D&D Movie/TV D&D Movie: 'A Sigh of Relief' & Regé-Jean Page Plays A Paladin

One of the stars of the upcoming D&D movie -- Regé-Jean Page of Bridgerton fame -- spoke to Variety about the production. He also reveals he is playing a paladin!

According to Variety --

Page was immediately drawn to the project based on the film’s script, predicting that it will be a “huge sigh of relief for ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ fans everywhere,” noting that in a post-MCU world, genre storytelling has been elevated and, in his estimation, this film steps up to and continues to raise the bar.

While he hasn't played D&D, Page thinks of himself as a 'second-generation Dungeons and Drgaoner" --

“I’ve listened to a couple of ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ podcasts in my time. I played a ton of JRPGs [Japanese role-playing games] and basically everything that’s come out of it,” he explains. “I played a ton of ‘Diablo’ as a teenager, so I’m used to the fact that I play a paladin — that’s just what I do, and I know what that means, to a degree. I watched my friends play ‘Baldur’s Gate,’ so I’m like a second-generation ‘Dungeons and Dragoner.”

Variety also spoke to the directors, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, about Page's role and performance in the film --

When asked if Page, who’s mostly been seen in dramas, like “Roots,” “For the People” and “Bridgerton,” will get to show off his comedy chops, Goldstein teases: “[The role] allows him to show a full spectrum of his talent.”

“He naturally exudes a sense of dignity and heroism that is fitting for the fantasy genre, and is perfect for the role we cast him in,” Daley adds, explaining what made Page a good candidate for the film’s ensemble, which features Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head, Jason Wong and Hugh Grant[/callout[

 

[Fandabidozi]

I’d have picked rogue or bard based on what I’ve seen him in but I’m sure he’ll be great. I always pick play Paladin in Diablo, Baldur’s Gate and WoW as well!

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Now, the next question is will he be playing a Human Paladin or be of another race/lineage/whatever the new official term is? Would the people making the movie be so clueless as to make him a Drow? Or perhaps half-Drow, and that plays into the plot somehow? Who is the good Drow deity he could be a Paladin of? But regardless, because of his build, he may be an elf of some kind or another, anyway.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Would the people making the movie be so clueless as to make him a Drow?

No.

 

[bedir than]

Would the people making the movie be so clueless as to make him a Drow?

Would the people who are quite literally 5e authors be clueless about 5e? No. They wouldn't

 

[Umbran]

If this wasn't labelled as a D&D movie, I daresay most ENWorld posters would be really excited about this fantasy movie, between the creators, casting and stated direction. Then we'd be seeing threads full of "why isn't there a D&D movie like this?"

No lies detected.

 

[Professor Murder]

For me, it's going to come down to money. Are they willing to throw a real budget at this when all is said and done?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This reads a bit like a misdirect - if he was going to be funny, they would have said that.

But a good paladin is a fantastic strait man, and that will probably be needed.

I can imagine Page's square, straight-laced paladin (channelling cop) being forced to work with Pine's roguish, anti-establishment rogue.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

...

Nah.

They wouldn't use the term Paladin if they didn't want to evoke specific ideals about Lawful Goodness.

Especially the part where the director say "He naturally exudes a sense of dignity and heroism that is fitting for the fantasy genre, and is perfect for the role we cast him in” which flatly states that the role he's in is a dignified and heroic one.

In this film, characters will conform to their traditional archetypes. Paladins are lawful stupid, rogues are roguish, wizards are geeky, druids are tree hugging hippies, etc. You can't subvert an architype until you establish the baseline.

 

[akr71]

hm, little bit frightened now.. "comedy" ? we've seen comedy in a D&D movie before, we all know where that went..

I'm still hopeful that the comedy will be in the vein of "Guardians of Galaxy" & "Thor: Ragnarok" - it worked really well there IMO.

 

[Mort]

For me, it's going to come down to money. Are they willing to throw a real budget at this when all is said and done?

Considering the writing /directing team and the actors involved they already HAVE thrown "real" money at this movie.