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?

 

[mamba]

Making a more diverse DL show that appeals to modern audiences does not take away "your thing"

I believe the whole 'for modern audiences' is way overrated. Modern audiences do not just watch shows where the cast is all colors of the rainbow and half of them are non-cis. Maybe I am out of touch, but I believe a good story is more important than 'forced diversity', even for modern audiences.

 

[Parmandur]

lol, forgot about that one. Original in an extended universe kind of sense, not even a Weiss/Hickman book, let alone from the Chronicles trilogy we are kinda expecting / discussing here

But from the very first, he has a "Last of the Mohicans" buckskin and feathers aesthetic, and not juat him, it is part of the distinctive look that the artists were giving to the Humans of Krynn. I would juat hope a TV show in the 20s would approach that carefully.

 

[Parmandur]

I believe the whole 'for modern audiences' is way overrated. Modern audiences do not just watch shows where the cast is all colors of the rainbow and half of them are non-cis. Maybe I am out of touch, but I believe a good story is more important than 'forced diversity', even for modern audiences.

Thing is, it doesn’t need to he all that forced. Not exactly a tall order, Stargate SG-1 was doing it 25 years ago no problemo.

 

[mamba]

But from the very first, he has a "Last of the Mohicans" buckskin and feathers aesthetic, and not juat him, it is part of the distinctive look that the artists were giving to the Humans of Krynn.

I always saw that more as the elf / ranger thing than a native american thing, but I agree, it certainly can be seen that way too

I would juat hope a TV show in the 20s would approach that carefully.

they should, he can dress like Aragorn in Bree without truly changing anything relevant

 

[mamba]

Thing is, it doesn’t need to he all that forced. Not exactly a tall order, Stargate SG-1 was doing it 25 years ago no problemo.

SG plays in modern times in the US, that makes it pretty straightforward to have a diverse cast, it accurately represents the world it is portraying. It also does not have an established history in which the main cast is a certain ethnicity that the show decided to go against either.

 

[M.L. Martin]

I don’t think any adaptation needs to keep the real-world religious stuff in Dragonlance. I think the series would be improved if it avoided it.

You're going to have a tough time avoiding it if you want to adapt Chronicles, as it's pretty foundational to the premise of the first book at least. And Legends introduces its own issues in that regard, although I seem to be one of the only people who notices it and finds it obnoxious.

 

[bedir than]

I believe the whole 'for modern audiences' is way overrated. Modern audiences do not just watch shows where the cast is all colors of the rainbow and half of them are non-cis. Maybe I am out of touch, but I believe a good story is more important than 'forced diversity', even for modern audiences.

Is only a white could save these natives a good story? Because that's what the lack of changing Goldmoon's story is

 

[Parmandur]

SG plays in modern times in the US, that makes it pretty straightforward to have a diverse cast, it accurately represents the world it is portraying. It also does not have an established history in which the main cast is a certain ethnicity that the show decided to go against either.

No, I mean the casting for people on alien planets: the Viking planet would have black, brown and Asian actors as Vikings, the Greek planet would have black, brown and Asian actors as Greeks, etc. No matter how much of an obvious monocuktural analog a planet they visited was, no matter how small the village was...the casting was diverse.

And nobody blinked an eyes it was fuse. Rings of Power does the same thing today, and it is fine.

 

[mamba]

Is only a white could save these natives a good story? Because that's what the lack of changing Goldmoon's story is

Goldmoon is not saving the natives in the first place, that is not her role or the story of DL / Chronicles I already wrote that she can be native and does not need to be caucasian looking.

 

[bedir than]

I already wrote that she can be native and does not need to be caucasian looking.

Excellent. Then we agree at least one race swap is necessary for a modern audience.