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    Canonfire :: View topic - New D&D Movie
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    New D&D Movie
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    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Oct 07, 2008
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    Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:56 pm  
    New D&D Movie

    I was surfing youtube last weekend and found "Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness." I'd never heard of it though I recall people talking about what the next D&D movie might be. I see it's now listed at:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1733125/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

    I think only Greyhawk buffs will watch any of it. Its bad. I fast forwarded through a lot of it.

    I don't know why it's so hard for Hollywood to make a decent D&D movie. I think the DragonLance movie was probably the best yet and that was animated. I'm still hoping they make the next two DragonLance movies to finish the trilogy but I'm not expecting that anyone will.
    GreySage

    Joined: Sep 09, 2009
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    Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:00 pm  

    I guess, for now, we will have to be quite content with Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" series.

    As a side note, speaking of animated D&Dish flicks, anyone see the anime' series called "Record of Lodoss War?" I saw it decades ago and thought it was actually fairly well done, and a decent fantasy-based, DnD-like animated movie, if you don't mind reading Japanese subtitles while you watch.

    -Lanthorn
    GreySage

    Joined: Jul 26, 2010
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    From: LG Dyvers

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    Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:17 pm  

    It seems to me that Hollywood is perfectly capable of making a high-quality fantasy movie (e.g. LotR, The Hobbit, the Narnia trilogy, Eregon, Clash/Wrath of the Titans, Dragon Heart, The Mummy, even Raiders of the Last Ark was Sci/Fi/Fantasy). Movies like Kingdom of Heaven, Braveheart, Rob Roy, etc. demonstrate that non-magical, medieval time-period movies can also be made well. So, the issue is one of the brand name, 'D&D'.

    I believe that, though fantasy, as a genre, has become more acceptable to the mainstream populace, D&D specifically is still too nerdy for production companies to take a chance on. They can obviously get lots of people to pay to watch fantasy movies, but if they name a movie, The D&D Movie, they will cut down their potential customer base too far to make a high-cost production profitable. Thus, we are still stuck with low-budget productions willing to call their movies, The D&D Movie. rolleyes

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    GreySage

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    Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:31 pm  

    I think the issue is that TSR foolishly sold the rights in perpetuity to a company that doesn't make good films. Though I don't agree that all of the other movies you mentioned were good.
    Adept Greytalker

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    Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:06 am  
    Record of Lodoss War

    I enjoyed the first series of the Lodoss War. I don't think the second was as good. I was surprised how much like D&D it was. Years later I read that the creator of that show based it on his D&D campaign. I think he said he played out of the boxed sets.

    I hadn't heard that TSR had sold the movie rights to an inept company. That would make sense from the crap I've seen.
    GreySage

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    Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:22 pm  

    rasgon wrote:
    Though I don't agree that all of the other movies you mentioned were good.


    I understand, Rasgon. I know that many people didn't care much for Eregon, for example, but it was still a better movie than any of t official D&D movies were.

    How about Swartzenegger's Conan? The first was a top-notch movie. The second wasn't as good, but it was more fantastic, so more like D&D. It was still better than any of the D&D movies.

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    Journeyman Greytalker

    Joined: Oct 08, 2003
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    Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:58 am  

    Unfortunately, I saw the first D&D movie and never bothered with the second. So cringe-worthy and flat from an acting point of view. Even with the baddies, Jeremy Irons and Bruce Payne, it was a huge let down.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:08 am  

    I don't agree wtih OP - Book of Vile Darkness was rather good one, compared to first two D&D movies. It's not on the level to be compared to LotR or Game of Thrones, but it was very "dnd-ish", with a bit Greyhawk flavor in it.

    There also rumors about two ( !!! ) new D&D movies in preproduction.
    Grandmaster Greytalker

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    Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:16 am  

    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/tabletop/features/14604-Inside-Lost-1980s-Dungeons-Dragons-Movie-Gary-Gygax-Loved
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
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    Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:08 am  

    Cringe. Game of Thrones does things right. And yet, though that show has been on the air for years now, there has been not a single fantasy movie that makes the effort to do things in a similarly decent way. I think the real problem is that we don't quite have the right group of nerds in the right places of influence/power in the movie industry...yet. Laughing

    Though I would like to see a Game of Thrones-ish movie, that is not what any D&D movie should be. No D&D movie should be higher rated than PG, or PG-13 at best (due to blood/violence, but not much of anything else content-wise). I wouldn't take people from the real world and transport them to the D&D world. I really loathe that method of story telling. And the "you are the chosen one" thing is more than a bit hackneyed at this point, as nearly every fantasy movie, good or bad, uses it. A group of adventurers is what suits a D&D movie, but a group where everyone has something to offer rather than just be tag-a-longs to "the chosen one". Movie makers might learn a lesson from the Marvel movie tree and do a few lead-in movies for various party members, and then have them all come together for a more epic adventure movie later on. That way you can tell some very different stories (i.e. "knights in shining armor/cleric" theme in one, "magic user" theme in another, "warriors and rogues" theme in another, etc.), but then also tell "the big story". Why milk just one cow when there are others in the barn too? Wink Just go very, very light on the lame movie humor please. rolleyes
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    Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:14 am  

    Good stuff Ceb. But does Fellowship of the Ring or the Hobbit not count? Any other fantasy epic movie should be compared to that benchmark. GoT works because in one season its development is spread out over the course of time it would take three movies several years to accomplish.

    I do like the Marvel mode. It of course hinges on that first movie being a blockbuster to keep the momentum up. I loved Thor but if Iron Man hadn't succeeded first I'm not sure it could've carried the team.
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
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    Tue Sep 15, 2015 11:26 pm  

    mortellan wrote:
    Good stuff Ceb. But does Fellowship of the Ring or the Hobbit not count? Any other fantasy epic movie should be compared to that benchmark. GoT works because in one season its development is spread out over the course of time it would take three movies several years to accomplish.

    I do like the Marvel mode. It of course hinges on that first movie being a blockbuster to keep the momentum up. I loved Thor but if Iron Man hadn't succeeded first I'm not sure it could've carried the team.

    No, LotR style would be fine by me (minus the lame dwarf tossing jokes and such). The Hobbit is a decent movie series, but it is also a cringe-worthy version of the book, with a good dose of every hackneyed story telling/movie cliche that could shoved into it shoved in one or more times. I believe it was best described by:

    "Entertaining, and yet horrible at the same time." - The National Cebrion Review

    Razz
    Still, the standard to beat is pretty low, and The Hobbit series is better than every one of the D&D movies that have been made.

    The technology is there to do pretty much anything. The only constraints are things like the budget, the director knowing the material, the writers knowing the material, casting the right actors, and there not being some @#%! saying, "My daughter loves Pugs, so can we put a talking Pug in there somewhere? And can he have a Chihuahua side-kick, because she also loves Chihuahuas. And Will Smith's son must be in it too."

    So, what could possibly go wrong? Laughing

    Final caveat: they will NOT be making any such movie (s) for us, as we are very certainly NOT the target demographic. They would be smart to keep us in mind though, as those of us who have spawn will be more likely to take the D&D-lings to see such a movie if it is not too groan worthy.
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    Last edited by Cebrion on Sat Dec 08, 2018 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:38 am  

    These Days, I actually think that D&D would be better served by a well-done TV series. It wouldn't have to be a super-budget smash hit to be successful and the material would be better served by a low-key gritty adventure rather than an Epic good vs. evil struggle.
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    Wed Sep 16, 2015 8:40 am  

    Lost girl is essentially a D&D campaign show focused on the succubus character and her friends (adventuring party).
    Grandmaster Greytalker

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    Wed Sep 16, 2015 8:45 am  

    Cebrion wrote:
    ...Game of Thrones does things right...


    -I've never read or seen GoT, but everyone generally has nice things to say about it (except for the supposed racism, sexism, etc. that almost anything attracts. Oh. And one case of incest...?).

    mortellan wrote:
    ...But does Fellowship of the Ring or the Hobbit not count?...


    -Of course.

    Cebrion wrote:
    ...I wouldn't take people from the real world and transport them to the D&D world...


    -Particularly since that's what they did with the cartoon.

    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/tabletop/features/14604-Inside-Lost-1980s-Dungeons-Dragons-Movie-Gary-Gygax-Loved

    ...Fearless, in his roguish idiom, says, "I'm sorry if they've got a mess here, but it's not my problem."

    Someone from the world has an inherent reason to adventure. They live there, even if in the great tradition of James Garner or Michael Caine characters, they ostensibly "don't care."

    [quote="Cebrion"]...Movie makers might learn a lesson from the Marvel movie tree and do a few lead-in movies for various party members, and then have them all come together for a more epic adventure movie later on.

    -It looks like the Hobbit does this for some of the characters in Fellowship of the Ring.

    But most of them are not starting out at 1st level... Wink

    Dragonlance had its cartoon, and I guess that Forgotten Realms would be the likely pick for a D&D movie (based on the one billion books), but for Greyhawk:

    Gord! EGG should have liked that, since it was his novel. He even starts at 1st level (or 0 level, really).

    Gilban wrote:
    These Days, I actually think that D&D would be better served by a well-done TV series. It wouldn't have to be a super-budget smash hit to be successful and the material would be better served by a low-key gritty adventure rather than an Epic good vs. evil struggle.


    ...probably true on both counts.
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
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    Thu Sep 17, 2015 1:52 am  

    jamesdglick wrote:
    Cebrion wrote:
    ...Game of Thrones does things right...


    -I've never read or seen GoT, but everyone generally has nice things to say about it (except for the supposed racism, sexism, etc. that almost anything attracts. Oh. And one case of incest...?).

    Yes, it doesn't pull any punches, which is why it does a good job. The presentation of the story is what really sells it, not the heavier subject matter. It doesn't pretend that those things (you didn't mention slavery and religious zealotry/intolerance) don't exist, to the hilt, and any sort of cultures like those that populate a fantasy world will have those things. But, most all of that is also why Game of Thrones is not what any D&D movie should be like. I think we can all acknowledge that the target demographic for any D&D movie would be around ages 10-14, and most of that material is simply inappropriate. The Hobbit would be the proper baseline for any D&D movie, with regard to the content. One just hopes they tell their story better than The Hobbit series does.

    What I mean by the lead-in movies is to show some formative development for the various characters. They could mostly be just some starting out, low level, unknown schmucks, but, as we well know, characters have way of getting sucked into bigger events unfolding around them. Map out the story for 4 movies, with the first 3 being the character development movies, and fourth one being "THE BIG EVENT". If things really take off (because they didn't screw things up by writing crappy stories/making the movies campy suck-fests), "THE BIG EVENT" movie could turn into something bigger, like its own duology or trilogy. Milk that cow! Laughing Entertainment is really where the big money is for something like D&D and miniatures games properties, and HASBRO seems capable enough of bankrolling (or at least garnering backers for) such a project. They need to go big though production quality-wise, not shoot for The Legendary Adventures of Hercules/Xena: Warrior Princess quality (or less), as they have been settling for.

    I don't think it would be much of a gamble to go PG-13 and a bit grittier, as they could end up telling some compelling, and potentially epic stories. They could do some seriously dramatic things that you just won't normally see in a movie like The Hobbit. There is a reason shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones have such a following, and it isn't because of the slapstick and lameness. People have been bludgeoned with slapstick and movie lameness for a very long time. The creator of the most storied sci-fi franchise, Georgy Lucas, was beaten down for it by fans to the point that he washed his hands of STAR WARS. Nobody would have predicted such a thing at the announcement of the three prequel movies. Nerds (that would be us, and people who like the things we do, which there are a lot more of now than ever before) just aren't stupid, and they don't appreciate stupid material, and now there is this thing called social media where anyone and everyone can vent their opinions in the most brutally frank fashion. Things can thrive, or die, due to social media. And this younger target demographic is used to watching a bit more mature material, as they are simply exposed to it more. Most of that is due to lazy/inept parents, but marketing also factors into interests. Watch any NERF gun commercial. You don't see young kids playing with the guns in the commercials. You see older teenagers, who younger kids always seek to emulate, and those older teenagers are only messing about with NERF guns in the commercials so they can get a paycheck and then go buy realistic looking AIRsoft guns, because NERF is lame!Laughing So, guess which one those the slightly older kids/young teenagers think is cool (hint: it isn't NERF)?

    So, younger kids will like Nerf, while the older kids/younger teenagers will settle for NERF, but really want AIRsoft. Correlate that to the differences in the amount of slapstick/cheesy lame movie stuff between Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it is the latter which will be more successful presentation-wise. There are movies for younger kids, and any D&D movie really shouldn't be one of them. Make a cartoon for them instead. Look to a maturity level of content similar to The Hunger Games, and, with a decent story, I think there would be great success. Tons of older kids/younger teens went to see The Hunger Games, and that series didn't benefit from permeating the world population for two generations like D&D has. The anvil is really hot now for big budget sci-fi/fantasy subject matter, and there is a TON of fantasy IP/literature that has yet to be properly tapped into.
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    Fri Sep 18, 2015 7:09 pm  

    http://www.onehitdie.com/

    This is a comedy series done in my home city it is funny on a low budget but they are doing a movie that comes out at the end of this month!!! Happy
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    Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:36 am  

    that sir is AWSOME!!!!!
    Grandmaster Greytalker

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    Sat Dec 08, 2018 1:50 pm  

    BUMP!

    The middle part of Saga of Old City (the 1st Gord book) might work. Start with Gord arriving at Rookroost and meeting Gellor, and finish with the Battle of Woodford. Everything with Lady Evaleigh could be kept PG-13, or even PG.


    Of course, a D&D movie would more likely feature Drizzt, I suppose.
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Fri Dec 14, 2018 6:06 pm  

    jamesdglick wrote:
    BUMP!

    The middle part of Saga of Old City (the 1st Gord book) might work. Start with Gord arriving at Rookroost and meeting Gellor, and finish with the Battle of Woodford. Everything with Lady Evaleigh could be kept PG-13, or even PG.


    Of course, a D&D movie would more likely feature Drizzt, I suppose.

    As much as I'd love to see them put their faith in GH for a D&D movie, I don't see it happening. FR has more mass appeal. Even still, a good D&D movie is possible (doubtful...but possible). The last bit of news I heard was that they were aiming to do a Guardians of the Galaxy-style movie set in a D&D world, which I think is a mistake. I think that style of movie (fantasy action-comedy) is too light-hearted of an approach for D&D and is almost certain to slide too far into silliness for the younger audience. I think Gygax had the right idea in terms of tone - Star Wars or Raiders of the Last Ark is the perfect model for a D&D film.

    I'll go see it regardless, but I'm not very hopeful.
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