It's been seventeen years since the release of Hollywood's first attempt at making a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS movie, but the critical thrashing that the film received, along with a pesky lawsuit, has kept development on the Warner Bros. reboot from progressing too far along. After settling their lawsuit, Warner Bros. seemed ready to finally move forward with the project, but the last we heard of it came last year when it was reported that Ansel Elgort (BABY DRIVER) was in early negotiations to star.
A new piece of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS puzzle has emerged as big D&D fan Joe Manganiello (THE BATMAN) told Josh Horowitz on his "Happy Sad Confused" podcast that he has co-written a draft for a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS movie with a playwright friend from Carnegie Mellon. He also held a two-day creative summit with Wizards of the Coast, the creative force behind the series, to discuss where the movie could go, what it should look like and what it should be.
Obviously, there's a spectacle. There's dragons breathing fire and lightning. But I think what makes a great superhero or fantasy movie is the human aspect. It's got to be about something. We root for those characters in Game of Thrones. Fellowship of the Ring was about friendship, this undying love for your friends and doing anything for your friends, and that's something everyone can identify with. I think when a movie is about something human and real emotionally, people are going to want to go see it. Then if you get some dragons breathing fire, and hey, I'm in.
There's no indication if Joe Manganiello's DUNGEONS & DRAGONS project is connected with the Warner Bros. reboot, but as the actor is currently involved in their DC Extended Universe (he's still set to play Deathstoke in THE BATMAN), it's entirely possible. Manganiello says that he's still talking with all of the involved parties to get this project off the ground and finally crack it, and added that he has the full backing of Wizards of the Coast.
Any D&D fans out there? What needs to be done in order to make a proper DUNGEONS & DRAGONS movie?