D&D Movie/TV New D&D movie details? Vecna?!

[Urriak Uruk]

Honestly, I'm thinking if there are drow they'll just be blue. Not unprecedented, as Acq Inc. will tell you.

 

[ccooke]

You know, Vecna as a main villain really isn't a bad concept. His name is memorable, he's definitely a reasonable choice for a powerful enemy who needs to be stopped. The whole 'Evil undead mastermind' trope is a comfortable fit for this sort of film.

What's more, you have the Eye of Vecna, a classic bit of old-school body horror and a magnet for anyone greedy for power. Of course they're going to have someone use it.

I'm sure it will provide a ... spectacle, at least.

 

[ccooke]

(Now, if only they included the Head of Vecna)

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Honestly, I'm thinking if there are drow they'll just be blue. Not unprecedented, as Acq Inc. will tell you.

View attachment 116415

A drow with beard, or a half-drow?

 

[darjr]

Blue. That works.

 

[Oofta]

Blue. That works.

So ... we're going to have a blue drow Stabby Smurf?

 

[Hussar]

They are not moronic, but they also aren't concerns that couldn't raised for any movie that might get made.

Guess what? Whenever you make a fiction, there's a thousand different ways that it might be bad, or be taken the badly. You cannot address every single concern everyone can ever voice - if for no other reason than some of them are mutually exclusive, nor can you stop trying to make new stories just because they may not be perfect, block-busters.

Oh, sure. Totally agree. But, again, it's not like the issues with Drow are subtle or require really sideways views in order to get offended.

Like I said, if you're going to have evil, beautiful (since drow women are always depicted as hot) matriarchs that hate men, worship a black widow spider demon, and then enslave men, I'm thinking that it's not too hard to see the message here. It's right freaking there. In big, bright, neon letters. Add to that the fact that they are all elves in blackface, and well, it's not exactly a stretch to see where this might be problematic.

Thor got away with it because, while the dark elves were, well, dark, there are no "light elves" in the movie to contrast with. You don't get the "light=good" thing going. And, most people can make the connection between dark elves and fairy tales. Not a big issue. But, had they used D&D drow in Thor, I think there would be a much larger negative reaction. Maybe not. Maybe I'm worried about nothing.

But, surely you can see why this might be an issue.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

A drow with beard, or a half-drow?

Believe it or not the beard is actually a fungus. Or sentient being. Or sentient fungus. Something like that.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Oh, sure. Totally agree. But, again, it's not like the issues with Drow are subtle or require really sideways views in order to get offended.

Like I said, if you're going to have evil, beautiful (since drow women are always depicted as hot) matriarchs that hate men, worship a black widow spider demon, and then enslave men, I'm thinking that it's not too hard to see the message here. It's right freaking there. In big, bright, neon letters. Add to that the fact that they are all elves in blackface, and well, it's not exactly a stretch to see where this might be problematic.

Thor got away with it because, while the dark elves were, well, dark, there are no "light elves" in the movie to contrast with. You don't get the "light=good" thing going. And, most people can make the connection between dark elves and fairy tales. Not a big issue. But, had they used D&D drow in Thor, I think there would be a much larger negative reaction. Maybe not. Maybe I'm worried about nothing.

But, surely you can see why this might be an issue.

And you solve your own problem: Just don't have any non-drow elves in the movie. The "elf" role can easily be done with a half elf, who can be any race, or make "Raven Hightower" (obviously a code name for Drizzt) be a drow too (they didn't specify a race in the description). Dri….I mean "Raven" can give the old "most X [in this case Drow] aren't really evil, just their leaders" stump speech. It's a Hasbro movie, so they are going to make changes anyway, so why not this? By 6e, if the movie does well, drow will be nonevil (except for the priestess of Lolth, assassin of Lolth, slaver of Lolth, parking meter maid of Lolth, ect. in the 6e monster manual)

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And you solve your own problem: Just don't have any non-drow elves in the movie.

That is certainly one thing they can do, and there is nothing to suggest there are any surface elves in the movie. D&D does not need an "elf role" party member. I can think of plenty of games in which elves and half elves have never appeared, either as PCs or NPCs. They are supposed to be rare and reclusive, and the world is human dominated.

But that is not all Thor does -

* it's dark elves are grey, not blackface, and many wear whiteface masks (which saved time and money on makeup!);

* The main elves are played by a mixture of white and non-white actors - not a coincidence I'm sure;

* They are ruled by an evil male, not an evil female (in fact I don't think there are any female dark elves in the movie).

I wasn't entirely joking when I suggested Jarlaxle - a male dark elf - as the main villain(??). Gender aside, it is a great part, well written and well acted, potentially movie-stealing and career-making.

Having said that, Michelle Yeoh would make a great Matron Mother.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Oh, sure. Totally agree. But, again, it's not like the issues with Drow are subtle or require really sideways views in order to get offended.

Like I said, if you're going to have evil, beautiful (since drow women are always depicted as hot) matriarchs that hate men, worship a black widow spider demon, and then enslave men, I'm thinking that it's not too hard to see the message here. It's right freaking there. In big, bright, neon letters. Add to that the fact that they are all elves in blackface, and well, it's not exactly a stretch to see where this might be problematic.

Thor got away with it because, while the dark elves were, well, dark, there are no "light elves" in the movie to contrast with. You don't get the "light=good" thing going. And, most people can make the connection between dark elves and fairy tales. Not a big issue. But, had they used D&D drow in Thor, I think there would be a much larger negative reaction. Maybe not. Maybe I'm worried about nothing.

But, surely you can see why this might be an issue.

I think you are over reacting. I think most people will be intelligent enough to understand that drow are primarily inspired by broadly "dark elf" types of fey from norse and other germanic and western euro mythology in general. Just like i think people are smart enough to comprehend that nyarlathotep is not a "black man" racially, hes a thing, in roughly humanoid form, who is the color (not the race) black. As in unnaturally and supernaturally physics defying levels of pure darkness. You should assume people are smart enough for basic things and not worry about that gettung in the way of audience reception. I give people credit enough to not be considered dumb by default. I dont assume. If they prove otherwise then they prove otherwise. Have a little faith in the average human to not be too dumb to know drow are fey and not black. Sad day if they cant do that. People tend to be reasonably intelligent (enough) and roughly sane.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

In my own settings drow society is evil, or at least ruled by evil tyrants, but not all drows are bad. Even the worst groups need a common allegiance to survive or they will destroy themself in civil wars or other internal conflicts. The fact is the drow pantheon has got the power and the control, but not true loyalty, and when you are a tyrant or toxic boss instead a true leader, you will suffer the consequences. In the game of thrones not all is strength or astuteness but the right allys, and if you behave as a maffia capo you shouldn't don't hope others sacrifices to save your back nor be surprised when you are betrayed helping other rivals as vengeance for the suffered abuse.

In my worlds the tyrannies suffer serious demographic crisis if they don't make true efforts to improve the live of the citizens.

Other solution is easy, darkin (female) characters in the side of the heroes kicking-asses drows, then it is not (fantasy) racism.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think most people will be intelligent enough to understand that drow are primarily inspired by broadly "dark elf" types of fey from norse and other germanic and western euro mythology in general.

???????

Have you actually met a human?!

 

[Son of the Serpent]

???????

Have you actually met a human?!

???????
Are you saying that humans cant tell the difference betwixt real racial mockery and something that has nothing to do with racism and that not all human's distress about percieved racism is equally justified? That not all concerns of racism should be given due consideration and avoided at all costs? Have you actually met a racist good sir?

If they arent smart enough to tell the difference i guess the entertainment industry would be screwed long term rather than booming with original creativity huh?

Good thing they are smart.

As a result we, knowing that drow =/= black face should let loose the movie without fear. To assume that anyone will have a problem with it would be to say that some people have illegitimate perceptions of racism. They will know the difference. Outrage is always worthy of caring about and never a complete waste of time.

So it wont happen because drow arent black. Have faith in the people good sir. There's no problem here that badly needs correcting but racism. No people who's say shouldn't matter other than racists.

Were golden. Lets produce this thing.

 

[darjr]

 

[Paul Farquhar]

???????
Are you saying that humans cant tell the difference betwixt real racial mockery and something that has nothing to do with racism and that not all human's distress about percieved racism is equally justified?

Not exactly, I'm saying that a typical human is more likely to know the judges on X-Factor than the slightest thing about Germanic mythology, and has not the foggiest notion what "betwixt" means.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Not exactly, I'm saying that a typical human is more likely to know the judges on X-Factor than the slightest thing about Germanic mythology, and has not the foggiest notion what "betwixt" means.

Ah. Then we should educate them. Culture is a wonderous thing and as we know, and we must be inclusive.

Lol. Probably right about the x-factor judges and betwixt but coincedentally ive bever watched x-factir and dont know who judges it.

Dont crush mah dream of people being smart enough to not be dumb. Please dont

Im very ideologically attached to people not being utterly unreasonably incensed by non-black face that they should recognize as non-black face.

Dont tell me people are stupid. Please. Stahp.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Ah. Then we should educate them. Culture is a wonderous thing and as we know, and we must be inclusive.

Lol. Probably right about the x-factor judges and betwixt but coincedentally ive bever watched x-factir and dont know who judges it.

Dont crush mah dream of people being smart enough to not be dumb. Please dont

Im very ideologically attached to people not being utterly unreasonably incensed by non-black face that they should recognize as non-black face.

Dont tell me people are stupid. Please. Stahp.

This is the book for you:

 

[dave2008]

I think you are over reacting. I think most people will be intelligent enough to understand that drow are primarily inspired by broadly "dark elf" types of fey from norse and other germanic and western euro mythology in general.

Do you realize that most people don't know anything about "dark elf' types or norse, germanic, and western mythology? I think you have your blinders on a bit.

 

[dave2008]

Dont crush mah dream of people being smart enough to not be dumb. Please dont

It has little to do with intelligence and more to do with ignorance. Western mythology is barely taught (if at all) in most of the world. Even in western countries there are hundreds of millions of people who are ignorant of the mythology. Heck, in the USA mythology is not a required class and I would bet 2/3 or more of the population would have no idea what your talking about. Your lucky if they know the greek gods. You can't expect someone to know what your talking about if they never been taught.