pulitzer, Nobel, Booker, National Literature Prize. Fantasy winners are almost non-existent.

You mentioned Ursula le Guinn. She was the finalist for a Pulitzer... but not for fantasy writing.

I don’t think it’s a huge astonishment for a fantasy or sci-fi series to be the winner for a Locus or Hugo, when they are categories for Sci-fi and fantasy. The only entries are sci-fi and fantasy They have to have their own awards just to get any recognition for Pete’s sake.

I love these books. I’m a massive fan of fantasy and sci-fi. I just can’t quite believe you believe they stand up critically against other genres. Or rather if you do, then the last hundred years of major book award judges don’t agree with you

The one exception I’ve found is the Jungle Book, that won a Nobel prize in 1907. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s of it’s time.

Now when it comes to awards for kids fiction, fantasy is all over it. What a shame fantasy for adults doesn’t get a look in.

 

[Laurefindel]

Hell, I don't know why anyone is even taking seriously the "criticism" of someone who thinks that the entire genre of Fantasy is less than other genres. It's an entirely laughable position, deserving of no more genuine engagement than, "Fantasy is dumb because magic isn't real".

That sentiment does exist however, and may not even be shared by Sword.

There was a time where fantasy, science-fiction, pulp-action novels, and basically everything that wasn’t historical, allegorical, or highly intellectualised was frowned upon by the literary establishments and considered on the same level as Harlequin novels as « disposable » or « mundane ». To a certain extent, it still is.

That isn’t an opinion I share, but it is a fact I acknowledge.

 

[el-remmen]

Fair enough! I think his performance in the third Star Trek movie seals, for me.

You know, that was the only one of those films I actually enjoyed watching. I didn't think his performance had much to do with it, but your post makes me want to re-watch it and pay closer attention.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Thank you! I knew I'd seen that face before.

You'll see him again in Wonder Woman 1984 on Dec. 25.

Not sure his career is in a lot of danger.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

You know, that was the only one of those films I actually enjoyed watching. I didn't think his performance had much to do with it, but your post makes me want to re-watch it and pay closer attention.

It is one of the good Trek movies, for sure. Reaffirms what Trek is, while going on a wild ride.

And it's a very DnD movie, IMO.

 

[TheSword]

That sentiment does exist however, and may not even be shared by Sword.

There was a time where fantasy, science-fiction, pulp-action novels, and basically everything that wasn’t historical, allegorical, or highly intellectualised was frowned upon by the literary establishments and considered on the same level as Harlequin novels as « disposable » or « mundane ». To a certain extent, it still is.

That isn’t an opinion I share, but it is a fact I acknowledge.

It is unfortunate and that time is still now.

I dont like it. But the awards are an objective fact.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’m saying that fantasy fiction does not compete critically with other works at the highest level.

If you look at the main literary awards, Pulitzer, Nobel, Booker, National Literature Prize. Fantasy winners are almost non-existent.

You mentioned Ursula le Guinn. She was the finalist for a Pulitzer... but not for fantasy writing.

I don’t think it’s a huge astonishment for a fantasy or sci-fi series to be the winner for a Locus or Hugo, when they are categories for Sci-fi and fantasy. The only entries are sci-fi and fantasy They have to have their own awards just to get any recognition for Pete’s sake.

I love these books. I’m a massive fan of fantasy and sci-fi. I just can’t quite believe you believe they stand up critically against other genres. Or rather if you do, then the last hundred years of major book award judges don’t agree with you

The history of art tells us only one thing with any real clarity. The critics and judges are more often hidebound idiots than people of any real insight. Pretending that their moronic biases against genre fiction have any merit does you no credit.
"The highest level" is not a thing with literally any merit of any kind whatsoever. Half of the literary "canon" is mediocre crap that got into the canon by way of telling stuck up old men things that everyone else already knew and managing to sound pithy while doing so, or else told them what they wanted to hear while being mildly poetic.

I love Hemingway. I find his work a genuine joy to read. Nothing he ever wrote is as well constructed, meaningful, beautiful, or worthy of accolade as any of a half dozen books by Guy Gavriel Kay, Ursula LeGuin, Neil Gaiman, or the better half or so of Stephen Kings work (which varies in quality vastly more than most great authors, ranging from the sublime and profoundly important to just...really lame crap).

Hell, Rothfuss is a better author than half of the Western Literary Canon, and I don't even put him in the top five of post Tolkein Fantasy authors.

That sentiment does exist however, and may not even be shared by Sword.

I would be willing to bet that Sword is playing devil's advocate, more than expressing a sentiment they actually believe. Still, it's a foolish sentiment that needs to be challenge quite harshly whenever it rears it's disgusting head.

The literary canon is a bad joke. It has absolutely no validity, and it never has. That people take it seriously is an indictment of the human ability and willingness to actually examine and think about the world around them and the information they receive.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It is unfortunate and that time is still now.

I dont like it. But the awards are an objective fact.

That the awards exist? Sure.

That they have any value or meaning? Not at all.


And they certainly don't tell us what the general audience wants or enjoys, which is where this started.

hell, the genre fiction awards tell us more about that, and even they don't tell us much that is reliable. A little. It's useful information to know what the editors, creators, and others involved in the creation of genre fiction think about a new work in that field. It doesn't tell us anything objective, however.

 

[TheSword]

The history of art tells us only one thing with any real clarity. The critics and judges are more often hidebound idiots than people of any real insight. Pretending that their moronic biases against genre fiction have any merit does you no credit.
"The highest level" is not a thing with literally any merit of any kind whatsoever. Half of the literary "canon" is mediocre crap that got into the canon by way of telling stuck up old men things that everyone else already knew and managing to sound pithy while doing so, or else told them what they wanted to hear while being mildly poetic.

I love Hemingway. I find his work a genuine joy to read. Nothing he ever wrote is as well constructed, meaningful, beautiful, or worthy of accolade as any of a half dozen books by Guy Gavriel Kay, Ursula LeGuin, Neil Gaiman, or the better half or so of Stephen Kings work (which varies in quality vastly more than most great authors, ranging from the sublime and profoundly important to just...really lame crap).

Hell, Rothfuss is a better author than half of the Western Literary Canon, and I don't even put him in the top five of post Tolkein Fantasy authors.



I would be willing to bet that Sword is playing devil's advocate, more than expressing a sentiment they actually believe. Still, it's a foolish sentiment that needs to be challenge quite harshly whenever it rears it's disgusting head.

The literary canon is a bad joke. It has absolutely no validity, and it never has. That people take it seriously is an indictment of the human ability and willingness to actually examine and think about the world around them and the information they receive.

Well sure, people who don’t win the awards ever... have to find an issue with the process/awards/judges. It’s the only way they can justify to themselves why they aren’t being recognized like the others.

You mistake me. My feeing isn’t that I don’t read, like or rate fantasy books. I love them. Then again the whole point of an awards is to move away from individual tastes to a panel that crosses one one individual thinks. Same with Academy Awards, same with Golden Globes.

Incidentally the judges of these works aren’t typically hidebound idiots. Rather they are experts at the top of their game...

The Pulitzer Prizes

www.pulitzer.org

National Book Awards 2020 - National Book Foundation

www.nationalbook.org

The Nobel Committee for Literature

The Nobel Committee for Literature at the Swedish Academy is responsible for the selection of candidates for the literature prize from the names submitted for consideration by qualified nominators, who […]

www.nobelprize.org

You can be as scathing as you like about these experts though. It does you a disservice though and sounds more than a little bitter.