2 April - after a long legal battle, the upcoming "Dungeons and Dragons" movie is moving forward and according to a report from The Tracking Board the studios have hired director Rob Letterman to helm the project. Letterman is mostly famous for his successful take on the "Goosebumps" franchise last year, starring Jack Black.
"Goosebumps" manaaged to successfully earn over $150 million from a $58 million budget and was critically acclaimed for being fun without losing its horror-genre touch, particularly for children. Letterman also helmed "Monsters vs Aliens" which many contend as an underrated movie.
According to the report, the film's script will be handled by David Leslie Jones, who worked on "Wrath of the Titans" and "Red Riding Hood." Both films were critically lauded for being dull and lifeless with barely any character development or a significant story to tell.
While those films might not sound like good news to "Dungeons and Dragons" fans, Jones also worked on "The Walking Dead" series, "Orphan," "The Conjuring 2" and is also writing the DCEU film "Aquaman" which will star Jason Mamoa.
The studios are reportedly looking for Vin Diesel-type lead, indicating that they may begin by approaching Vin Diesel himself, a self-confessed "Dungeons and Dragons" fan. Diesel has appeared on multiple YouTube and Twitch shows to play "Dungeons and Dragons" with fellow celebrities and industry icons.
While no script has yet been completed, the story will reportedly revolve around the lead character and his two allies, a half-dragon and a gnome, as they journey in search of magical treasure. Back when the film had been green lit, it was also indicated that it would be set in the Forgotten Realms campaign and may be based on some of the popular novels.
"Dungeons and Dragons" did see three previous film iterations, although only the first one was released in theaters. Following their release, a long legal battle took place between Hasbro and Sweetpea Entertainment regarding production rights. This has been settled and the two will work together in developing the film, alongside Warner Bros. Pictures.
No release date has yet been announced.
