D&D Movie Takes Cues From GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

We already know that the new Dungeons & Dragon movie, being produced by the producer of the LEGO movie, is going to be set in the Forgotten Realms. Producer Roy Lee said, while at DICE 2016, that it will have a tone akin to Guardians of the Galaxy. "This new Dungeons & Dragons will be a Guardians of the Galaxy-tone movie in a Tolkien-like universe. Because when you think of all the Hobbit movies and The Lord of the Rings, they have an earnestness to them, and to see something fun, a Raiders romp inside that world, I feel is something the audience has not seen before."

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There's more info in this article on Collider, but the pertinent facts are:

• The movie will take place entirely in the realm rather than having people transported from our world into the realm.
• The Yawning Portal will feature prominently and “it’s going to be one of people’s favorite set pieces.”
• It's an ensemble piece.
• Scriptwriter Leslie Johnson says "I believe they see Dungeons & Dragons as something that could be cultivated as a multi-universe movie where there will be spinoffs from the first movie being in Forgotten Realms and subsequent movies being in different worlds."

That last item is interesting. Different worlds? A Dragonlance or Ravenloft movie, perhaps?

 

[Hand of Evil]

Kind of wish they would do a tv/cable series, not a movie BUT only if they do a quality one, like Game of Thrones, Black Sails, Spartacus, Banshee, Walking Dead, where there is money behind it. Call it The Sword Coast and give us three to five years of episodes, that would be better than a two hour movie. I just fear what we would get was Shannara, low budget crap.

 

[Beleriphon]

Actually, I don't think that would be a bad thing, marketing-wise. A bit of controversy. The rest of the world can laugh at the minority talking the stupid, and WotC gets free publicity. It's 2016. It can only work in their favour. It might get it into very popular podcast, chat show, news program, newspaper. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity!

I don't think it'll ever happen again, though, for the same reasons that if it happened it would be beneficial: the internet.

To paraphrase my Prime Minister on tieflings: Because its 2016.

 

[Ryujin]

I understand your desire but then what's the point? What could a generic (as far as the public is concerned) DnD fantasy movie do better than LotR? I think this is going to end up as another Battleship rather than Lego Movie. I hope I'm wrong.

Exactly my thought. D&D has only one thing going for it, that other fantasy movies don't; that it's a game. Without that it's just generic fantasy setting #243. I wouldn't put a lot of the "real world" in such a movie but I would definitely use it as a framing device. It easily explains anachronistic comments and actions that seem out of sync with motivations of the fantasy characters.

I also wouldn't use the same actors in both worlds. It's a game. Show the escapist elements. Show that people can be whoever they want to be unbound by race, physicality, or sex.

 

[Ryujin]

Actually, I don't think that would be a bad thing, marketing-wise. A bit of controversy. The rest of the world can laugh at the minority talking the stupid, and WotC gets free publicity. It's 2016. It can only work in their favour. It might get it into very popular podcast, chat show, news program, newspaper. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity!

I don't think it'll ever happen again, though, for the same reasons that if it happened it would be beneficial: the internet.

It seems to me that roughly half the people in the United States might not see it your way. That's where Hollywood's marketing begins. Sure, things might play well in the rest of the world but if it doesn't pay in the domestic market, they consider it to be a failure.

 

[Von Ether]

Exactly my thought. D&D has only one thing going for it, that other fantasy movies don't; that it's a game. Without that it's just generic fantasy setting #243. I wouldn't put a lot of the "real world" in such a movie but I would definitely use it as a framing device. It easily explains anachronistic comments and actions that seem out of sync with motivations of the fantasy characters.

I also wouldn't use the same actors in both worlds. It's a game. Show the escapist elements. Show that people can be whoever they want to be unbound by race, physicality, or sex.

I could live with a big budget version of "Dorkness Rising."

 

[Mournblade94]

Does no-one else find this news kind of alarming?
Weren't the other movies a little heavy on the light-heartedness and failed because of it?
I'd much rather see a grittier movie along the same lines of the Baldur's Gate story or Planescape Torment. Why would they throw away the tones which they have had success with in the past, in favor of tones that they have had nothing but failure with in the past? This decision seems quite insane.

I find this very alarming.

Love Guardians of the Galaxy. Don't think it is a good model in general. It worked for them.

I don't want a goofy forgotten Realms movie. I hope they get the tone right. I am very disappointed in this announcement.

I also hope it is more Forgotten Realms fantasy and less game. Im not interested in a meta movie. I never liked those.

 

[Mournblade94]

It seems to me that roughly half the people in the United States might not see it your way. That's where Hollywood's marketing begins. Sure, things might play well in the rest of the world but if it doesn't pay in the domestic market, they consider it to be a failure.

I play D&D everyweek, I don't need to see people enacting it in a movie.

I need the IP to come alive. I already know what a roleplaying group looks like.

 

[Ryujin]

I play D&D everyweek, I don't need to see people enacting it in a movie.

I need the IP to come alive. I already know what a roleplaying group looks like.

And that's great for the tiny portion of the overall population who play RPGs. It does little for the rest of the world, who make or break a movie franchise. If you want to see more D&D movies you have to pull in the rest of the movie-going public, not just the tiny portion who already "get it."

 

[Mournblade94]

And that's great for the tiny portion of the overall population who play RPGs. It does little for the rest of the world, who make or break a movie franchise. If you want to see more D&D movies you have to pull in the rest of the movie-going public, not just the tiny portion who already "get it."

I just don't see how this in light of game of thrones and lotr would actually entice anyone to see the movie.

 

[Zaukrie]

Uh, I don't need a d and d game come alive. I would like good, generic, fantasy. What d and d has is decades of stories. Use those. Ymmv.