General D&D Movie Moves Forward With Deal With Former Marvel Exec Jeremy Latcham

[Prakriti]

While I am not a fan of them trying to put Drow in a movie, why can't they just use actual Black actors for the parts of the Drow?

Because Drow have always been depicted as having Caucasian features and gray skin. Blacks do not have Caucasian features or gray skin.

 

[Parmandur]

The report from the script leak on this Paramount script a bit ago suggests that the main villain will be a Drow, and the main hero a Human, who they were looking for a PoC to play. That would tackle the issue by the horns pretty effectively.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The report from the script leak on this Paramount script a bit ago suggests that the main villain will be a Drow, and the main hero a Human, who they were looking for a PoC to play. That would tackle the issue by the horns pretty effectively.

It think that script was dropped when the brought in Jeremy Latcham (if not earlier).

 

[Parmandur]

It think that script was dropped when the brought in Jeremy Latcham (if not earlier).

Who knows? The story outline may or may not remain. They could probably fill volumes with the material they've generated over the course of this movie development saga...and of they do someday, I'll buy the book...

 

[Traycor]

If you find that strange, you need to step outside the geek bubble a bit more often.

What I find strange is the idea that a character has to be widely known in culture. That's outright false. Many many many projects have been optioned for films because there is some kind of fanbase, but usually (almost always) the character is not widely known or popular outside their bubble until the film is made. The studios still care about that (limited) fanbase because it helps promote the film.

Drizzt has been consistently bestselling books for decades. Many properties are optioned as films well past their peak popularity. I guarantee you the studio at least considered Drizzt, even if they ultimately go another way. Any kind of following matters.

Same goes for Minsc. He wouldn't be the star, but they would consider including him because every little bit helps.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Yeah, my feeling is that the main villain should not be CGI to start. If you look at the greatest MCU villains (in my opinion) - Loki, Killmonger, Thanos, with one exception they aren't CGI creations. And Thanos works because so much of Josh Brolin's performance is infused into what we see on the screen.

A big budget D&D movie is already going to be swimming in CGI, and will need real actors on-screen to ground it.

To big a bad for a first film. Need to keep her back for potential sequels. Also, 100% CGI.

 

[AcererakTriple6]

A big budge D&D movie is already going to be swimming in CGI, and will need real actors on-screen to ground it.

It's going to need to be good CGI. We don't need another Cats situation.

 

[Oofta]

It's going to need to be good CGI. We don't need another Cats situation.

Hopefully they don't bring in the same FX team to do a bunch of tabaxi.

 

[AcererakTriple6]

Hopefully they don't bring in the same FX team to do a bunch of tabaxi.

I second that request.

 

[Bohandas]

It's going to need to be good CGI. We don't need another Cats situation.

Yeah, wtf was even up with that movie? They might as well have just put everyone in the crummy costumes fron the stage show for all the good it did them.

 

[AcererakTriple6]

Yeah, wtf was even up with that movie? They might as well have just put everyone in the crummy costumes fron the stage show for all the good it did them.

It's called the "uncanny valley" and is why the original Sonic the Hedgehog trailer still haunts your nightmares.

 

[Traycor]

@Parmandur got me thinking about those old articles. The one from thathashtagshow said the leads they were after included:
Will Smith, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Matthew McConaughey, Jamie Foxx, Joel Edgerton, Dave Bautista, Jeremy Renner and Johnny Depp

Now that Jeremy Latcham is on board as the producer, I wonder if they'll be able snag this kind of top-tier talent.

 

[Bohandas]

It's called the "uncanny valley" and is why the original Sonic the Hedgehog trailer still haunts your nightmares.

Yeah, but that looked like they tried and failed, whereas Cats looked like they didn't try at all. They all still looked like actors in bad cat costumes rather than looking like CGI cats however poorly designed and animated. What's the point of motion capture of you're not gonna change anything?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Drizzt has been consistently bestselling books for decades. Many properties are optioned as films well past their peek popularity.

No. Get in touch. It used to be that Drizzt novels where best sellers in the "Science Fiction and Fantasy" genres, but the last couple of Drizzt novels have sunk without trace, not even making the top 100 fantasy releases.

Drizzt is pretty much the definition of a has-been hero.

Woundn't necessarily be a problem if Drizzt was inherently an interesting character, but Legolas stole his moves, and Twighlight stole his angst.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah, but that looked like they tried and failed, whereas Cats looked like they didn't try at all. They all still looked like actors in bad cat costumes rather than looking like CGI cats however poorly designed and animated. What's the point of motion capture of you're not gonna change anything?

I think that was simply a case of an overinflated ego with a "vision".

Also, if the cgi had been good, the lack of anything resembling a plot would have been called out more.

Sonic was fixed.

 

[Badvoc]

Interesting theory on potential casting.

Here's a thought.... Karen Gillan (Doctor Who & GoTG) appears in the
@Wizards_DnD
Live 2020 promo video, but isn't mentioned anywhere in the schedule.... Do we reckon maybe there'll be an announcement that she's been cast in the D&D film?

 

[Traycor]

No. Get in touch. It used to be that Drizzt novels where best sellers in the "Science Fiction and Fantasy" genres, but the last couple of Drizzt novels have sunk without trace, not even making the top 100 fantasy releases.

Hmm... you quoted where I said decades (which is true) and then quoted where I said "past peak popularity." Not sure what your argument is.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, aren't those last couple of books about Jarlaxle and Zaknafein? I would guess Drizzt is barely even in them.

 

[Mistwell]

If the drow look like this, will there be an issue?

If the drow look like this, will there be an issue?

 

[ardoughter]

What the drow actually look like, is in my mind immaterial. The case will be made while most people will yet have seen the movie. Most of the people that jump on the bandwagon will have done so, while not having seen the movie. It has been so for every controversial movie of my lifetime, as far as I can tell, going back to the Life of Brian.
Whether the bandwagon takes off or not, is very much a matter of the moment and who starts it rolling. Its momentum, usually is independent of the merit of the case.
It just strikes me as a completely unnecessary risk, when there is so much material that can be drawn from that have none of the issues. Why take that risk?

 

[Oofta]

If the drow look like this, will there be an issue?

If the drow look like this, will there be an issue?

It's difficult for black to show much dept in art which is why in the old comics Superman had blue hair and we have purple or gray drow.

But yes, I think "the evil elven race is just white people in black face with pointy ears" or "black actors in pointy ears depict a race that overwhelmingly evil" then I think there could well be an issue.

In addition, there are very few people that have skin tone dark enough to match what is depicted for drow.