Remathilis
Legend
They managed to spin "Pirates of the Caribbean" into a wildly successful film series from far less than D&D gives them.
This.
In an era where every major release is either a reboot or based on YA fiction, it'd be nice to see an original Franchise. The D&D movies weren't bad because they were original, they were bad because they were cheap: cheaply written, cheaply directed, and cheaply produced. The kernel of story in the first one (for example) is moderately solid; young thieves break into a mage academy, stumble into a an apprentice mage and meet a drunken dwarf and a stoic elf, brave a thieves guild, find a magic map, recover said magic map, get an artifact, and use the artifact to stop evil wizard from taking over world. Oh, and a giant dragon battle. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS PREMISE. Its execution was god-awful, but when people criticize the D&D movie, its not for its concept. Its for its casting (Wayan Bros), for its hammy acting (Atzzzzzzz....), its effects (beholder dogs) and other questionable choices (blue lipstick, really?) Even the script was maybe 3 or 4 good revisions away from being decent. Even the actors weren't bad, given that they were told to ham it up and be over-the-top. A different director could have got a better performance out of most of them.
Getting stuck in the "Drizz't or Dragonlance" mindset that's its the only way of being successful (only an established franchise with a nostalgic fanbase) isn't going to make this success. They need a quality concept and a compelling story. Drizz't alone won't save this project. Something new is riskier, but its not the same story rehashed again.
Besides, isn't WB just using its "Chainmail" script, retro-fitted the the Realms anyway?