Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, filmmakers known for their work on movies Game Night and Spider-Man: Homecoming, have a new Dungeons & Dragons movie in the works. While the filming has been delayed due to recent events, Goldstein and Daley recently explained their process in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where they spoke about how the D&D movie will differ from standard fantasy fare.
Goldstein and Daley have given a lot of thought about giving the D&D movie a similar tone to D&D games. According to Goldstein, they “want it to be fun.” Though it won’t explicitly be a comedy, it will be a movie with plenty of action and humor. They plan to combine the fantasy genre of D&D with modern speaking styles and mannerisms of contemporary players. D&D characters often speak completely differently than generic fantasy characters, creating a tone that is unique to the game.
However, this does not mean that the D&D movie will be a parody. Daley says that the intention is not to “spoof the fantasy genre.” D&D is not a spoof of fantasy; it is a game in which players can have fun in a fantasy space. Goldstein and Daley are trying to capture the spirit of D&D onscreen – the improvisations, the banter, and the unexpected plans.
This means that this new movie will be very different than the 2000 Dungeons & Dragons movie and its direct-to-DVD sequels. These movies drew from the lore of the most popular D&D setting, the Forgotten Realms, but kept a similar fantasy tone to other D&D media. The new movie will also feature Forgotten Realms lore. Goldstein and Daley are working directly with Wizards of the Coast to incorporate the universe’s lore.
It should be encouraging for D&D fans to see Goldstein and Daley take this tone in the new D&D movie. They seem to understand that the appeal of D&D isn’t just Tolkein-esque fantasy. Rather, it’s the action, antics, and shared experience of playing with friends. Daley even has his own D&D group, which has continued as a weekly Zoom call. The fact that the filmmakers are also fans bodes well for this movie.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
