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?

 

[Ryujin]

God I actually wanted a sci fi version of that using Traveller 2300's background having those 2 travelling on a small trade ship using their contacts to pay their way keeping the humour but using some of the game idea's for the series!

There was a Kickstarter for a show called "Spinward Traveller" that might have fulfilled that wish if the whole thing hadn't ended in recriminations, anger, and unfulfilled promises. I looked into the carnage. Not good.

 

[colinfit20]

There was a Kickstarter for a show called "Spinward Traveller" that might have fulfilled that wish if the whole thing hadn't ended in recriminations, anger, and unfulfilled promises. I looked into the carnage. Not good.

Actually put money into that.
Watched the clips they showed thought they were rather good even if far from complete!
Didn't expect much the cast certainly did a good job not so sure about all the bad stuff you mentioned shame we probably never see a serial based around T2300!

 

[Ryujin]

Actually put money into that.
Watched the clips they showed thought they were rather good even if far from complete!
Didn't expect much the cast certainly did a good job not so sure about all the bad stuff you mentioned shame we probably never see a serial based around T2300!

They had some good actors involved, with Brian Lewis playing the title character. It's a miracle that someone in Hollyweird hasn't snapped that guy up yet. I don't want to go too far afield in this thread so I'll just say a 10 second google search for the name "Ken Whitman" will answer all of your questions about my bad stuff comment.

 

[robus]

Read some of the comments but I'll also leave my vote for something that cleverly meshes a charismatic group of players around a table with a fantasy adventure. Have one of the players describe an action and then switch seemlessly switch to the adventure to see how that all turns out. Switch back to the players when the encounter or dungeon crawl ends using the DMs voice to bring the viewer back out of the adventure and into the living room where the story continues.

For something a bit more irreverent something like Stranger than Fiction could be attempted where the characters "hear" voices narrating their actions. But I think that might getting tiring after a while.

I think the best thing would be to have a engaging group of young people (early teens) be the players with a mom or dad being the DM.

But I think WoTC think that the Forgotten Realms is up there with LotR and thus will do it entirely in the fantasy realm. I think that won't offer enough storytelling freshness to be engaging.

But what do I know

 

[Giant2005]

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.

 

[Brodie]

Read some of the comments but I'll also leave my vote for something that cleverly meshes a charismatic group of players around a table with a fantasy adventure. Have one of the players describe an action and then switch seemlessly switch to the adventure to see how that all turns out. Switch back to the players when the encounter or dungeon crawl ends using the DMs voice to bring the viewer back out of the adventure and into the living room where the story continues.

For something a bit more irreverent something like Stranger than Fiction could be attempted where the characters "hear" voices narrating their actions. But I think that might getting tiring after a while.

I think the best thing would be to have a engaging group of young people (early teens) be the players with a mom or dad being the DM.

But I think WoTC think that the Forgotten Realms is up there with LotR and thus will do it entirely in the fantasy realm. I think that won't offer enough storytelling freshness to be engaging.

But what do I know

Have you seen The Gamers or The Gamers: Dorkness Rising? (There's a third - Hands of Fate - but that one involves CCGs instead of RPGs.) Those two use that exact premise. Dorkness Rising is the better of the two, with the story putting equal focus on both the players and the fictional setting and making you care about both equally. While I'd like to see a big Hollywood movie like that with a big budget for the fantasy side, I don't think it would work as well as an independent film and wouldn't sell tickets.

Then again, they could pull an ending similar to the Lego Movie and surprise us. Thinking of the Lego Movie now has me hoping they can cast Chris Pratt in the D&D movie.

 

[Zaukrie]

I have zero interest in gamers and our real world. Give me a fantasy world.

 

[horacethegrey]

I have zero interest in gamers and our real world. Give me a fantasy world.

Seconded. 4th wall breaking shenanigans hold no appeal for me. I want to watch a D&D movie with a fantasy world we can immerse ourselves in for just two or more hours. Leave the meta commentary for a parody or something.

 

[Tonguez]

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.

yes when I first saw that I was a bit iffy too and immediately thought Snails, Nooooo!

but then Wayans is a parody comedian, what did they expect other than a parody performance! I think that if you look at the the examples of the great fantasy movies then humour has been a part of them. In particular I'm thinking of the likes of Dragonheart and Willow rather than LoTR or Narnia, even something like Inkheart (I enjoyed it).

 

[robus]

I have zero interest in gamers and our real world. Give me a fantasy world.

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.