| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| swifty |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 08:05:35
It was announced a couple of months back that Hasbro had given the go ahead for a film set in the realms.I think it's going to come down to how well Warcraft performs next year.have I missed the thread or there just very little enthusiasm on here for it. |
| 29 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Gyor |
Posted - 09 Dec 2015 : 17:30:13
A Forgotten Realms live action tv show with the nudity of Game of Thrones, but its own plots and characters would be awesome. |
| Rymac |
Posted - 02 Dec 2015 : 07:26:04
quote:
Originally posted by Caolin
I've got to say, I've worked in the movie industry for 10 years now (VFX) and I have ZERO faith that this movie (if it is even made) will be anything other than B movie quality. I'll list my reasons:
1) The most important reason is that there is no one of consequence attached to this movie. Only people who've been attached to successful projects but none of them had any significant roles in those productions. The screenwriter is also a nobody with terrible movies under his name.
2) Hasbro, a company with no movie production experience, is going to oversee the project.
3) They picked the wrong format. Game of Thrones has proven that TV is the better format for unproven fantasy material. TV gives the audience a an easier entry into the material than does a movie. Asking non-gaming fans to spend $12-15 for a movie ticket to a Dungeons and Dragons movie is tough. Asking a non-fan to tune into HBO to check out an episode is easy.
I'm not saying that this can't be a success. But the track record of Hasbro is not very good. I think the best we can hope for is a replica of Vin Diesel's The Last Witch Hunter which is at 16% on Rotten Tomatoes.
I would agree with your assessment. If Hasbro has the goal of being the next Marvel, they should look to television first, and build up from there. A new Dungeons & Dragons cartoon would be a good start. It would be too early for a live action series/mini-series, and it would inevitably be called a rip-off of Game of Thrones or The Shannara Chronicles (coming in January 2016).
Given Dungeons & Dragons movies of the past, they really shouldn't move forward unless they can get a "known quantity" to shepherd the movie through its production, so the movie ends up something of at least decent quality. They need the next Christopher Nolan. |
| Caolin |
Posted - 02 Dec 2015 : 06:07:30
I've got to say, I've worked in the movie industry for 10 years now (VFX) and I have ZERO faith that this movie (if it is even made) will be anything other than B movie quality. I'll list my reasons:
1) The most important reason is that there is no one of consequence attached to this movie. Only people who've been attached to successful projects but none of them had any significant roles in those productions. The screenwriter is also a nobody with terrible movies under his name.
2) Hasbro, a company with no movie production experience, is going to oversee the project.
3) They picked the wrong format. Game of Thrones has proven that TV is the better format for unproven fantasy material. TV gives the audience a an easier entry into the material than does a movie. Asking non-gaming fans to spend $12-15 for a movie ticket to a Dungeons and Dragons movie is tough. Asking a non-fan to tune into HBO to check out an episode is easy.
I'm not saying that this can't be a success. But the track record of Hasbro is not very good. I think the best we can hope for is a replica of Vin Diesel's The Last Witch Hunter which is at 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. |
| Eltheron |
Posted - 02 Dec 2015 : 04:28:32
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Getting Jeremy irons didn't work for the Dnd movie last time.
I always cringe at the thought of a Dnd movie. It is not a mainstream hobby and I don't think I would want it to be.
Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor) has a cameo as an elf.
That alone overrides everything else that's bad in this movie. 
Well, almost.
|
| Kessalin |
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 19:41:26
Assuming a Forgotten Realms movie focuses on Drizz't, I think it should be shot more like Avatar, with that level of cgi. Then the decision of who plays Drizz't can be broken up into "who can fight with two swords well enough to portray Drizz't's ability during motion capture?" and "who would be a suitable voice for Drizz't?". The same situation came up in Star Wars Episode 1 with Ray Park. He played Darth Maul, and fought as Darth Maul, but they covered up his accent with a voice actor (such as it was... his wasn't a very vocal role). |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 09:15:40
Getting Jeremy irons didn't work for the Dnd movie last time.
I always cringe at the thought of a Dnd movie. It is not a mainstream hobby and I don't think I would want it to be. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 09:03:49
quote:
Originally posted by Rymac
quote:
Originally posted by BenN
I'm surprised noone has mentioned this so far, but how about Vin Diesel (noted D&D fan) playing Minsc?
As much as Vin Diesel in a D&D movie may be great, him being in it would make it a Vin Diesel movie first.
I agree that Vin Diesel might be awesome as Minsc. And also that casting him would demand that bigger names be cast for the other roles... something which I believe would be a massive brainfart.
Success is not guaranteed. Spending a crapload of money on actors is not a good decision. It is a big gamble, for actors who already have a career, and that translates into a big bribe.
Newbies? Nothing to lose, so no leverage to demand a lot of compensation. Potentially a big "first movie" though, which means they're more likely to want in on it.
But yea... I'm sure WotC and Hasbro probably are looking for big names, thinking that will translate to ticket sales.  |
| Rymac |
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 05:43:36
quote:
Originally posted by BenN
I'm surprised noone has mentioned this so far, but how about Vin Diesel (noted D&D fan) playing Minsc? All we need is some purple dye for his head tattoo & a hamster, and he'll be feeding his foot to evil's arse!
I would definitely pay good money see a D&D movie with all of Minsc's hysterical one-liners in the script..... 
As much as Vin Diesel in a D&D movie may be great, him being in it would make it a Vin Diesel movie first. If what WotC is hoping for is a popcorn B-movie, yea it would work.
Something tells me that WotC wants a D&D movie to be taken seriously enough to attract a few A-list actors willing to take a gamble. |
| BenN |
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 05:24:49
I'm surprised noone has mentioned this so far, but how about Vin Diesel (noted D&D fan) playing Minsc? All we need is some purple dye for his head tattoo & a hamster, and he'll be feeding his foot to evil's arse!
I would definitely pay good money see a D&D movie with all of Minsc's hysterical one-liners in the script..... |
| silverwolfer |
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 05:14:43
I think Drizzit may have readership size that would be on par with the peak of the Percy Jackson craze with a more diverse readership age, not sure I would put him on par with Marvel but he has been on the top seller list for20 years, I think it would be fair to make a movie based on him. His storyline translates well into a cgi heavy film . |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 30 Nov 2015 : 12:57:35
quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
Wizards' market research evidently knows different -- monetizing the D&D brand in movies and such is their whole strategy. That publicity *helped* D&D at the time, while thirty years later it's faded greatly, and it never spread much outside the USA.
Which obviously doesn't mean the film would be successful -- from that point of view, nobody still knows anything -- and it's doubtful it would come out with much of the Realms in it.
What brand research? Oh you mean the last D&D movies we got?
What other research would they have? They haven't done public research outside their own table top RPG. I think they are going on a wing and a prayer here. Superheroes are in at the moment while fantasy not so much. Another problem you have is Hasbro. Hasbro probably thinks if they put their stamp on it then it's going to sell. For every success a big corp has, there are loads of failures.
D&D is basically a generic fantasy term. In the eyes of the public, there is nothing that differs between Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc.... Dragons, Wizards, Orcs, Elves, you get the point.
They believe they can mimic Marvel and DC which won't happen. What these companies have that D&D doesn't is iconic and individual characters that each have their own special powers and visual uniqueness that translates easily to toys and other merchandise.
D&D has virtually none of this to be honest. I think a lot of people will go and see the movie for the craic but I wouldn't be expecting loads after the initial release. |
| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 30 Nov 2015 : 03:11:27
I have mixed feelings about a D&D movie. If they're going to set it in the Realms, they'll probably do a Drizzt movie, which I don't really want, much as I like Drizzt. I think they should go with original characters, with perhaps cameo appearances from famous Realms characters. |
| Eltheron |
Posted - 30 Nov 2015 : 01:40:52
Eh, I can't believe that anyone at WotC truly expects a D&D movie to be important, either for making bank or influencing the IP.
If there's one thing that corporate bean counters are good at, it's numbers, and the precedent from prior D&D movies just isn't that great. Past behavior is the best predictor for future behavior unless there's a massive difference in money involved, and Hasbro has been cost-cutting and cost-controlling far more than they've invested into D&D.
Comparisons to Marvel are shaky, given that Marvel is willing to spend tons of money on their movies, and thereby get high quality writing, acting, and production teams for their movies.
|
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 29 Nov 2015 : 20:23:36
quote:
Originally posted by StarFyre
Not sure which actor would be good for Drizzt.
If he's cleaning up his act, I think Gary Dourdan would make an awesome Drizzt. I know I would buy tickets.
Wesley Snipes could do the look, but I dunno about the attitude. LL Cool J could be good. 
But in any case, the actor would need to know the stories and dig them, and be excited about channeling R A Salvatore. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 29 Nov 2015 : 20:16:35
quote:
Originally posted by combatmedic
Comics were blamed for making kids into homosexuals and juvenile delinquents.
Really? I didn't see that at all, but it could have been timing or location. Not arguing, just didn't see/experience it.  |
| StarFyre |
Posted - 29 Nov 2015 : 09:20:41
It needs to have the budget to do it well. Effects, costumes, make up are important for a film like this. Doing a book series that is well known can help. ie. i would expect dragonlance crhonciles could work if someone paid to have them filmed up front all in a row for a 1.5-2 year film shoot similar to what was done with LotR and what being done for Infinity War Part1 and 2.
You need a good director that understands telling a story, can guide actors well and bring out a performance and also help hide flaws. What james Gunn did for Guardians of teh Galaxy was awesome. Of course, a Spielberg, Scorcese, Cameron could work but not sure on fit and if they would be interested. James Gunn, i think would be good. EVen the Russo Brothers (Winter Soldier).
Actors. Nothign wrong with big name but they do need to be interested. The best actor ever, Daniel Day Lewis, i doubt would be interested but if he was, you want someone like him! No, instead, again somethign like Guardians could work. Decent people with a good director to guide them.
It really needs to be treated like a LotR/WarCraft style story.
if an FR story is done, i would guess it would be the Drizzt group of novels. Not sure which actor would be good for Drizzt.
Good thing about the premade books you can hide the D&D name if you wanted, but brand recognition would be harder since gotta face it - not that many overall would know/care bout the books. its not Harry Potter. |
| combatmedic |
Posted - 29 Nov 2015 : 00:44:21
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
Apples and oranges. I'm not saying be ashamed of magic or roleplaying... just that it's not prudent to advertise the connection to D&D due to widespread misguided public opinion about D&D. Most comic book ideas were never accused of being satanic and blamed for suicides.
Comics were blamed for making kids into homosexuals and juvenile delinquents.
|
| Faraer |
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 23:33:04
Wizards' market research evidently knows different -- monetizing the D&D brand in movies and such is their whole strategy. That publicity *helped* D&D at the time, while thirty years later it's faded greatly, and it never spread much outside the USA.
Which obviously doesn't mean the film would be successful -- from that point of view, nobody still knows anything -- and it's doubtful it would come out with much of the Realms in it. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 20:00:10
Apples and oranges. I'm not saying be ashamed of magic or roleplaying... just that it's not prudent to advertise the connection to D&D due to widespread misguided public opinion about D&D. Most comic book ideas were never accused of being satanic and blamed for suicides. |
| Paran |
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 18:32:45
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudhNo mention of D&D until after it succeeds.
I remember when comic book movies were embarrassed by the source material and tried to portray them as realistically as possible. Now we have Marvel who not only embraces the silliness but also promotes it.
|
| George Krashos |
Posted - 27 Nov 2015 : 00:14:53
I think quite a lot hinges on the success of this film. ESpecially in the context of the future of the Realms in gaming.
-- George Krashos |
| combatmedic |
Posted - 26 Nov 2015 : 22:11:45
That does seem like a reasonable guess about how things could happen. I honestly don't know much about how Hasbro does business, especially not these days.I have never worked for them. And I have not followed industry's news in a close or consistent manner.
My comments about the film not having a big impact on game sales are a guess, but I think a decent one
But allocation of resources within the company? I have no idea.
|
| Gyor |
Posted - 26 Nov 2015 : 21:24:14
quote:
Originally posted by combatmedic
This idea has been around since Gygax went to Hollywood. He got a cartoon, but never the film.
There have been three such films made, more recently.
I think the net effect of any new film on sales of D&D will be minimal.My guess is none of the previous films created any huge boost.
This is not dependent on quality.. Of course it's going to be a bad film, because if it were good it wouldn't look much like D&D. It might be a bad but enjoyable film.
I suppose Gyor might mean that if the film makes enough money, Hasbro might allocate more resources to the tabletop game line. Is that it,Gyor?
Basically yes. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 22:02:58
I think putting the D&D or FR logo on a film is a huge and probably crippling mistake.
The D&D logo is not necessary to bring D&D fans to the theatres, and its presence will repel those who mistrust D&D. No gain, huge potential losses. Ergo, making A D&D Movie is just plain stupid.
Step 1: Write a script that's as compelling as LotR. WotC can do this, with or perhaps without assistance -- Tyranny of Dragons could have worked, although there's something to be said for the idea that dragons are kinda overplayed at this point. Better if the big bad monsters are something else. It is not important to set the story in a place that will be immediately recognizable as FR, like Waterdeep or Cormyr. It's not important to talk about classes or any other game mechanic. Fans will get it, and nobody else needs to know.
Step 2: The movie will need to be as visually appealing as Avatar. Something that everybody, kids and adults alike, will tell all their friends about... and then drag their friends to the theatres and watch it a second time with them. So don't skimp on the CGI, makeup, costume, and prop designers. Also, it is absolutely not necessary to be crazy with the costumes. Big stiff cowls that stick up past the bad guy's head are really lame. Comic book costumes (Batman's Bane, for instance) do not belong in D&D movies. Ever.
Step 3: The director needs to be better than just barely competent, but it shouldn't be someone who already has a concrete reputation because that will shape the audience's expectations and the whole point of this movie is for the story and the setting to shape perceptions, rather than a director. The more creative control Ed Greenwood has on the direction of the movie, the better. It is not important to get big-name actors. I would actually *avoid* casting popular actors. However, the screenwriter, the director, and all the actors need to have some positive history with D&D and genuinely love the Forgotten Realms. Johnny Depp is a great actor, but he wouldn't be great in a movie he wasn't excited about. If it's "just another gig" then that's not the right actor for the part. Like I said, it's fine to cast "nobodies" as long as they're passionate about the Realms.
Step 4: Avoid placing the D&D or FR logos on the film itself, or in any of the promotional material. Advertise exclusively outside of WotC products. There is absolutely no danger of FR fans not hearing about the film. We will know. The point is to actively avoid associating the film with D&D and thus alienating much of the potential audience. Let them come to see a unique swords & sorcery movie, with no preconceived notions about it.
A year or more after the film sets box office records, after it goes to DVD and sets sales records there too... that's when you can say hey, that movie was the newest D&D movie, glad you liked it, maybe we'll do another some time. If, gods forbid, it doesn't do well, you can save face by not saying that, and just trying to do better next time.
And next time, do it the same way. No mention of D&D until after it succeeds. That's how you make a successful D&D movie, and change D&D's rep for the better.
|
| deserk |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 22:00:46
If WotC struggles to get out just one single FR sourcebook throughout the span of years, I don't see how this franchise can ever get a movie. |
| sno4wy |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 19:50:50
I feel like, if WotC is going to use the Warcraft movie as a standard, well... let's just say it'd be like trying to compare Sword Coast Legends to the latest Starcraft release (or whichever RPG-esque game that's most modern for Blizzard, not counting World of Warcraft). >_> |
| combatmedic |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 18:16:02
This idea has been around since Gygax went to Hollywood. He got a cartoon, but never the film.
There have been three such films made, more recently.
I think the net effect of any new film on sales of D&D will be minimal.My guess is none of the previous films created any huge boost.
This is not dependent on quality.. Of course it's going to be a bad film, because if it were good it wouldn't look much like D&D. It might be a bad but enjoyable film.
I suppose Gyor might mean that if the film makes enough money, Hasbro might allocate more resources to the tabletop game line. Is that it,Gyor?
|
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 16:18:41
Fingers crossed. |
| Gyor |
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 15:04:21
I've kept on eye on it and there is no new info on it, so there is nothing to talk about,aside from the fact that the future of D&D likely hinges on its success or failure. |
