After making a reflex save in the American judicial system, Warner Bros. has managed to evade a lawsuit and escape with the rights to make a Dungeons & Dragons feature film. To many of you, the idea of a D&D film probably sounds like a fun lark, a long overdue adaptation of one of the most popular pen-and-paper RPGs in the world. To others who are still stinging from the truly and exquisitely terrible 2000 Dungeons & Dragons film starring the likes of Jeremy Irons and Marlon Wayans, this probably sounds like a nightmare that’s come back to haunt you all over again. Well, hindsight is 20-20, as they say, and today on Nerdist News, Jessica Chobot is going to lay out exactly why this is the perfect time for a Dungeons & Dragons film.
With Game of Thrones fandom at a fever pitch and a drought of well-made high fantasy at the box office, fantasy fans are champing at the bit for something to sate their appetites for swords and sorcery. Much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner Bros. could easily draw upon the years and years of slick, well-crafted D&D adventures and characters in order to create a living, breathing world that could evolve into a sprawling, epic franchise. With campaign settings like Eberron, Greyhawk, and Forgotten Realms, there’s a veritable narrative goldmine at their fingertips.
And for anyone confused on what the attraction would be, just look at Critical Role on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel; every Thursday, the show, which features professional voice actors playing an epic ongoing D&D campaign, routinely attracts more than 5,000 viewers for the duration of its multi-hour broadcast. Not only do they manage to create a thrilling story with little more than pens, paper, and their vocal cords, they suck the audience in as well. Now just imagine what could be done with a millions of dollars and a maverick director–or dungeon master–at the helm.
What would you want to see from a Dungeons & Dragons film? What module would make the best template for a movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Then be sure to check out who’s winning the console wars on a brand new episode of Nerdist Play.
