D&D Movie/TV Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith Join D&D Movie

From Comic Book Movies -- "Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) and Justice Smith (Detective Pikachu) have joined Wonder Woman 1984's Chris Pine in Paramount and eOne's upcoming big-budget board game adaptation, Dungeons & Dragons..."

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Michelle Rodriguez And Justice Smith Join Chris Pine In Fantasy Adaptation

Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) and Justice Smith (Detective Pikachu) have joined Wonder Woman 1984's Chris Pine in Paramount and eOne's upcoming big-budget board game adaptation, Dungeons & Dragons...

www.comicbookmovie.com

We learned in December about Chris Pine's involvement, along with directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.

D&D Movie/TV - Chris Pine To Star In D&D Movie

The long, slow process towards a modern take on D&D movies took a large step forward with the announcement of a huge star signed to the project. Considering that filming is set to start soon a cascade of announcements should be revealed in initiative order imminently. Filming begins in Q1 2021...

www.enworld.org

 

[Paul Farquhar]

or the villain.

Nope. Pine is a classic "leading man". He doesn't play villains, he doesn't play mentors (yet), and he is looking to move beyond sidekick to female lead. The announcement stated that he was "staring in", not "appearing in".

And he isn't British, everyone knows all villains are British. Even when they are shapeshifting dragons.

He also fits with what we learned about the movie before his casting was announced - "looking for an A list leading man to headline".

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Nope. Pine is a classic "leading man". He doesn't play villains, he doesn't play mentors (yet), and he is looking to move beyond sidekick to female lead.

And he isn't British, everyone knows all villains are British. Even when they are shapeshifting dragons.

This is some pretty wild speculation dressed up as certainty. Have you considered starting a cult? I understand that kind of certainty can be very helpful! And why would he be "looking to move beyond sidekick..." when he's already been lead in several Star Trek movies? That's bizarre.

I am I admit shocked to find he is only 40. One of the few actors in Hollywood who looks a lot older than he is.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is some pretty wild speculation dressed up as certainty.

I'm certain. Hollywood announce the casting of the lead first. It's the way it's done. Anything otherwise would be poor movie etiquette.

And why would he be "looking to move beyond sidekick..." when he's already been lead in several Star Trek movies? That's bizarre.

Because he is better known for Wonder Woman. I'm surprised you thought he was older.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm certain. Hollywood announce the casting of the lead first. It's the way it's done. Anything otherwise would be poor movie etiquette.

Because he is better known for Wonder Woman. I'm surprised you thought he was older.

It's pictures like this, plus he has the calm manner of an older person:

Chris Pine to Star in ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Movie for Paramount

Chris Pine is in talks to star in the "Dungeons and Dragons" movie.

variety.com

Him being first announced is actually a reasonable point, though there are plenty of counter-examples, not least stuff like Pirates of the Caribbean. Usually you announce the biggest star of the movie first, and that's usually also the lead - but sometimes they aren't. I don't buy he's better known for Wonder Woman than Star Trek though.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's pictures like this, plus he has the calm manner of an older person:
/

I'm older, and I'm not calm.

And he has a lot more hair than I did when I was 40. Or Shatner did for that matter.

 

[Mallus]

So a whole squad of people who made genre & action hits are working on the new D&D film. This is a good thing, right?

 

[Oofta]

So a whole squad of people who made genre & action hits are working on the new D&D film. This is a good thing, right?

You aren't the only one thinking that, this article was in one of my news feeds.

In any case, it certainly looks like they're aiming for more than D&D fans. I'm cautiously optimistic, time will tell.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That there are some duds as well doesn't detract from the general point, because the dud:hit ratio seems to be very much better when Hollywood works from someone else's solid story. The concern here is justified - they don't appear to be working from any kind of D&D story, not even an adventure, or someone's campaign or whatever - historically that's lead screenwriters into some really awful scripts before.

No, the point is nonsense. You claiming I'm not playing fair is requiring me to treat the point as having any value whatsoever.

Adaptations, in any genre, have no better track record than works that are not adaptations.

What makes a film successful is a combination of the efforts of hundreds of people, from the producer, to the director, to the typically team of screenwriters (no matter what gets credited, there's usually a lot of cooks in the kitchen there), to production design and a thousand other factors.

Again, if adapting works was more likely to lead to success, THAT'S ALL HOLLYWOOD WOULD DO.

If you don't know what Save the Cat is, go look it up. There was a long period where it was considered the key to financial success. read the beats of what's outlined in that process and you will likely recognize dozens of films, because Hollywood drove that technique into the ground, because they thought it was a sure-fire way to succeed.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

In any case, it certainly looks like they're aiming for more than D&D fans. I'm cautiously optimistic, time will tell.

I remember walking into the first Pirates of the Caribbean film with my teeth clenched, hoping it wouldn't be a disaster. Instead, it was the best of the series and a big hit. If these producers are aiming for something similar, and it sounds like they are, based on the little they've said about their approach, it could definitely work.

 

[payn]

Nope. Pine is a classic "leading man". He doesn't play villains, he doesn't play mentors (yet), and he is looking to move beyond sidekick to female lead. The announcement stated that he was "staring in", not "appearing in".

And he isn't British, everyone knows all villains are British. Even when they are shapeshifting dragons.

He also fits with what we learned about the movie before his casting was announced - "looking for an A list leading man to headline".

Ugh, wasnt Pine the villain in Horrible Bosses 2? By the writers of the guys doing the D&D movie?