D&D Movie/TV New D&D Movie: July 23rd 2021

It's official - the new Dungeons & Dragons movie is coming, and it's coming in four years - July 23rd, 2021, as announced by Paramount.

We already know that the movie will be produced by the Lego Movie's Roy Lee, that it will be directed by Rob Letterman (Goosebumps, Monsters vs. Aliens, Shark Tale). Originally scripted by David Leslie Johnson (Wrath of the Titans), it's now being written by Joe Manganelio, might be Dragonlance and then again might feature the Yawning Portal, and will adopt a Guardians of the Galaxy tone. Oh, and that we should take everything I just said with a pinch of salt as the movie appears have jumped from WB to Paramount at some point in the process!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/19/16795148/dungeons-and-dragons-movie-release-date

"The D&D movie has been in some stage of pre-production since 2015..."

4 years = infinity in the movie business. None of the current people or companies attached may even still be attached in 4 years; it may not even come out in 4 years; we still may never see a D&D movie. Still, it's fun to dream.

As for my personal thoughts: if 2017 taught us anything I hope they don't cast a generic white guy as the lead.

“...and introducing John-Eric Whitman as...”

 

[Valetudo]

https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/19/16795148/dungeons-and-dragons-movie-release-date

"The D&D movie has been in some stage of pre-production since 2015..."

4 years = infinity in the movie business. None of the current people or companies attached may even still be attached in 4 years; it may not even come out in 4 years; we still may never see a D&D movie. Still, it's fun to dream.

As for my personal thoughts: if 2017 taught us anything I hope they don't cast a generic white guy as the lead.

Yeah because it did so good with marlin wayans right. The color of whoever ends up starring in the movie doesn't matter. Acting chops and fitting the role is what matters. Im guessing big joe might want the role himself. Im hoping that the group of adventurerers are not too generic. What you just said isnt only racist but ignorant when you actually watch foreign movies and shows. You will realize that everyone typecasts their own race in that fashion. Its a common trope. You are saying that an american made movie shouldnt use a white guy why? Do you even know what whitewashing means?

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Oh come on, we all know the lead will be a white teenage* girl ranger** with an extra cute animal companion. Of if they are really imaginative, the lead will be a white teenage* girl paladin with an extra cute steed.

This is Hollywood after all.

* If by "teenager", you mean 22-25 year old.....

** incredibly enough focused more on archery than dual welding melee.

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Oh come on, we all know the lead will be a white teenage* girl ranger** with an extra cute animal companion. Of if they are really imaginative, the lead will be a white teenage* girl paladin with an extra cute steed.

This is Hollywood after all.

* If by "teenager", you mean 22-25 year old.....

** incredibly enough focused more on archery than dual welding melee.

*cough*Katnis Everdine*cough*

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yeah because it did so good with marlin wayans right. The color of whoever ends up starring in the movie doesn't matter. Acting chops and fitting the role is what matters. Im guessing big joe might want the role himself. Im hoping that the group of adventurerers are not too generic. What you just said isnt only racist but ignorant when you actually watch foreign movies and shows. You will realize that everyone typecasts their own race in that fashion. Its a common trope. You are saying that an american made movie shouldnt use a white guy why? Do you even know what whitewashing means?

Marlon wasn’t the lead, he was Snails, the comedic sidekick to Justin Whalin’s Ridley Freeborn. (Worst, he played Snails by channeling a very bad Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod knockoff.)

As for “whitewashing” in the context of Hollywood, that would refer to the casting of Caucasians as characters without regard to their ethnicity. See Mickey Rooney as a Chinese stereotype, John Wayne as Genghis Khan, and all the protaganists in several Biblical epics, often contrasting with antagonists who are actually closer to resembling the people of those regions.

 

[Quartz]

As for “whitewashing” in the context of Hollywood, that would refer to the casting of Caucasians as characters without regard to their ethnicity.

I do dislike this foolish ingemination. Films are produced to sell to a target audience. If D&D is big in both India and China then there'll be an Indian and a Chinese character.

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

As for “whitewashing” in the context of Hollywood, that would refer to the casting of Caucasians as characters without regard to their ethnicity. See Mickey Rooney as a Chinese stereotype, John Wayne as Genghis Khan, and all the protaganists in several Biblical epics, often contrasting with antagonists who are actually closer to resembling the people of those regions.

Whitewashing is much more complex than people think as far as offensiveness.

In particular, many Asian groups are more offended if you cast someone of the wrong Asian group than if you cast a white person. This is because of the old racist stereotype that all Asians look the same, creating the irony that many of the people who fight against one racist problem are often perpetuating another when they address this. The very issue you cite with bad guys is part of the cause. This is the reason why some of the Asian nations, in particular Japan, have a longstanding habit of preferring whitewashing over trying to find an Asian actor. Because it's gotten to the point that not even bothering to try is less offensive to them. Which is why John Wayne is actually less problematic as Genghis Khan than Ken Watanabe would be.

This has created the problem where I've seen Japanese people say online that the people who are trying to do away with whitewashing are coming across, to them, as more racist than the people who perpetuate it.

When you hit Asia, this topic becomes a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book where all outcomes land on the page that says "You're racist!"

But this is not the place to discuss such an issue in-depth. It gets a lot into politics that I don't think Morrus wants here, especially since the end result only casts everyone in an equally bad light.

However, that does not mean we cannot have a mixture of people within the movie. There are several cosmopolitan areas where travelers of all groups are likely to go. There is no reason not to create a movie with diversity in it. Just that we shouldn't use stereotypes as much and accept we're never, ever going to get it within the same galaxy as perfect.

 

[Valetudo]

Marlon wasn’t the lead, he was Snails, the comedic sidekick to Justin Whalin’s Ridley Freeborn. (Worst, he played Snails by channeling a very bad Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod knockoff.)

As for “whitewashing” in the context of Hollywood, that would refer to the casting of Caucasians as characters without regard to their ethnicity. See Mickey Rooney as a Chinese stereotype, John Wayne as Genghis Khan, and all the protaganists in several Biblical epics, often contrasting with antagonists who are actually closer to resembling the people of those regions.

The problem is dnd was created by a couple of white guys, so you cant whitewash what is already white. Also the main guy was not white in the first dnd movie. He definitely had a mixed heritage. Look Im not saying the main hero needs to be white or a guy. Im saying that purposely not casting someone because of those reasons is nonsense. Take the movie Bright, Wil Smith was perfect for his role. But I dont think you would make Kevin Hart frodo. One last thing that I need to drive home. Every culture has their own version s of whitewashing. The great wall didnt fail because it starred a white guy. It failed because it was super generic storywise and its cast really wasnt a great choice.

 

[Azzy]

I do dislike this foolish ingemination. Films are produced to sell to a target audience. If D&D is big in both India and China then there'll be an Indian and a Chinese character.

Yeah, because it's not like there are Indian and Chinese Americans... Oh, wait!

Besides, are you trying to excuse having caucasian actors play characters that are specifically not caucasian?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I never said Justin Whalin was white, just corrected the erroneous assertion that Marlon Wayans was anything resembling the lead character in that film.

Re: whitewashing

If a black/African actor can’t get a role as a black/African character because it’s being played by white person, that’s a problem. (Ditto any given ethnicity.) Not just in the here & now, but in the future when directors and casting agents are looking for experienced actors of color, and find their resumes a little thin.

Except for a talented, fortunate few who just have that “it” factor- or some kind of other in like a family connection- most actors work their way up to major roles by first starring in bit parts, then minor roles, then supporting roles, etc. If the bulk of your on-screen resume is characters with names like “Fan-waver #1” and “3rd thug”, it will be difficult to even get considered for a lead or major supporting role. For most of Hollywood history, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy: they wouldn’t cast ethnic actors for those roles because they’d not seen them in those roles. The assumption was that ethnic actors couldn’t carry major projects.

IOW, the outcry against whitewashing isn’t mere political correctness, it’s about fundamenlly fair employment practices. It’s about opportunities.

I know from my personal involvement in the entertainment industry that opportunities are rarer than talent. SAG-AFTRA has @160,000 members. Assuming perfect demographic mirroring of the USA population in general, that means there are @22,000 Black actors as a member of that organization. If they can’t even get a job depicting black people, what then?