Dungeons and dragons. Should a remake happen?

Perhaps the question should not be a remake or reboot, but maybe a recreation. Why start a movie based upon a tabletop game in the medieval ages? Why not take a different route? Start the movie around a table, a bag of cheetos and a bottle of Mt. Dew(product placement and sponsors for the movie), and five friends walk in and the journey can begin. 

Who should act?

What sort of dungeon crawl ought this be? If you have super serious players it can get dark and deadly in a matter of hours. I believe that a serious beginning with a couple of 4th wall breaks should lead to a comedic end. Afterall, it is just a game. Use serious actors that can break down the sort of monotony that couples with the game, then add a couple of bros that can have crowd rolling with laughs.You could go with the old standbys for fantasy settings: Dwayne Johnson, Ethan Hawke, Gal Gadot, maybe fold in a cameo or two with Daniel Radcliff and Emma Stone, go for a End of the World feel for the table top. The nerds ought to be a bunch of guys that really don’t have a presence and don’t mind that their Friday nights are spent around a table fantasizing about what they want to be.

As for the director of the movie, such a list to choose from. I have some that I think might be chosen from recent movies. Newer directors and legends, six that have dabbled in the creature genre of film.

1. Jake Kasdan – Jumanji (2017)

This is a relatively younger director. His success with Jumanji allowed him to direct the sequel as well. He has shown that he has adaptability with overcoming new actors and seasoned veterans. Mixing the personalities of the old and the young and making a unique film in the process.

2. John Krasinski – A Quiet Place (2018)

Yes,  Jim from the Office. Other than an amazingly serious actor with jokes on the side, Krasinski showed that silent films can still exist in the world of sound. Directing, writing and starring in the monster horror film was made all the more exciting when you consider that he had to convince children to be quiet while filming.

3. Peter Jackson – The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

 This is one that I would consider a legend in the film genre for his making of epic worlds with hundreds in casting. If DnD was to be an epic film trusting more to practical effects, there are few as good as the man that created a Helm’s deep battle.

4. Guillermo del Toro – Hellboy (2004)

When thinking of DnD, creatures and monstrosities lurking in dungeons, there are few highly creative people that could make a temptation feast into something of absolute terror. Toro is well known for making bizarre and scary creatures seem real. When it comes to movie monsters and DnD monsters, he does a wonderful job of placing them both together.

Is a remake even needed?

Who can answer this question? There have been many people out there that practice the game and many more that like to LARP(Live Action Role Play), but to introduce a new generation to tabletop games often movies or shows are the way to show them how to do it. By seeing big screen actors put themselves on display acting silly and showing how the game should be played, regardless of distractions, such things are left to hollywood. Dungeon masters create the world around us and force player characters to traverse down hall ways and fall into traps. Is a variation of DnD needed? Probably not. Is one wanted? Absolutely.