D&D General What Are Dragonlance's Weis & Hickman, and Actor Manganiello Cooking Up?

Actor and D&D superfan Joe Manganiello and Dragonlance co-author Tracy Hickman have both posted a cryptic image on their respective social medias showing themselves, along with Margaret Weis standing together in front of a large dragon statue at Wizards of the Coast's offices in Renton, Washington.

Hickman's image was accompanied by the words "Something is coming...", and in Manganiello's case "WE'RE BACK", to which Wizards of the Coast replied "Welcome back to the table!" A later photograph from Weis also included Laura Hickman and Dan Ayoub, who was named head of Dungeons & Dragons back in July of this year.

The posts have sparked speculation as to what they might mean, with guesses ranging from a revival of Manganiello's Dragonlance TV show project--which was no longer in development after he stated in February 2024 that "Dragonlance is not a property WotC are interested in developing further currently"--to a new Dragonlance-based D&D adventure.

Weis and Hickman co-wrote a new Dragonlance trilogy in recent years following a legal dust-up with Wizards of the Coast which was ultimately dismissed without prejudice, so it would seem that any bad blood from the dispute has been left in the past.

The question now remains--what are they all cooking up this time?

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, and when folks ask why so much reality TV gets made it is because a 5 mill production likely gets a quarter of those numbers. A good ROI.

I suppose its both good and bad being that WoT got made at all. Though, im guessing the lesson networks will take is to not invest in two shows of a genre like fantasy at the same time.

Found some more solid data: Rings of Power dropped from 1.3 billion minutes streamed for Season 1 Episode 1 to 1 Billion minutes for season 2 episode 1, whereas Wheel of time went from over a billion to half a billion per episode season to season:

‘Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ Back On Nielsen Charts In Season 2 Debut Week, Crossing 1B Minutes Viewed

Rings of Power Season 2 seems to be struggling with audience retention, based on Nielsen's charts

deadline.com

 

[Parmandur]

Did it though? Or did Wheel of Time alienate a LOUD portion of the fan base?

The show certainly didn't perform well enough for Amazon to continue with it, sadly IMO. I was really enjoying it!

I am hoping that this "news" means a live-action television adaptation of Chronicles, but . . . there are a lot of problematic elements that would likely be changed for TV . . . and there would be fan uproar as there was with Wheel of Time.

I mean, I was open minded and felt ghe show was well made, but as a big fan of the boks (read the whole series multiple times)...the adaptation was really boneheaded on several fronts, and given the huge drop off in viewership (I never bothered past Season 1, can't bring myself to watch it, let alone convince my wife, she HATED that first Season something fierce) it doesn't seem it was aloud minority at play.

If theybhad managed the adaptation in such a way thwt they kept Brabdon Sanderson on team, at least, the show would have done better numbers, frankly.

And with DL, if they make changes I doubt it will matter if Weiss and Hickman are on board and selling it.

 

[bedir than]

The Hasbro investor meeting talked about D&D working in four “shows”, reportedly.

Levy took over the Paramount project that had Crevello as writer with it moving to Netflix -- It's Forgotten Realms.
There are indications this was the project originally from Marshall Rawson Thurber.

Joe's documentary may be one of them. It's not quite dead, but it missed its 50th Anniversary target worse than the Monster Manual.

No other projects are public beyond today's earnings call (which I didn't make). I think those comments are in Q&A as they weren't in the publicly released statements.

 

[DarkCrisis]

While I will be there day one if it’s a tv show or film, I have zero hope it will not be extra cheesy. It will be more WoT then Rings of Power.

Heck im betting it’s not even WoT level.

Less serious and more comedy.

 

[Cergorach]

I continue to be shocked that there is not a Drizzt (or however you spell it) show.

The correct spelling is Ditzz...

 

[Parmandur]

Levy took over the Paramount project that had Crevello as writer with it moving to Netflix -- It's Forgotten Realms.
There are indications this was the project originally from Marshall Rawson Thurber.

Joe's documentary may be one of them. It's not quite dead, but it missed its 50th Anniversary target worse than the Monster Manual.

No other projects are public beyond today's earnings call (which I didn't make). I think those comments are in Q&A as they weren't in the publicly released statements.

Not meant as shade either way, but I honestly feel that old yike TSR style D&D firehouse pulp fiction and Netflix's approach to content are a great match.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Did it though? Or did Wheel of Time alienate a LOUD portion of the fan base?

The show certainly didn't perform well enough for Amazon to continue with it, sadly IMO. I was really enjoying it!

I am hoping that this "news" means a live-action television adaptation of Chronicles, but . . . there are a lot of problematic elements that would likely be changed for TV . . . and there would be fan uproar as there was with Wheel of Time.

They would either have to make blonde haired blue eyed Goldmoon look more Native American or drop the whole plains people = Native Americans.

 

[mamba]

I meant in general. WoT is probably the biggest non-Tolkien fantasy ever (maybe Stormlight has surpassed in in sales?) and still could not hold an audience. I think GoT was an anomaly and DL would legit bomb no matter how good the production was because the story just isn't very good.

WoT TV series was boring and meandering, I have no idea how the books are, but I am not surprised the TV show got dropped. Going by the DL novels vs the WoT TV show, I definitely prefer DL..

Of course there is no accounting for taste, so me liking it and you not liking it mean very little, and I have no idea what a larger audience these days would think. I see no reason it would be destined to fail just based on it being DL however

 

[mamba]

Has a book audience ever been happy with changes?

depends on the changes I guess, LotR made changes, I was ok to happy with all but one minor one, and that does not ruin the overall good impression for me

 

[Parmandur]

WoT TV series was boring and meandering, I have no idea how the books are, but I am not surprised the TV show got dropped. Going by the DL novels vs the WoT TV show, I definitely prefer DL..

Of course there is no accounting for taste, so me liking it and you not liking it mean very little, and I have no idea what a larger audience these days would think. I see no reason it would be destined to fail just based on it being Dl however

What does it have to do with the WoT is a great question. The TV show cut most of the first book, and then had 70% or so original material. I actually thought it was pretty OK, but as an adaptation it was certainly full of...decisions.

Though slow and meandering are legitimate descriptions of the books, they just earn the meandering by the end.