What world/concepts would make for a good D&D movie?

[Knightfall]

Ok, everyone has their opinion about the first D&D movie and most have already made up their mind about the new one coming out.

However, what this thread is about, is how EN Worlders would have done a D&D movie. Forget the current trilogy they are creating. (IOW, don't rant about what you hate about the movies.)

Go from scratch... give your ideas. What would the plot be? Who would star in it? Would it be based on a official D&D World or would you go more generic. (This is the poll question!)

Case in point, here's what Klaus has considered for a D&D movie based on the cartoon series.

I've been trying to cast a D&D cartoon-to-movie adaptation and got as far as Lindsay Lohan as Sheila.

Maybe Christopher Stewart Masterson (iirc... the eldest brother in Malcolm in the Middle) as Hank?

Would you go this route?

Cheers!

KF72

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I'd like to see either a Dark Sun or Eberron movie.

The 'generic fantasy world' (and its higher-magic offshoots) like Greyhawk and FR have been done, and likely at their best, with the LotR trilogy. Planescape and Spelljammer have too much 'background,' Ravenloft is the wrong genre...

Eberron and Dark Sun each have a unique flavor that I haven't seen done as well or better in other fantasy/sci-fi films. Each stands completely on its own, without referencing the rest of the D&D worlds. Each offers great opportunities for a moviemaker to indulge in some spectacular cinematography.

Dark Sun would probably be my number one choice, though it was far from my favorite D&D setting; it's a world I'd much rather watch a movie of than game in.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I voted for several options, but I actually believe Dragonlance is the best option for the next D&D movie. Now, I'm not a huge Dragonlance fan. But I believe it would actually make a better movie series than it did a novel trilogy. More to the point, it actually has some name recognition outside D&D/RPG circles. If it's made well--and by "well," I mean by professional film-makers who also care for the material, not by amateurs (D&D movie) or pros in it only for the money--it could not only be a major success, but also draw people to D&D itself.

 

[Mouseferatu]

All that said, I'd love to see Dark Sun, Eberron, Midnight, Scarred Lands, and a few others on-screen. Not saying they'd all be viable, but I'd love to see 'em.

 

[Knightfall]

More votes and comments welcome...

 

[Chaos Drake]

I think a Dragonlance movie would work. Just make it animation or direct to DVD. One based on the original trilogy would still sell by the truckload.

Personally, I'd like to see one based on Dark Sun and Spelljammer.

For non-WotC settings, Midnight, though it might be too similar to LotR.

 

[demiurge1138]

Planescape, definitely. It'd be a weird movie, sure, but a cool one. Especially if they used the DiTerlizzi art as concept art for the special effects...

Barring that, Spelljammer (oh, wait, they did that and called it Treasure Planet, and it sucked) or Eberron would make good movies.

Demiurge out.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I voted Forgotten Realms because I think that R.A. Salvatore's The Icewind Dale Trilogy would be great D&D movies. The IWD novels would be a good big-screen representation of the D&D expirience because they contain so many D&D staples: A party of adventurers (made up of a human, dwarf, elf, and halfling), great fight scenes, savage barbarians, evil wizards, dragons, orcs, magical weapons, and even a dungeon or two.

Of course, there are some parts of the IWD trilogy that are very similar to LotR; particularly in Streams of Silver, where the heroes fight a nameless evil in an abandoned dwarven keep and a beloved character seemingly sacrifices himself to destroy the beast (by falling down into a chasm with it, no less). There's also the fact that certain individuals with too much time on their hands would cry that the concept of "dark elves" was racist; I mean, if Attack of the Clones was called racist because Jango Fett "appeared latino" then what chance would Drizzt Do'urden have?

Still, I'd want to see it. There's enough original stuff in the novels to make it a cool movie trilogy, and the fight scenes between Drizzt and Artemis would be just awesome if done right.

 

[Thanee]

Dragonlance would be great for a movie series. Interesting characters, large story, and so on. Good stuff for a fantasy movie.

Also voted some of the other worlds. Basically anything could work, really.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Klaus]

I voted Dragonlance (for its epic feel), Eberron (for the Firefly-ish spin it could take) and The D&D Cartoon (for its cool premise and reason for the movie name).

But ultimately, I think Greyhawk. But not in a "World of Greyhawk" way.

Just put together the classic dungeon delve with the classic party (fighter, cleric, wizard and rogue) and drop Greyhawk names here and there (the cleric follows Pelor, the fighter has a tattoo of Heironeous' symbol, they met in the City of Greyhawk). No need to convey a sense of "campaign setting", just "window dressing" for what needs to be, at the core, an action movie.