D&D General D&D TV Show Announced

[LuisCarlos17f]

I guess Eberron has got a lot of (lottery) ballots, I mean there are many possibilities, it is very possible, because it is a setting very open and the "magictek" allows the creation of vehicles and monster mounts may be sold as toys. (and now I am trying to imagine an Eberron version of the vehicles of M.A.S.K. cartoon/toys).

Hasbro wanted an action-live, but this epidemic hasn't yet and then it is not enough safe.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Yes, agreed - a tv series would allow the episodic feel of D&D to unfold. A film would work well with one of the more epic stories, like Dragonlance Chronicles. At the very least, I'd prefer that a TV series start more from its sword and sorcery roots, and only gradually involve more epic fantasy tones.

MCU is a "dangerous" influence and role model. On one hand, I agree: the formula has worked really well. I personally eventually experienced MCU fatigue, but there's no denying that they're well-wrought and their commercial success means the proof is in the pudding. While the films are geared towards younger folks, they have broad appeal - in a similar way to, but even more so than, Pixar films. Perhaps most of all, they found a way to incorporate humor without overly diminishing the seriousness and epic quality.

But the problem is that it may not translate well to other venues, and is also probably more difficult to capture than dozens of MCU films imply. The humor is very contemporary America; that sort of humor might not work well in a fantasy world, or at least reduce any atmospheric qualities, and atmosphere is hugely important in fantasy. The LotR films successfully incorporated some humor, but it was light and felt organic to the world itself (e.g. hobbits being hobbits).

Here's an example of what I'm talking about, as far as "real world jokes" intruding upon a fantasy venue: Poe's joke about waiting on hold in The Last Jedi. Not only was the joke rather flat, it was based upon things from our world and broke the sense of the Star Wars universe being its own thing.

So my worry would be that a TV show would include a bunch of "nerd jokes" - wink-winks to the gamers and such - and try too hard to emulate the campy and fun nature of MCU, while at the same time diminishing fantasy atmosphere.

That's why I said "if done well." I agree that having comedy like the MCU could be hazardous territory, and doing only nerd jokes would fall flat for non-D&D players. A mix of those two and some other humor could help, IMO (maybe like Grog from Critical Role season 1, comedy from idiocy).

 

[MoonSong]

Movie or TV deal is more or less wishful thinking at this.

Basically if either comes out in the near future I'll upload a video drinking Baltika 9 out of my shoe.

QFT

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You may misunderstand how that industry works then. Just because it's announced that it's "In the works" doesn't mean it will EVER see broadcast. If it does it may look WILDLY different than when it started out. If it does it may be shlock, it may be an expensive flop, it could be ANYTHING right now - or nothing. Even if there's an announcement that it's in production it could end up as nothing but an unaired pilot.

Not trying to burst any bubbles but this announcement means nothing. It's just the first step away from, "We're not doing anything and not even thinking about it."

Yep. Don't bite on the hype until you start seeing actual casting. And don’t even then- lots of properties die even a couple weeks into filming.

Scripts and even some minor videos for The Fantastic Four movie floated around for a decade or so before one was made. An indie film version was killed pre-release in the mid-90s.

Elric movie ideas have meandered through Hollywood a couple decades longer.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Actually, do buy the hype.

The reason for mentioning this is to try and create enough internet buzz that a streaming company gets on board with the idea.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If I am sincere I feel a little confused about this. Why? Hasbro has got a deal with Paramount Pictures, but also with Disney. Onward has been a true wink to D&D, a soft way to say "Hasbro, if you forget Paramount and Netflix we can produce the best D&D cartoons and action-live productions". Some previous rumors told Netflix wanted to buy Paramount. But now after the happenings in the last year, Netflix and Disney will have to change their plans about future merging and acquisitions. Even the own crowd will be different, demanding other type of things, and complain about different rules of politically correct. Disney can't allow itself the mistake of a new "this is not my Star Wars any more". I have read Netflix and Disney aren't now in their best economic years, even before the epidemic. If both continue downhill, maybe they will merge to survive. Hasbro should think about the future relations with both companies, because they have been very useful in the past, but maybe they shouldn't be too close.

Dark Crystal has been cancelled by Netflix, and critics say it's one of the best titles for children in the last year. Hasbro has to notice about the risk of teleseries in Netflix where cancelation is a tendency.

 

[jgsugden]

I'm pretty sure we'll get something with the name Dungeons and Dragons on a screen in the next three years.

It just might not be that great of a product.

 

[jasper]

A Hasbro big cheese has said in a public statement that they are working on "a couple of approaches" to TV series. How is that not an announcement?

_
glass.

A couple of people in Hollywood he wanted to meet said yes to a meeting. He bought them lunch, and got autographs. Wrote it off as a business lunch.
Development Hell I think it is called.

 

[dave2008]

A Hasbro big cheese has said in a public statement that they are working on "a couple of approaches" to TV series. How is that not an announcement?
_
glass.

They made a public statement that there is pursuit of a TV series. It is a matter of piddly definition whether you consider that a TV show announcement.

I'm with @Morrus on this one. A Hasbro exec saying:

"They’re also working on a couple of different approaches, because there’s so much mythology in Canon to Dungeons & Dragons for live action television. And there’s been very strong interest.,"

is not, IMO, an announcement of a TV show. It is, at most, an announcement of interest in making a TV show. Very different things. There is not title, no script, no actors, no production what-so-ever. This is not the announcement you are looking for.

 

[Oofta]

To be fair, a couple of other web sites have that show up in my feed have been saying that it's been announced or similar language.

But even if they were starting filming tomorrow, it doesn't really mean anything until it's actually been released and cancelled after season 2 on netflix.