If we were to see a new and better D&D movie, what setting would you like it to be?
- Thread starter VGmaster9
- Start date
El Mahdi
Muad'Dib of the Anauroch
Personally, I don't think what setting is used really matters for the movie (though I did pick a few I'd like to see
). Really, any setting will do, as long as context is provided for the viewer...specifically: what are the rules of the setting; and where is it. I think all of the D&D movies so far have suffered because they didn't adequately do this. It's not the only reason they suffered, but it's one of them, and I believe it's a significant oversight.
For example, George Lucas purposely put a preamble at the beginning of Star Wars for just that reason. With the single phrase "A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...", he set up for the viewer that it's not in our galaxy or time, it's very different from our world, and we (as viewers) automatically accept that and need no further explanation. He then goes on and gives us some context for the story, so that even though it's an epically mythic story in a complex/alien setting that viewers have never seen the likes of before (except maybe in Star Trek), we aren't lost.
The D&D movies didn't do this.
But, along with the above, I think the problems with the D&D movies have been:
Dungeons & Dragons (2000): Big name actors (a plus) but not much character development. Storywise, not all that extraordinary. It had some good visuals, but no real sense of drama. It didn't attempt to be only D&D (for the people who know D&D), which was a plus, but it also didn't establish enough setting context with the non-D&D audience (the majority).
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005): No big name actors (not necessarily a minus, but it probably had an effect upon non-D&D viewers), but again with very little character development (even less than the first one). Okay storywise, but again, not extraordinary with a significant lack of drama. Way too much D&D (left non-D&D viewers knowing they were missing something, though not quite sure what it was). Also again, no setting context (non-D&D viewers didn't know where this was taking place - was it some past age of our world, another world, or just some fantasy world essentially placed nowhere...?). Basically it came across as a slightly (very slightly) more expensive version of the story tape from the Dragon Strike board game.
I don't know that much about the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness (2011), as of course, nobody has seen it yet. But it does have the same Director and Writer(s) as Wrath of the Dragon God, and has no known names starring. And it seems like it's very much set in a D&D setting, with insider D&D setting info. Longtime D&D players will probably "get" most of it, casual D&D gamers will "get" some of it, and non-D&D gamers will probably again be going "huh...".
I've heard said many times, when discussing drama in D&D games, that the game is not a novel or a movie. For the most part, I agree. However, there are lessons and tools present in movies/novels, that can be applied in games to provide a sense of drama. But, as much as the D&D game isn't a movie, a D&D Movie cannot be a game. First and foremost, it has to be a dramatic story...with all of the necessary components (character development, characters that veiwers can associate with, a story and setting that the viewer has context with, and most importantly - DRAMA). A D&D Movie can't simply be the visualization of a D&D adventure, and that's pretty much what we've had so far (especially the second one). It's why so many people have commented that a movie like Season of the Witch would have made a better D&D Movie than the official ones. (Granted, Season of the Witch isn't going to win any Oscars, but it was still magnitudes better than either of the D&D Movies we've had so far...)
D&D Movies, in order to be successful, need to be aimed at non-D&D gamers first, then add in the "inside" stuff.
As long as a D&D movie isn't lacking in character development and Drama in the story, any setting will work...as long as viewers understand the context. Perhaps a preamble like Star Wars, would work. Something like this:
(for a generic D&D Movie...)
). Really, any setting will do, as long as context is provided for the viewer...specifically: what are the rules of the setting; and where is it. I think all of the D&D movies so far have suffered because they didn't adequately do this. It's not the only reason they suffered, but it's one of them, and I believe it's a significant oversight. For example, George Lucas purposely put a preamble at the beginning of Star Wars for just that reason. With the single phrase "A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...", he set up for the viewer that it's not in our galaxy or time, it's very different from our world, and we (as viewers) automatically accept that and need no further explanation. He then goes on and gives us some context for the story, so that even though it's an epically mythic story in a complex/alien setting that viewers have never seen the likes of before (except maybe in Star Trek), we aren't lost.
The D&D movies didn't do this.
But, along with the above, I think the problems with the D&D movies have been:
Dungeons & Dragons (2000): Big name actors (a plus) but not much character development. Storywise, not all that extraordinary. It had some good visuals, but no real sense of drama. It didn't attempt to be only D&D (for the people who know D&D), which was a plus, but it also didn't establish enough setting context with the non-D&D audience (the majority).
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005): No big name actors (not necessarily a minus, but it probably had an effect upon non-D&D viewers), but again with very little character development (even less than the first one). Okay storywise, but again, not extraordinary with a significant lack of drama. Way too much D&D (left non-D&D viewers knowing they were missing something, though not quite sure what it was). Also again, no setting context (non-D&D viewers didn't know where this was taking place - was it some past age of our world, another world, or just some fantasy world essentially placed nowhere...?). Basically it came across as a slightly (very slightly) more expensive version of the story tape from the Dragon Strike board game.
I don't know that much about the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness (2011), as of course, nobody has seen it yet. But it does have the same Director and Writer(s) as Wrath of the Dragon God, and has no known names starring. And it seems like it's very much set in a D&D setting, with insider D&D setting info. Longtime D&D players will probably "get" most of it, casual D&D gamers will "get" some of it, and non-D&D gamers will probably again be going "huh...".
I've heard said many times, when discussing drama in D&D games, that the game is not a novel or a movie. For the most part, I agree. However, there are lessons and tools present in movies/novels, that can be applied in games to provide a sense of drama. But, as much as the D&D game isn't a movie, a D&D Movie cannot be a game. First and foremost, it has to be a dramatic story...with all of the necessary components (character development, characters that veiwers can associate with, a story and setting that the viewer has context with, and most importantly - DRAMA). A D&D Movie can't simply be the visualization of a D&D adventure, and that's pretty much what we've had so far (especially the second one). It's why so many people have commented that a movie like Season of the Witch would have made a better D&D Movie than the official ones. (Granted, Season of the Witch isn't going to win any Oscars, but it was still magnitudes better than either of the D&D Movies we've had so far...)
D&D Movies, in order to be successful, need to be aimed at non-D&D gamers first, then add in the "inside" stuff.
As long as a D&D movie isn't lacking in character development and Drama in the story, any setting will work...as long as viewers understand the context. Perhaps a preamble like Star Wars, would work. Something like this:
(for a generic D&D Movie...)
A long time ago, on a world parallel to ours,
A world once connected to our own,
With lands rich in Magic and Legend,
Filled with Elves, Wizards, and Monsters,
A small group of adventurers will rise to fight an ancient Evil,
With the fate of their world hanging in the balance.
A world once connected to our own,
With lands rich in Magic and Legend,
Filled with Elves, Wizards, and Monsters,
A small group of adventurers will rise to fight an ancient Evil,
With the fate of their world hanging in the balance.
Welcome to the World of...
I can imagine some even more interesting preambles for other, specific D&D settings...
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(for a generic D&D Movie...)
A long time ago, on a world parallel to ours,
A world once connected to our own,
With lands rich in Magic and Legend,
Filled with Elves, Wizards, and Monsters,
A small group of adventurers will rise to fight an ancient Evil,
With the fate of their world hanging in the balance.
Welcome to the World of...
I can imagine some even more interesting preambles for other, specific D&D settings...
"I am your guide to the realm of Dungeons & Dragons"
Ampolitor
Explorer
Birthright
A movie or mini series in Birthright would be awesome! A movie like the book WAR, or the Iron Throne. How cool would it be to see a GOOD movie showing the Gorgon. That was and probably will always be my favorite setting. My players and I had so much fun with that one, building our own kingdoms and taking on the Spider and Chimera.
A movie or mini series in Birthright would be awesome! A movie like the book WAR, or the Iron Throne. How cool would it be to see a GOOD movie showing the Gorgon. That was and probably will always be my favorite setting. My players and I had so much fun with that one, building our own kingdoms and taking on the Spider and Chimera.
tecnowraith
First Post
Now here is a question to ask yourself. Would like to be live-action or animated? Plus you got to think of it this way: With live-action doing any D&D setting with either Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun or even Ravenloft you run into high cost of Effect to do any justice with the source material. With Animated, it may cost less but you have to one choose medium of animated form and stay with it and not mix it like Dragonlance did. And do not with old art style either.
For live-action
Forgotten Realms could be done easily cause the geography could be easily done with sets.
Eberron will be harder in all aspects cause of it being "magitech" heavy and both stets and effects will be alot to do. If they go with 300 route and do green screen sets.
Dark Sun may be the easiest cause it's a desert world. Less magic and less metal but organic sets and props.
Ravenloft would be another easy film to do cause its another vampire film with D&D races and creatures.
Now doing the green screen set would be easy to do for any D&D film and very stylized as well.
For live-action
Forgotten Realms could be done easily cause the geography could be easily done with sets.
Eberron will be harder in all aspects cause of it being "magitech" heavy and both stets and effects will be alot to do. If they go with 300 route and do green screen sets.
Dark Sun may be the easiest cause it's a desert world. Less magic and less metal but organic sets and props.
Ravenloft would be another easy film to do cause its another vampire film with D&D races and creatures.
Now doing the green screen set would be easy to do for any D&D film and very stylized as well.
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Imho, definitely Eberron. It offers the most and best opportunities for eye-candy, particularly things you haven't seen in every other fantasy movie yet.
Having said that, I wouldn't want to see another D&D movie unless it has a budget to push it into the neighbourhood of LotR. The movies so far have all been atrocious.
Having said that, I wouldn't want to see another D&D movie unless it has a budget to push it into the neighbourhood of LotR. The movies so far have all been atrocious.
A long time ago, on a world parallel to ours,
A world once connected to our own,
With lands rich in Magic and Legend,
Filled with Elves, Wizards, and Monsters,
A small group of adventurers will rise to fight an ancient Evil,
With the fate of their world hanging in the balance.
Welcome to the World of...
I can imagine some even more interesting preambles for other, specific D&D settings...
Nah, that sounds to credible. How about we have some retarded old guy seen in darkness with a torchlight looking at the audience before the movie starts? It would go like this:
"Hello my pretty, pretties, welcome to world of magical wonders and adventure. What? You never heard it before? Well let me tell you, it is a world there are braaaaave knights, pretty princesses (makes some feminine pose), and glorious kingdoms. Also (he whispers), there are FEROCIOUS monsters! There are humongous giants (does a "bom bom" noise as he moves his body side to side), there a nasty trolls (makes a "rarr" sound using his hands as a mouth"), AND, there are DRAGONS, who breath fire as hot as the SUN, AAAAAAAHHHHHH (trying to emulate a dragon breathing fire)! This is a story, where innocence rules over evil. (Dungeons & Dragons title shows up)"
This wouldn't exactly how it would be, but you get my drift.
TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
Hello Kitty. I want to see overmuscled barbarians in fur loin cloths slicing their way through hordes of cute kitties, penguins, frogs, etc.
hopeless
Adventurer
So what would YOU like to see?
The scene opens up on a mountain range and it continues to cross the mountains before descending seemingly through a blizzard of snow before bursting free to gaze upon a snowbound landscape.
The mountainside is still clear and the image looks over a dazzling vista, its now you hear running and hoarse breathing as a figure seems to leap over and into view followed by a small band of others separated slightly as they seem to be running downhill.
One of them takes a tumble causing another to trip whilst the others jump clear and continue to run taking no time to see if their fellows are alright.
The two shake themselves and start to get up, both look up as a shadow looms over them and we see their terrified faces as the screen goes black as the name of the movie comes up...
"Dungeons & Dragons"
The scene opens up on a mountain range and it continues to cross the mountains before descending seemingly through a blizzard of snow before bursting free to gaze upon a snowbound landscape.
The mountainside is still clear and the image looks over a dazzling vista, its now you hear running and hoarse breathing as a figure seems to leap over and into view followed by a small band of others separated slightly as they seem to be running downhill.
One of them takes a tumble causing another to trip whilst the others jump clear and continue to run taking no time to see if their fellows are alright.
The two shake themselves and start to get up, both look up as a shadow looms over them and we see their terrified faces as the screen goes black as the name of the movie comes up...
"Dungeons & Dragons"
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