The Dungeons & Dragons movie - a post containing some thoughts I've had

The Dungeons & Dragons movie - a thread containing some thoughts I've had.

I've been reading a bit about the D&D movie, and how fans want it set in their favourite world, the sort of epic film it wants to be and the inclusion of some iconic items, such as The Eye of Vecna etc.

'Use Drizzt!' I hear. 'Minsc and Boo!' 'Elminster!' 'The entire Dragonlance set!' Great ideas and there's nothing I'd like to see more on the big screen, but there's a part of me that thinks that the D&D movie should be approached differently.

I think if you had this huge movie with fan favourites on the screen the newcomers to the movie and the world will be a little left out - why should they be excited about it? What's with the Big Reveal, why are people excited? Who are these people?

Newcomers might feel like new players at a table; not 100% sure what's going on, feeling a little left out and a disorientated by all the noise and kerfuffle from the players who know the system, the setting and the characters.

Nonplussed, the newcomers might wander away and miss the larger worlds on offer, and so D&D on the big screen falters because the films didn't do enough to cater for those who don't know D&D.

I'm not saying this will happen, but it's a possibility. So I say; restart the campaign. Start from the beginning, with everyone beginning at level 1 no matter what their history or experience is with D&D.

Make the story simple - a dungeon delve. Take the Moria segment from LotR and amp it up, give a background but don't give away the world, and focus on the band of adventurers making their way through the dark.

Each one has their reasons for being there, their personalities and goals clash, that kind of thing, but keep the classic 1st level dungeon crawl idea intact; it's what got us first time gamers into it, after all.

Viewers will respond to a good story and good characters, and when things do get amped up in following movies, or the third act of the first film, they'll care, and they'll be invested.

Just like I was with my first character - I didn't know the world or the game, but I knew a sly thief and their aims in life. The fireworks followed later.

I think diving into an explosive in-your-face D&D movie extravaganza might backfire. I think it'd work better as a streaming service TV show, then you can watch the progress of the characters as the story unfolds and there's plenty of time for hugeness.

Just a few thoughts.