Hasbro sues over planned Dungeons and Dragons movie?

[Hazel-Beam 88]

I've recently heard that Hasbro is suing over the planned production of a new Dungeons and Dragons movie. (I, for one, didn't even know that Hasbro had anything to do with Dungeons and Dragons) 

 

I was wondering if anyone knows more about how Hasbro has the rights to the franchise? Like I said, I hadn't heard anything about that before, and I was a little surprised to hear the news. Personally, I'd love to see a new Dungeons and Dragons movie, even though I've never played the games myself. Anything with dragons in it is okay by me!

 

Here's a video about the situation:

 

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

I've recently heard that Hasbro is suing over the planned production of a new Dungeons and Dragons movie. (I, for one, didn't even know that Hasbro had anything to do with Dungeons and Dragons) 

 

I was wondering if anyone knows more about how Hasbro has the rights to the franchise? Like I said, I hadn't heard anything about that before, and I was a little surprised to hear the news. Personally, I'd love to see a new Dungeons and Dragons movie, even though I've never played the games myself. Anything with dragons in it is okay by me!

 

Here's a video about the situation:

Apparently, Hasbro bought out Wizards of the Coast, which was the company that owned the Dungeons and Dragons franchise, along with Magic the Gathering Trading Card Game, in 1999. So yes, Hasbro has a stake in Dungeons and Dragons. Let's hope any new movie made will not be as out-and-out crappy as the old movie was.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Full Spectrum

[Hazel-Beam 88]

Ah, now I see. Thanks for filling me in! 

 

Also, people talking about MLP Magic: The Gathering cards makes a lot more sense now!  Very interesting.

[Nilkad_Naqadah 144]

Honestly... I'm not really interested in a D&D movie. For me, the draw of the game has always been my friends and I playing out our own stories. I care about the outcome because I have a vested interest in my character. The only way for me to care about the outcome of a D&D movie in the same way would be if they personified and developed the characters really well, such as in Lord of the Rings, but as a general rule companies don't tend to do that for licensed tie-ins. I'm not saying it never happens, just look at Friendship is Magic, but it rarely does, and it seems especially unlikely considering that as a rule fantasy nerds will watch and faun over crap. (Example: Willow still has fans. Lots of fans.)

 

Addendum: An MLP Magic: The Gathering card game would be the coolest thing since ice. I love the game, it's got the perfect element of strategy, and throwing ponies in would give me massive nerdgasms.

 

Additional Addendum: The last statement of my original reply, in retrospect, seems to imply that I don't like fantasy nerds or am not one myself. Neither is the case, I just like to think I have high standards.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Nilkad_Naquada

[Fhaolan 4,468]

TSR was the publisher of Dungeons and Dragons starting in 1973, and basically they ran the franchise and the company itself into the ground via mismanagement. They had the weird idea that if they publish more books at a loss, they'd make it up on volume.

 

Wizards of the Coast bought TSR for cheap in 1997, after making a killing in the collectable card game market (Magic: The Gathering). Teeth were gnashed mightily that day, as fans thought D&D was going to be changed to match the collectable games. Didn't really happen, but there were a few attempts at combining the two markets. WotC also bought a couple of other companies, including Avalon Hill a former board game manufacturer.

 

Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast in 1999, mainly for Magic: The Gathering and Avalon Hill to be added to their Parker Brothers lineup.

 

Dungeons and Dragons movies are... unlikely to work, unless you narrow the focus a lot more. In order to make it D&D rather than just 'a generic fantasy movie' you have to reference parts of the game itself, which won't make sense to non-players. And there are a dozen different official campaign settings, so you'd have to pick one, or build a new setting just for the movie. It's just a bit of a morass that will be tricky to pull off.

[Flying Space Badger 84]

 

Dungeons and Dragons movies are... unlikely to work, unless you narrow the focus a lot more. In order to make it D&D rather than just 'a generic fantasy movie' you have to reference parts of the game itself, which won't make sense to non-players. And there are a dozen different official campaign settings, so you'd have to pick one, or build a new setting just for the movie. It's just a bit of a morass that will be tricky to pull off.

Something like a Neverwinter movie would possibly work, simply due to recognizable characters from the video games and, as you said, a narrow scope. But past that, not so much. A DnD movie is just begging to be flogged by critics and movie goers alike for critical damage. I like to pretend the last one never happened. Though I could see a pre-Neverwinter Nights movie involving Aribeth and the minor war that led her to the position she held during the game.