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Brynweir
Senior Scribe
USA
436 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Oct 2007 : 23:24:25
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With the D&D flops movies and the upcoming DL movie, I was just wondering what FR stories you thought might make for a good movie. By good, I mean that they might be well made and the general public might buy into it like Eragon or LoTR.
(I searched for a similar topic but could not find one - if one exists already, please redirect me )
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Anyone who likes to read something that's really dark and gritty and completely awesome ought to read The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. You can check out a little taste at www.BrentWeeks.com I should probably warn you, though, that it is definitely not PG-13 :-D
He also started a new Trilogy with Black Prism, which may even surpass the Night Angel Trilogy in its awesomeness.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31797 Posts |
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Lady Fellshot
Senior Scribe
USA
379 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 01:17:35
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Film effects technology has certianly made it much easier to suspend disbelief and there is always acting talent around.
I suppose the big question would be which canon characters would feature prominently in a hypothetical movie. My vote would be for something by Mr. Greenwood or Ms. Cunningham. |
Rants and reviews that interest no one may be found here. |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 01:33:32
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Meh.
The D&D movies turned out to be set in Greyhawk.
I think fans who want another Lord of the Rings will also be disappointed. It took comic books decades to get "Superman the Movie"
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My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36836 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 02:31:41
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My answer remains the same as it always has been: Make a new tale.
There are going to be plenty of people who advocate one existing story or another, and it's inevitable that some are going to point to the success of certain novels and declare that it means a movel made from them will do well -- The Lord of the Rings is a common example, conveniently ignoring the commercial flops from before Peter Jackson's time.
Adapting an existing tale is going to be problematic. No matter what the story, some will be happy with it as it is, while others will howl for blood over the omission of minor points or characters (like the Tom Bombadil fans). Changes will have to be made, and people will come down on both sides of the fence for those, too. And then there's casting... Everyone has their favorites, so people won't be able to agree on that. And some stories will have additional issues, depending on the story...
But... Every writer in the Realms thus far has told a new story. We've had 20 years of plot hooks, novels, short stories, comics, computer games, and adventures. And there is so much richness and detail in the setting that we've easily got another 20 years of stories to go.
So with all that, why limit ourselves to the pitfalls of adapting an existing tale? I'm not saying it can't be done, but what I am saying is that it shouldn't be done. There is always a need for new characters, so let's let new characters take the spotlight. After all, even Drizzt Do'Urden, Arilyn Moonblade, and Erevis Cale were new characters, once. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 30 Oct 2007 02:32:33 |
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Lady Fellshot
Senior Scribe
USA
379 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 02:39:53
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What I've seen in a lot of fantasy movies after say, the 60's, is that they almost never run decent stories. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been the one exception, but even that had more than a few places where it digressed from the books a lot. I have hopes for the upcoming Golden Compass film, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
A Realms movie, in my uninformed opinion, would have to have a plot line that did not rely on the viewer to have any of the lore and rely more on character development than random events happening. I think that Elfshadow would probably transpose to film very well beause it is fairly self contained, the characterizations are excellent and it ties itself up fairly nicely. I do not consider myself conversant with Mr. Greenwood's work to give an opinion for Elminster on film.
Of course, all of that could very well end up on the cutting room floor or rewritten entirely, given the current state of investor driven movie making and medoicrity :-P |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 02:50:41
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Any FR would be great!!
As long as it is not done by the team who did Eragon ( Just a slight poke at the movie.....Loved the books...movie so,so as I loathed the casting)
As I have discussed with Erik and The Sage before in another scroll,
Ghostwalker by Erik Scott de Bie would be a great FR film.
It would almost be a given though, that if a FR movie is made it would star Drizzt. I mean studios want to make $$$ and who has generated more $ for FR than Bob Salvatore and his crew from Icewind Dale?? |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 03:04:57
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To be fair, only the Lord of the Rings animated flopped.
Return of the King the animated feature wasn't a big success but the Hobbit is still a classic of animation.
And frankly, I think that adapting an existing work would be better for the Realms.
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My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36836 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 03:21:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
To be fair, only the Lord of the Rings animated flopped.
Return of the King the animated feature wasn't a big success but the Hobbit is still a classic of animation.
I'm a fan of cartoons, and I've never even seen a DVD or VHS of The Hobbit...
And that wasn't the point. The point was that some people are going to say that any particularly popular novel or series of novels will be a guaranteed success. And yet, The Lord of the Rings, which has been around longer and read by more people than any other fantasy book, did not do anything all that impressive on the big screen until recently. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
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Lady Fellshot
Senior Scribe
USA
379 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 05:51:14
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Ailesel Seldarie, I can't believe you referred to the animated version of the Hobbit! LOL I've always thought of that craptacular film as the one that set fantasy film back 20 years... Oh well, it's still fun to lampoon and to be fair the guys who made it, they did make a much better animated movie called Wizards. That one is fairly easy to find.
As wonderful a movie set in the Realms using an original script could be, I just do not see that as a likelyhood. For one thing, the previous two movies put forth under a D&D title and original scripts flopped. For another, investors like "safe" and proven profitable material, hence nearly all of the large budget fantasy films released nowadays are being adapted from books. Also you have to take into account that most of the fantastic- type films are being marketed towards people in the 13 to 18 age bracket. Which makes the most likely canidate for a Realms book adapted into a movie one of RAS's.
I say him because most of the people I know started reading the Realms with his books (I know it's a small sample of the scads of people who read FR books).
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 06:14:41
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Love the animated Hobbit; I actually prefer it over any of the new Lord of the Rings (which, as the only person in the world I think, I hated ). But in my opinion Rankin-Bass' best fantasy movie was The Flight of Dragons. Bakshi's Lord of the Rings comes on a good third in my opinion.
PS. As far as I have read the Bakshi version of Lord of the Rings did not flop at all, grossing something like 30 mill in the states alone. It was more a case of it not doing quite as well as the studio had expected. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 06:34:53
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If there were to be a movie set in the Forgotten Realms, then they will have ample "time" to do it within the dreaded "Spellplague" years or some time before that.
If they seriously wanted to make some money...they would have to go with Drizzt. Not my personal choice, but I agree with others who have said that if they want to make money they would go with a safe route.
I'm not sure who they could get to play the role...but it would have to be someone small but very athletic...maybe Jet Li (can't remember if he has a thick accent or not) if he can work blades as well as he does hand to hand.
They can take current characters, make a movie, and THEN write a book from the screenplay of the movie without contradictions arising.
Just some late night ramble... |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36836 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 09:18:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Lady Fellshot
For another, investors like "safe" and proven profitable material, hence nearly all of the large budget fantasy films released nowadays are being adapted from books. Also you have to take into account that most of the fantastic- type films are being marketed towards people in the 13 to 18 age bracket. Which makes the most likely canidate for a Realms book adapted into a movie one of RAS's.
Actually, the safety factor pretty much rules out one of RAS's books. Why? Racism. Allow me to explain...
Part of what makes Drizzt special is the whole outcast aspect. That is not something that can really be emphasized without explaining what the drow are like. You have to show how evil they are for it to be notable that Drizzt is an exception.
So you put a race of dark-skinned people on the screen, and then explain that every single one of them -- except this guy! -- is thoroughly evil. And then just sit back and watch every special interest group to come crawling out of the woodwork to accuse you of racism, and to file lawsuits without ever even bothering to see the film.
Now, some people assure me that this won't happen, and that movie-goers are smarter than that. Really? A lot of people with their own agendas to advance look for opportunities like that. Star Wars Episode I had the Gungans, which some people decided was an attack on Italian-Americans. The Da Vinci Code decided that since the murderous monk was an albino in the book, then the actor should be an albino -- triggering a protest from pro-albino groups, who complained that it perpetuated the stereotype that all albino people are evil ( ). Hell, my grandmother considered the "Where's the beef?" lady to be insulting to old people!
So I don't see how you can put drow on the big screen without specific people and groups howling for your blood because of it. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Lady Fellshot
Senior Scribe
USA
379 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 13:58:11
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Oh, I don't know about racism being a factor in the selection process. 300 was particularly awful in that regard, what with white "democrats" fighting off every other race in the world  If someone tried to pass that off as "historically accurate" I know a few people who would like to have a few fightin' words with them. And the outcry I heard with regards to Star Wars Episode one was that the Gungans were an insulting caraciture of Black people. But I digress... I don't think most large production companies are interested in anything but the gross profits they make afterwards.
On the other hand, it does ease my speculative mind somewhat to see that someone else seems to not want dark elves on the big screen I actually wouldn't mind seeing something by Mr. Greenwood given film options. Or something new. Or someone completely different.
o.O what about something from Faerun's past? |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 14:28:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Lady Fellshot
Oh, I don't know about racism being a factor in the selection process. 300 was particularly awful in that regard, what with white "democrats" fighting off every other race in the world If someone tried to pass that off as "historically accurate" I know a few people who would like to have a few fightin' words with them.
So those people you know are "historically accurate" on their ideas? And please 300 was not white "democrats" fighting off every race of the world. This is Greek history, and not some fiction movie, where you can post your commends expecting noone to be offended. |
Edited by - Marquant Volker on 30 Oct 2007 14:36:21 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36836 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 15:13:13
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My point is that with the movies I referred to, people chose to read into them. Those were both relatively minor issues, due in no small part to the fact that only a small portion of the viewing audience could have been targeted by the slights, had they been deliberate. But an entire race of dark-skinned people being thoroughly evil? That's going to offend a huge section of the movie-going public, and a large section of the populace that aren't regular movie-goers. If a small group can get vocal enough to make the news, imagine what will happen when groups that are very much larger get involved.
I think the only reason it hasn't been an issue yet is because the role-playing audience is so small, relative to the general population. Readers are a smaller portion of the populace, to begin with, and fantasy readers an even smaller portion. Adapting a book that's only been read by 5 or 10% of the population isn't a great formula for success. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 30 Oct 2007 15:15:01 |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 16:12:20
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| I say that they should come up with a brand new story that takes place in a part of the Realms that has not been touched on recently or throughly. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
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My game design work:
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* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
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* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Matthus
Senior Scribe
Germany
393 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 16:19:00
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Well, so why don't we make a script book, sell it for tons of gold piece, and afterwards are buying all the nice little t-shirts (from which we haven’t heard some time now, by the way).
I would like to have lots of dwarven heroes !!!
But seriously, I think that the fantasy stuff may have a great chance to get into the movies, there were some films the last year. But to second Wooly - even an author like Salvatore isn't known much in the general population - and I think even 5 % readers is an optimistic appraisel. So better they are making a new story, with good action and nice animation, without bothering to press an existing novel into a story bord. |
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riot the outsider
Learned Scribe
USA
121 Posts |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 17:36:10
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quote:
Originally posted by riot the outsider
they should do all the drizzt books.
I am a great fan of the Drizzt novels, but I would rather not see Hollyweird ruin those stories for me. Undoubtedly, they would try to combine trilogies into single movies and mess the timeline in the novels to hell. Some things are best left to the written word. If they start with new characters in a place that has not been developed for awhile, throw in a couple of cameos (that make sense for the time and place of the setting of the movie), I think it could be good. We have enough issues with the whole Spellplague that we do not need a movie messing with current plots and characters too!
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I'm a fan of cartoons, and I've never even seen a DVD or VHS of The Hobbit...
I really enjoyed the animated Hobbit, and would recommend it. Some of my LOTR friends who enjoyed the animated Hobbit warned me away from watching the animated LOTR, so I did not ever end up watching it. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Edited by - Hawkins on 30 Oct 2007 17:48:33 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 17:47:24
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| Well, um, I can say that I'd definitely check out any FR movie if one ever gets made. I'd love to see a new story, even with the risk that an original story for the movie might end up sucking, badly. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Brynweir
Senior Scribe
USA
436 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 22:26:28
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I have to agree on the Dizzt issue. I think that too many people are unfamiliar with the realms and too likely to throw the racism card.
I would like to see a completely new story - something not fully developed elsewhere. I spend way too much time nit-picking movies based on books (He's not the one who said that...They left out that whole scene, etc.)
I think a well developed mix of action and drama with good character development would appeal to all ages. Good CG doesn't hurt. |
Anyone who likes to read something that's really dark and gritty and completely awesome ought to read The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. You can check out a little taste at www.BrentWeeks.com I should probably warn you, though, that it is definitely not PG-13 :-D
He also started a new Trilogy with Black Prism, which may even surpass the Night Angel Trilogy in its awesomeness.
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Lady Fellshot
Senior Scribe
USA
379 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 00:52:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Marquant Volker
So those people you know are "historically accurate" on their ideas? And please 300 was not white "democrats" fighting off every race of the world. This is Greek history, and not some fiction movie, where you can post your commends expecting noone to be offended.
I was not questioning the battle of Thermopolae pass itself, I was questioning Frank Miller's portrayal of it. Which is a topic entirely suited elsewhere. If you wish to continue that debate, I would request that it be regulated to PM.
And to to anyone else who my earlier post offended, I apologize to you all. I was speaking under the delusion that Hollywood does a lot of racial coding with its villains (historical or not) and without my first cup of tea for the day.
//end
Back to the subject at hand now: If limited to works by RAS, I would say that The Crystal Shard would probably lend itself the best to film. I think it is the one that relies the least on pre-existing books and you could at least play with the casting to ensure a racially diverse set of characters. It would be in keeping with the location's characterization as a haven of mixed rogues.
I still like the idea of an original story better though |
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Dalmar Amad
Seeker
Germany
56 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 01:17:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
The D&D movies turned out to be set in Greyhawk.
oops. I did not even know that there was more than one D&D movie.
I only know the one with Jeremy Irons and Christopher Lloyd. That one really sucked.
Which one is better? And what is the other's title?
As FR movie I would like to see:
the Cormyr series or the Threat from the Sea.
But I would also check any movie based in the Reams as long as it's not dealing with the time after the spellplague. |
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sparhawk42
Learned Scribe
104 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 12:56:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalmar Amad
quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
The D&D movies turned out to be set in Greyhawk.
oops. I did not even know that there was more than one D&D movie.
I only know the one with Jeremy Irons and Christopher Lloyd. That one really sucked.
Which one is better? And what is the other's title?
As FR movie I would like to see:
the Cormyr series or the Threat from the Sea.
But I would also check any movie based in the Reams as long as it's not dealing with the time after the spellplague.
Each of the following links will take you to some general info on each of the two D&D movies.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190374/ (Dungeons & Dragons)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406728/ (Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God ) |
You never fail until you stop trying. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 13:51:37
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Personally, I think that a Death of the Dragon film, adapted by someone willing to embrace the richness of the setting (rather than making it all about the big battle at the end), would make a splendid movie. A few flashbacks to some of the scenes in Cormyr: A Novel would be necessary in order to set the stage (Andar's off-stage slaying of Thatoryl, a scene with Suzara, that sort of thing), but I think the plot of that novel, more than most other Realms novels, is imminently adaptable to the large screen.
That, and I'm very interested to see which British actor (Geoffrey Rush?) they'd pick for the Old Snoop. |
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Aravine
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 13:55:34
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| What a Balder's Gate reincarnation? |
The brave don't live forever,the cautious don't live at all |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 17:28:14
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| It doesn't sound to me like the movies (the first one, at least) were set in Greyhawk. I'm pretty familiar with that setting, and I don't every recall an empire of "Izmir" in the Flanaess. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 18:22:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
It doesn't sound to me like the movies (the first one, at least) were set in Greyhawk. I'm pretty familiar with that setting, and I don't every recall an empire of "Izmir" in the Flanaess.
Nope...no Izmir EVER. Not in Greyhawk.
I do have a map that sets Mystara and Greyhawk on the same planet...it was a nice mix too!
As for setting a D&D movie in the Forgotten Realms...
Perhaps a new character from Rashemen as a Hero against an invasion of the Red Wizards. That could be interesting and a lot like the Barbarian Fantasy movies of the 80s (i.e. Conan and others) that were a moderate success. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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BARDOBARBAROS
Senior Scribe
Greece
581 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2007 : 20:32:44
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| i want to see elminster series in movies.. |
BARDOBARBAROS DOES NOT KILL.
HE DECAPITATES!!!
"The city changes, but the fools within it remain always the same" (Edwin Odesseiron- Baldur's gate 2) |
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A Forgotten Realms Movie?
