Hasbro 4th Quarter Report

[Scribble]

I am very surprised that the Digital Initiative for WotC was specifically called out when it is such a small part of the overall Hasbro company. Perhaps this suggests that there are much larger plans at work. Perhaps it will be the basis of a WoW-like MMORPG at some point?

Nah I think it was mentioned because he was talking specifically at that point about stuff that they were putting money into all year but didn't start generating any income until the 4th quarter.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Melba, why do you think any D&D movie will end up as campy trash? Hollywood has gotten pretty good about avoiding campyness in their recent ataptations (See Dark Knight, for example.)

A D&D movie isn't necessarily going to be good, but that doesn't mean it's going to be campy.

See Land of the Lost as a counterexample.

 

[Scribble]

Really it all depends on who writes it, and who wants to direct it.

Dark Knight is what it is because Nolan specificaly wanted to do a super hero story that tapped into elements of noir crime dramas like Heat.

So if a good director who cares about the medium steps up tot he plate, they could do a D&D movie that wasn't ultra campy.

More then likely though, if they planned to make a D&D blockbuster, they'd give it to Micheal Bay.

 

[Starsunder]

I'm curious... how would you, as gamers, react if Hasbro made a D&D movie based on the 80's cartoon? Let's say they have a huge budget and top talent involved.

Would you see it? Would you be outraged?

Personally, I'd dig it. I think any D&D movie is going to turn out as campy trash no matter how hard the filmmakers try, so a slightly tongue-in-cheek movie based on the cartoon, imho, could be goofy fun.

Can't you just see it?

Eric's dad is a nuclear physicist experimenting with quantum mechanics when he opens a portal to The Realm. The Kids are drawn through the portal. Cue encounter with Tiamat, Venger, and DM. Then the kids set out on a crazy fantasy adventure to get home. A parent or adult eventually follows them, and is captured by Venger. Venger learns of "the real world", and the film climaxes as Venger leaps into the real world, let's say Pheonix, Arizona, and Venger tries to capture a nuke or something.

Think it sounds too stupid? This really isn't that far removed from Narnia or Neverending Story, or any of countless other fantasy adventure films which kids of all ages have loved for generations.

Hollywood, send me a small check and I'll write the screenplay tomorrow.

Ug, just no.

A D&D movie dosent have to be campy, or have to fail. It depends on the talent directing it, acting in it, and writing it.

Protip: DO NOT put Dungeons and Dragons in the title, anywhere. If your making The Crystal Shard (great idea), then call it The Crystal Shard. Not Dungeons and Dragons: The Crystal Shard. That camps it up right there, and alienates groups of people who'd refuse to go watch a D&D movie. If the title was simply The Crystal Shard, and had an awesome trailer to debut it, I think people would be surprised, especially if they ever figured out it was based on D&D (and they would; the media would be all over that).

 

[Megaton]

Ug, just no.

A D&D movie dosent have to be campy, or have to fail. It depends on the talent directing it, acting in it, and writing it.

Protip: DO NOT put Dungeons and Dragons in the title, anywhere. If your making The Crystal Shard (great idea), then call it The Crystal Shard. Not Dungeons and Dragons: The Crystal Shard. That camps it up right there, and alienates groups of people who'd refuse to go watch a D&D movie. If the title was simply The Crystal Shard, and had an awesome trailer to debut it, I think people would be surprised, especially if they ever figured out it was based on D&D (and they would; the media would be all over that).

Unfortunately with the trend in video game movies, it's pretty likely that this could be an Uwe Boll production. And I think that would spell the end for the movie before it even got off the ground.

 

[Wolfwood2]

I would rather they did a campy movie that made D&D seem like goofy fun than a dark, "serious" movie. Visual a beer-n-pretzels adventure and put it onscreen, is what I'm saying.

I bet you could do a cool film adaptation of ""Keep on the Shadowfell".

 

[Starsunder]

Unfortunately with the trend in video game movies, it's pretty likely that this could be an Uwe Boll production. And I think that would spell the end for the movie before it even got off the ground.

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

 

[Corinth]

After the experience of the first two films, there is no reason to expect that a Hollywood suit with any serious weight would green-light such a project. The best that could be expect is another film in the vein of Wrath of the Dragon God (which, while not bad, wasn't what the brand needed to escape its ghetto).

 

[Starsunder]

After the experience of the first two films, there is no reason to expect that a Hollywood suit with any serious weight would green-light such a project. The best that could be expect is another film in the vein of Wrath of the Dragon God (which, while not bad, wasn't what the brand needed to escape its ghetto).

To be sure, I know that there is no reason to hope for a legit D&D movie (read: not Uwe Boll quality or worse). I just said what I thought would help it escape said ghetto.

And uh, while Wrath of the Dragon God might not be the worst thing I've ever seen, it's still pretty horrible.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Really it all depends on who writes it, and who wants to direct it.

This is the key. Superhero films were campy up until directors came along who had grown up with modern comics and knew that they didn't have to be that way. The same thing applies to D&D. I also agree with those who say leave out "D&D" from the title. WoTC should approach this like Marvel did. Hire someone to develop movies based on various properties. The secondary advantage to this is that if you make a "D&D Movie" you can only do one every 3-4 years, but if you do a "Driz'zt" movie and a "Forgotten Realms" movie, and a "Ravenloft" movie, then you could do sequels to each and put out more product. You could have two D&D-related movies come out in the same year, and it wouldn't necessarily be overkill.

If I were the person handling the D&D movie strategy, I'd try to sell the rights to some specific properties. The key would be getting serious directors involved. I'd try two things - first, try movies based off of some of the novel properties. Much as some people may despise Driz'zt, he's got name recognition and sales behind him. Then I'd try to make a movie based off of one of the classic modules - say the Slaver series, or Against the Giants. That would allow a writer and director to create their own storyline around the framework of the module. Also, a film made from one of those particular modules allows for clear opportunities for sequelization if it works.