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]

ThevD&D movie isn't really for us though not is it arguing about what is D&D.

It's going to be made to appeal to the masses. Mystara doesn't have mass appeal anymore.

It's probably generic or FR. It's not going to be set on Mystara it's probably not going to be Eberron. It won't be Darksun or Planescape.

It won't be a MtG setting. It probably won't have a Warforged protagonist or any other race that requires heavy CGI.

That's all imho if they do any of that I'll freely admit I'm wrong.

And the thing people keep forgetting: it's being made in Ireland, so it will probably look like Ireland.

 

[Zardnaar]

And the thing people keep forgetting: it's being made in Ireland, so it will probably look like Ireland.

CGI exists but yeah I think they'll skip athat as much as possible.

GoT filmed some scenes in Ireland, LotR used NZ so it's not going to be CGI heavy relative to Star Wars or MCU.

IDK what the budget will be but doubt it's 200 million. Adjusted for inflation I hope it's more than the original D&D movie.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

CGI exists but yeah I think they'll skip athat as much as possible.

GoT filmed some scenes in Ireland, LotR used NZ so it's not going to be CGI heavy relative to Star Wars or MCU.

IDK what the budget will be but doubt it's 200 million. Adjusted for inflation I hope it's more than the original D&D movie.

The Belfast studies are known for their practical effects and detailed props. They aren't particularly known for digital effects. It's likely another studio will do the digital stuff in post-production, but it suggests they wont be taking the digital set approach for principal photography.

As for GoT, Westeros exteriors where mostly Ireland locations, and most of the interior filming was done at the Belfast studios. Malta and Iceland locations where used for exterior locations that where warmer/colder than Ireland.

 

[Zardnaar]

The Belfast studies are known for their practical effects and detailed props. They aren't particularly known for digital effects. It's likely another studio will do the digital stuff in post-production, but it suggests they wont be taking the digital set approach for principal photography.

As for GoT, Westeros exteriors where mostly Ireland locations, and most of the interior filming was done at the Belfast studios. Malta and Iceland locations where used for exterior locations that where warmer/colder than Ireland.

Sometimes less is more when it comes to digitel effects.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sometimes less is more when it comes to digitel effects.

Sure, but it will have a significant influence on the final look of the film, and that isn't unconnected to the choice of setting.

 

[Nytmare]

Sometimes less is more when it comes to digitel effects.

I can not imagine a version of this movie that doesn't have a fully stocked CGI budget. That's just not how feature films are made anymore.

 

[Zardnaar]

I can not imagine a version of this movie that doesn't have a fully stocked CGI budget. That's just not how feature films are made anymore.

It will use CGIof course.

But compare with Star Wars or MCU where even the back grounds are CGI along with some character's.

That's very expensive though 200 million dollars or more plus marketing.

I'm expecting them to CGI things they have to. LotR was made on a show string budget relative to most movies now (they got a trilogy comparatively on the cheap).

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

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

I'd be a lot happier to hear about the inclusion of some people who know that D&D isn't a board game... How about a few WotC creative D&D team people, or Ed Greenwood? At least they would have a clue!

 

[Oofta]

I'd be a lot happier to hear about the inclusion of some people who know that D&D isn't a board game... How about a few WotC creative D&D team people, or Ed Greenwood? At least they would have a clue!

Huh? That's ... quite out of left field. There are a lot of creative types that either play or grew up playing D&D. I'm also sure that WOTC D&D team is collaborating and advising, why would think they are not?

 

[Mistwell]

I'd be a lot happier to hear about the inclusion of some people who know that D&D isn't a board game... How about a few WotC creative D&D team people, or Ed Greenwood? At least they would have a clue!

The writer/director, John Francis Daley, is a huge D&D nerd. I think we're good on that. He recently said in an interview, "Daley: I also play a weekly game of Dungeons & Dragons which has now become Zoom games. That is also a fun way to keep your foot in that world as you are writing a movie about it."

The other partner, Goldstein, also said, "We are working with the Wizards of the Coast, the brand holders of D&D. They are the experts. We have people there that we work with and it's pretty helpful, because as much as we know about D&D, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the 45 years of lore that's out there, so these guys are such a resource. If we need a particular spell that a [high]-level wizard could do, they could give us a list. It's a lot of fun.

 

[Azzy]

ThevD&D movie isn't really for us though not is it arguing about what is D&D.

It's going to be made to appeal to the masses. Mystara doesn't have mass appeal anymore.

headdesk

Right, generic renfaire fantasy doesn't have much appeal anymore, modern fantasy has moved on a bit.

It's probably generic or FR. It's not going to be set on Mystara it's probably not going to be Eberron. It won't be Darksun or Planescape.

Didn't I just say as much in the post that you just quoted?

It won't be a MtG setting. It probably won't have a Warforged protagonist or any other race that requires heavy CGI.

That's all imho if they do any of that I'll freely admit I'm wrong.

Oooookaaaaay.

 

[Don Durito]

Really the forumal for success is pretty simple.

1) Don't be naff. Fantasy on screen is often naff.
2) Don't try to hard to be cool - that way you just end up with execrable garbage like the recent Robin Hood or King Arthur movies.

You just need to land on that thin sliver of space in the middle.

 

[Azzy]

Really the forumal for success is pretty simple.

1) Don't be naff. Fantasy on screen is often naff.
2) Don't try to hard to be cool - that way you just end up with execrable garbage like the recent Robin Hood or King Arthur movies.

You just need to land on that thin sliver of space in the middle.

Here's another formula:

1) Don't try to make the movie take itself too seriously or be grimdark.
2) Don't be a comedy or go all Jar Jar Binks.

That, at least, is a wider landing strip.

 

[Wishbone]

I'm ready...

"The Lightning Rail doesn't have a smokestack you *#&$ing morons!"

Obviously the smokestack is for the oven in the kitchen car!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It will use CGIof course.

But compare with Star Wars or MCU where even the back grounds are CGI along with some character's.

That's very expensive though 200 million dollars or more plus marketing.

Actually, tech has moved on since then. If they used the virtual set technology pioneered by The Mandalorian it could be done quite economically. That would be ideal for a setting that didn't look like the Real World(TM), such as Planescape or Eberron. But if they where planning on using that they would be filming in the USA. No point transporting everything across an ocean when your set is in the computer! I could easily imagine the D&D TV series using that method though.

I'm expecting them to CGI things they have to. LotR was made on a show string budget relative to most movies now (they got a trilogy comparatively on the cheap).

One way they kept costs down was by filming everything in one country. So the New Zealand landscape is a major part of how the LotR trilogy looks. This makes it very easy to make the D&D film not look like LotR - just don't film in New Zealand!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's going to be made to appeal to the masses. Mystara doesn't have mass appeal anymore.

Mystara never had mass appeal. As a GenericFantasyland it could be used without needing an infodump just as easily as FR or Greyhawk, and it has just as much name recognition - i.e. none.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Here's another formula:

1) Don't try to make the movie take itself too seriously or be grimdark.

We already know they are aiming for GotG tone, so this aint on the cards.

2) Don't be a comedy or go all Jar Jar Binks.

This is though.

"Deekin sing the Doom Song now?"

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm ready...

"The Lightning Rail doesn't have a smokestack you *#&$ing morons!"

This is actually an argument for not using any established setting. No one can complain that The Hostower of the Arcane has the wrong number of turrets if the movie uses a homebrew setting.

A small number of angry hardcore purists could do actual damage to the initial buzz for this movie (see: TLJ).

 

[Mallus]

The problem with establishing a filmic identity for D&D is that other media and games have been doing it for decades. Eberron, for example, isn't too far from Tolkien for audiences, it's too close to Final Fantasy (train + sword = FFVII). So how do you wrestle back D&D's iconography from all the work it's influenced?

Damned if I know. But it were up to me I'd go the Witcher router, avoid infodumping, and do it all through tone, action, and the charm of actors like Pine.

 

[Oofta]

The problem with establishing a filmic identity for D&D is that other media and games have been doing it for decades. Eberron, for example, isn't too far from Tolkien for audiences, it's too close to Final Fantasy (train + sword = FFVII). So how do you wrestle back D&D's iconography from all the work it's influenced?

Damned if I know. But it were up to me I'd go the Witcher router, avoid infodumping, and do it all through tone, action, and the charm of actors like Pine.

Standard fantasy using iconic spells, powers, monsters should do it. Don't shy away from having a cleric or paladin that heals, a wizard that casts fireball or even something as simple as thunderwave. Make the magic and monsters look like D&D magic and monsters which have their own spin.

For me it's less about the setting (although of course that's important too) than replicating the visuals of the actual game mechanics without getting bogged down in the details of how the mechanics work. So no "magic dust", have something other than a red dragon that breaths something other than fire, have a beholder that's actually the terrifying monster that it should be. Lots of ways to make it a D&D movie no matter what the setting is.