D&D Movie/TV Update on D&D TV Show -- Underdark, Small, 6-10 Episodes

Writer Derek Kolstad (John Wick) has shared an insight into the upcoming D&D TV show with Collider, which he says will be 6-10 serialized episodes with an Underdark element.

His approach is a "tinier sliver" of the world, compared to epic stories like Lord of the Rings. He compares it to Star Wars and Jaws. He mentioned that he's like to go "deeper and deeper into the Underdark".

"In the first Star Wars, you heard about Jabba the Hutt and you don't see him until the third one because you earn at that point, and whatever the budget was for the third one compared to the first one, who cares, right? And I think in Dungeons and Dragons, who has this massive, dedicated community of acolytes, I don't want to suddenly throw everything on screen and say, 'Here's the buffet.' You'd much rather keep the story intimate. When you think of our favorite movies, I'd rather do the First Blood version. It's a guy in the woods being hunted. And it's very small, but you allude to the other things through conversation."

As yet the show is untitled. Kolstad talked a bit about legal meetings and available characters for use. It sounds like he wants to set it towards the end of any 'metaplot' that D&D might have -- "... don't want to go in the middle of the mythos. I want to come near the end where everything is canonical, it's biblical, it's happened. Or, it's about to happen. That way you can revisit certain sequences and storylines that everyone loved in the past through flashback, but where we go is new"

 

[Umbran]

Any fantasy or sci-fi "race" that is biologically or culturally always evil (or always something else) is poor world design and perpetuates problematic ideas about race in the real world. IMO, of course.

Until you get to the point where they are just "monsters", at which point it becomes okay again - like, say, Xenomorphs from Alien.

 

[Dire Bare]

Until you get to the point where they are just "monsters", at which point it becomes okay again - like, say, Xenomorphs from Alien.

Well . . . . are the xenomorphs evil? Or just hungry?

A creature that just sees humans as food, or I suppose places to put their little xeno babies, are just following the biological drives. From the perspective of a cow . . . are humans evil?

I haven't seen all of the Aliens films . . . . do the xenomorphs go out of their way to make the humans suffer? Or just snack on them and implant those facehugger eggs?

Monsters are just really scary animals. Or, at least that's how I look at it.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Well . . . . are the xenomorphs evil? Or just hungry?

A creature that just sees humans as food, or I suppose places to put their little xeno babies, are just following the biological drives. From the perspective of a cow . . . are humans evil?

I haven't seen all of the Aliens films . . . . do the xenomorphs go out of their way to make the humans suffer? Or just snack on them and implant those facehugger eggs?

Monsters are just really scary animals. Or, at least that's how I look at it.

Xenomorphs I believe were originally bred as weapons by an older more advanced civilization. So they are really more weapons than living natural biology.

So, are things like nuclear weapons evil? I would say yes as they are used (largely) for immoral use.

 

[Dire Bare]

Xenomorphs I believe were originally bred as weapons by an older more advanced civilization. So they are really more weapons than living natural biology.

So, are things like nuclear weapons evil? I would say yes as they are used (largely) for immoral use.

Nah, nukes aren't evil. They are just tools. Certainly, tools with no non-violent purpose, other than perhaps "deterrence".

But the creation of nukes, that's evil. If anyone ever decides to use one of those aging missiles, that's evil. All of that is the evil of humanity.

EDIT: Although, it raises a good point. In D&D, are evil swords evil? Not even evil sentient weapons, but just weapons with evil energy or evil powers? Is ascribing evilness to a non-sentient object problematic in any way? Can a place be evil? The fantasy genre certainly has that concept of "evil as a force", which isn't a thing in the real world (well, I suppose some folks feel it is).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The point being, even without D&D, the common idea of elves is kind of "white" in terms of facial features.

Um...no. Europeans aren’t the only ethnic group with delicate features.

 

[Dire Bare]

Um...no. Europeans aren’t the only ethnic group with delicate features.

Come on, Tolkienesque elves are most definitely coded as European.

 

[Umbran]

Well . . . . are the xenomorphs evil? Or just hungry?

Well, that's the point - when the creature is so foreign that no communication is possible, its personal motivations cease to be an issue. Such a species can be depicted as entirely baneful to human existence without concern. Any character opining that the xenomorphs are "just doing what is natural", or offering sympathy for them as their activities threaten genocide to the human species, is going to be the first ones eaten by the things.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Come on, Tolkienesque elves are most definitely coded as European.

Irrelevant to the comment I replied to, and my reply. I commented on the idea that the description of the word “elfin” is necessarily “white”. Which is absurd and obviously false, not to mention a bit problematic.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Nah, nukes aren't evil. They are just tools. Certainly, tools with no non-violent purpose, other than perhaps "deterrence".

But the creation of nukes, that's evil. If anyone ever decides to use one of those aging missiles, that's evil. All of that is the evil of humanity.

EDIT: Although, it raises a good point. In D&D, are evil swords evil? Not even evil sentient weapons, but just weapons with evil energy or evil powers? Is ascribing evilness to a non-sentient object problematic in any way? Can a place be evil? The fantasy genre certainly has that concept of "evil as a force", which isn't a thing in the real world (well, I suppose some folks feel it is).

Replying to your edit, is kind of my point. The tool itself may be non-sentient, but even so it is used to commit evil. This, IMO, makes the tool evil as well (unless it has some other, non-evil usage).

Is a drought evil? Some would argue no, it is a natural occurrence that sometimes it does not rain; there is nothing moral about it. But the fields die and the people starve; so the people curse at the empty clouds, and declare this is a dark and evil season. All morality is a perception, not a scientific proof, so if all the people declare the drought and evil cruel thing, than evil and cruel it is.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Um...no. Europeans aren’t the only ethnic group with delicate features.

And I never said they were. I deliberately avoided using that kind of absolutist language (I am white and have a huge nose). Nevertheless if you have "elfin" features, such as a small, thin, pointed or upturned nose, you have a better chance of being cast as an elf.

And if you have a small, thin, pointed or upturned nose, there is a good chance you also have a light skin tone. Because that is how genetics works.