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Dungeons & Dragons Movie Reportedly Gets A New Script As Early Casting Begins
Paramount's Dungeons and Dragons movie now has a new script, and casting is expected to begin soon as the studio is reportedly interested in several A-list actors for the film's male lead.
A big-screen adaptation of the popular tabletop role-playing game has been in the works for a while. Dungeons and Dragons was originally in development at Warner Bros., but was eventually moved to Paramount Pictures, with Chris McKay in talks to direct. David Leslie Johnson (The Conjuring) was hired to pen the script. In April of last year, Paramount officially confirmed that Dungeons and Dragons was on their slate of upcoming films. Though the movie is expected to release in the summer of 2021, updates on the film's development have been few and far between.
That Hashtag Show reports that Michael Gillio, who was brought in to rewrite Johnson's script, has turned in a new draft that has studio executives "absolutely buzzing." According to That Hashtag Show, McKay is no longer in line to direct and the film is currently without a director. While Paramount looks for a new director, the search has also begun for the movie's male lead. The studio is reportedly looking at a list that includes Will Smith, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Matthew McConaughey, Jamie Foxx, Joel Edgerton, Dave Bautista, Jeremy Renner, and Johnny Depp.
Many of the names on the list would add a great deal of star power to Dungeons and Dragons' biggest film project to date. The first attempt, made in 2000, was a box office failure, that pulled in $33 million against a budget of $45 million. The movie was followed by two direct-to-DVD sequels, 2005's Wrath of the Dragon God, and The Book of Vile Darkness in 2012.
There's no word on what the story of the new film would detail, though the formula may draw from the standard Dungeons and Dragons campaign, which typically centers on a band of adventurers. The group is usually a mix of warriors, spellcasters, and rogues who embark on an adventure with little experience, and grow into a seasoned team of powerful heroes - or villains.
With a large budget, a talented cast and crew, and a good script, Paramount's Dungeons and Dragons can successfully reboot the franchise. Since the movie is based on a game that's inspired hundreds of novels and dozens of video games, there's no end to the storytelling potential that the Dungeons and Dragons universe can provide.
Dungeons & Dragons (2021) release date: Jul 23, 2021
