I've often wondered how Dungeon Master would fare as a film.
From extending and improving the admittedly flimsy storyline to finding the right actors, recording a great score and creating breathtaking effects, it could be a really interesting film.
I wonder how the story might be improved? Would it simply be a retelling of a particular parties adventures in the dungeon, or something much more complex?
If it focuses on a party, who would be the best characters to use, and which actors should portray them? Who would make a good Grey Lord, the perfect Theron or a diabolical Chaos?
Let's get some interesting ideas going!
Dungeon Master as a film?
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cowsmanaut
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to be honest I started on something of this sort.. picking through the characters I thought I could best exploit for conflict.
Syra and Gothmog were instantly two I chose due to the contrast of the two and ofcourse Gothmog based on his similarity to lord Chaos. (read my fan fiction of him to see where I'm getting with this) Syra, a child of nature.. seeking to go through a very dead dungeon.. she is the type to be seen up in the trees and sunshine. Imagine her attitude to life in the dank, dark and dead...
Stamm, I chose due to his short stature but great power... it's a unique trait to think of someone so small as so strong..
The final was difficult.. but I chose alex.. he's very much along the lines of a theif in my mind.. as such we now have all the traits represented from DM and not only that but a dynamic of personalities that could create some good friction..Take into account as well that they don't know eachother but were wakened out of their throes of death.. well.. it's certainly something that would be fild with conflict and teetering alliances..
moo
Syra and Gothmog were instantly two I chose due to the contrast of the two and ofcourse Gothmog based on his similarity to lord Chaos. (read my fan fiction of him to see where I'm getting with this) Syra, a child of nature.. seeking to go through a very dead dungeon.. she is the type to be seen up in the trees and sunshine. Imagine her attitude to life in the dank, dark and dead...
Stamm, I chose due to his short stature but great power... it's a unique trait to think of someone so small as so strong..
The final was difficult.. but I chose alex.. he's very much along the lines of a theif in my mind.. as such we now have all the traits represented from DM and not only that but a dynamic of personalities that could create some good friction..Take into account as well that they don't know eachother but were wakened out of their throes of death.. well.. it's certainly something that would be fild with conflict and teetering alliances..
moo
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sucinum
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Would be quite funny 
I would shorten the Dungeon a bit to avoid the film only consisting of walking. Especially the first to levels can be reduced, as they are mostly a training ground. I would also include some b/w-scenes which shows the past of the characters, their life before entering the dungeon and their first try, which ended in the mirrors (story@manual).
My Theron would be Sean Connery, he will choose a party from the mirrors and will appear now and then to provide hints in riddles or fighting tactics. The party would consist of arch-types of the 4 professions:
Fighter: Arnold Schwarzenegger as Halk or Brad Pitt as Zed
Ninja: Lucy Liu as Wu Tse
Priest: Uma Thurman as Syra
Wizard: Elija Woods as Boris or Eddie Murphy as Eliya
I'm not sure who could play Lord Chaos, but this is also a greater role, next to the finish, there are some sequenzes where you see him on this throne, laughing madly, commanding some monsters to surprise the party and rubbing his hands and stuff.
I would shorten the Dungeon a bit to avoid the film only consisting of walking. Especially the first to levels can be reduced, as they are mostly a training ground. I would also include some b/w-scenes which shows the past of the characters, their life before entering the dungeon and their first try, which ended in the mirrors (story@manual).
My Theron would be Sean Connery, he will choose a party from the mirrors and will appear now and then to provide hints in riddles or fighting tactics. The party would consist of arch-types of the 4 professions:
Fighter: Arnold Schwarzenegger as Halk or Brad Pitt as Zed
Ninja: Lucy Liu as Wu Tse
Priest: Uma Thurman as Syra
Wizard: Elija Woods as Boris or Eddie Murphy as Eliya
I'm not sure who could play Lord Chaos, but this is also a greater role, next to the finish, there are some sequenzes where you see him on this throne, laughing madly, commanding some monsters to surprise the party and rubbing his hands and stuff.
Last edited by sucinum on Sat Nov 06, 2004 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Gambit37
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I don't think any 'brand name' actors would be good in this kind of film as they'd bring too much baggage with them. Sean Connery as Theron? Imposshible!
I don't have any actors in mind for specific characters, but I think some who I admire and who might work in such a film would include Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Sean Pertwee and that chick from Crouching Tiger/Hero who's cool with a sword. Liv Tyler might be a good choice also, but again she has some baggage that is difficult to ignore (LOTR?).
I don't think the film would work that just followed the party through the dungeon. Something more sophisticated would need to be added, or you'd get stupefyingly bored watching it.
I don't have any actors in mind for specific characters, but I think some who I admire and who might work in such a film would include Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Sean Pertwee and that chick from Crouching Tiger/Hero who's cool with a sword. Liv Tyler might be a good choice also, but again she has some baggage that is difficult to ignore (LOTR?).
I don't think the film would work that just followed the party through the dungeon. Something more sophisticated would need to be added, or you'd get stupefyingly bored watching it.
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sucinum
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>>I don't think the film would work that just followed the party through the dungeon. Something more sophisticated would need to be added, or you'd get stupefyingly bored watching it.
That is why i would use many cutbacks during the adventure to tell the story which lead to this dungeon adventure and also some insertions with chaos. The dungeon would show all the usual matters like hunger (which leads to have to eat ugly monsters), thirst, fights, traps, riddles, getting lost and also treasure, shiny weapons and stuff. would be enough to fill 45-60 mins of a film
I don't see the problem with famous actors, you can disguise them a bit (uma thurman i.e. is very versatile) and the fact you know them would make the dungeon a bit more real, since the background is very fantastic and a viewer who is unfamiliar with dm couldn't identify without them. I don't watch too much movies, so i can't say any less known actors. Maybe Ralf Moeller would make a good Halk and the boyfriend of rogue in x-men as Boris - i still wouldn't find any better than uma thurman und lucy liu for Syra and Wu Tse
That is why i would use many cutbacks during the adventure to tell the story which lead to this dungeon adventure and also some insertions with chaos. The dungeon would show all the usual matters like hunger (which leads to have to eat ugly monsters), thirst, fights, traps, riddles, getting lost and also treasure, shiny weapons and stuff. would be enough to fill 45-60 mins of a film
I don't see the problem with famous actors, you can disguise them a bit (uma thurman i.e. is very versatile) and the fact you know them would make the dungeon a bit more real, since the background is very fantastic and a viewer who is unfamiliar with dm couldn't identify without them. I don't watch too much movies, so i can't say any less known actors. Maybe Ralf Moeller would make a good Halk and the boyfriend of rogue in x-men as Boris - i still wouldn't find any better than uma thurman und lucy liu for Syra and Wu Tse
When we were expanding some of the character bakcstories I'd already toyed with the idea of a shortish story following a few through their first pre-death run through. I had the four from the manual (Alex, Halk, Nabi and Syra) linked, and in an extended Nabi backstory I had an intelude with Chaos and Nabi meeting before his death. I played Chaos in total flux of emotions, not just the typical diabolical villian, so he seemed as out there as the CSB chaos one second then sad then genuinely menacinly evil...
I'd love see that theme continued, and have everything that Librasulus is not in Chaos. So Chaos actually has compassion, of a sort, Perhaps genuinely feeling betrayal or loss as some creature fails, but also with the emotional flux his attention span is short. Somehtign that seemed a bitter tragedy a moment before is forgotten the next.
Interesting to put somone *ducks flames* like Jim Carrey in the role. It would be interesting top see if he could 180 his normal comic book energies (he has the range for the more normal stuff) to actually somehting with the same sort of vitality but grounded.
Eh, fmany films, once they are underway, are stuck in a single location. Most recent on I oculd think of is AvP - one single pyramid!
I think to get the variety first you can follow, as a quick character explantation exercise, the initial journies and meetings of the four companions,. For people not familiar with the game, their death a third of the way through would be completely unexpected! Cut back to Theron, apparently a minor character,now waking up, meeting Libby, and freeing the four champions. Maybe he frees syra, Halk, Nabi and Gothmog. You have this iinital tension as Syra needas to find a way to release Alex. And the distructof Gothmog, from Sow's backstory he studied under Chaos before being killed.
Guided by Theron as an overseer, you could almost time jump to the start of level three, have them solve maybe a few highlights of there to show the various charatcers interacting, the mind of Chaos, etc
First RA key, bit about Gothmog sayign they are necessary, but obviously hiding something.
Have them approach level four, the whole 'warning' in the start, Halk would give a resigned shrug as some noisy critter off camera starts...
Cut to the stores, the adventurers have onbviously just blasted throuhg. Gothmog leads them dismissively down passed the treaure stores, and they rest in the tombs. Character reflection moment...the someone solves the Grave of Milius- somehow that opening allows Gothmog a way to lead them through six (a quick short cut tothe end) and the impressive Tomb of the Firestaff. The need for RA keys revealed, along with the fatc the firestaff is there, chaos has placed it there, but he has sealed it and the grey lords old rooms off anyone.
Onwards to an impressive level eight - like some sort of amphitheatre/tomb, huge. Big fight scene as the spirits of the dead implict themsevles on the characters, but again Gothmog shows them a secret way - the skeleton stairs. A secret path, he can open fro mthe inisde, so bipassign any other areas. He leads them to the end of level 9, where they have to fend off rats as he gets the RA key - then apparently betrays them!
The three other heros have to run after after him, noting how he has opened the twelve and eleven ways and got soemthing. They follow him through level 12 to the RA key and catch him getting it - but then they are set upon by Oitu'sand armours. Syra, torn, chooses to chase after Gothmog and leave her two companions in peril.
They escape, and chase after the two. syra catches up with Gothmog back in the tomb - he reveals he can hear and sense theron - he knows now Chaos is too insane to be allowed the power, but that neither shoudl Librasulus have the staff . When the two were split each got a part of the knowledge....Chaos does not know where a secrtet area of the Grey Lord's research is, where alternate methofds to free the power gem were available, etc. Theron can show him.
They uncover it, but Syra does not trust Gothmog and refuses to believe that LIbby is just as evil, duie tobeing both elf and her hope to get Alex freed, So she betrays Gothmog and sucks him someohow, takign the key and gettign the firestaff. Halk and Nabi arrive, and Gothmg and those two must race Syra for the stafff. They are almost too late, sheis about to give hi mthe staff. They stop her, but too lose to libby and in his rage drops them into the dragon layer. Lat big fight, with them gettign the power gem, Chaos appears, lots of shiny fun, the end.
Or soemthing.
There you go, lots of plot twosts, the actual dungeon itself just gets touched upon, but is not marginalised in a way that we DM fans would go 'but wait, that CAN'T happen'
I'd love see that theme continued, and have everything that Librasulus is not in Chaos. So Chaos actually has compassion, of a sort, Perhaps genuinely feeling betrayal or loss as some creature fails, but also with the emotional flux his attention span is short. Somehtign that seemed a bitter tragedy a moment before is forgotten the next.
Interesting to put somone *ducks flames* like Jim Carrey in the role. It would be interesting top see if he could 180 his normal comic book energies (he has the range for the more normal stuff) to actually somehting with the same sort of vitality but grounded.
Eh, fmany films, once they are underway, are stuck in a single location. Most recent on I oculd think of is AvP - one single pyramid!
I think to get the variety first you can follow, as a quick character explantation exercise, the initial journies and meetings of the four companions,. For people not familiar with the game, their death a third of the way through would be completely unexpected! Cut back to Theron, apparently a minor character,now waking up, meeting Libby, and freeing the four champions. Maybe he frees syra, Halk, Nabi and Gothmog. You have this iinital tension as Syra needas to find a way to release Alex. And the distructof Gothmog, from Sow's backstory he studied under Chaos before being killed.
Guided by Theron as an overseer, you could almost time jump to the start of level three, have them solve maybe a few highlights of there to show the various charatcers interacting, the mind of Chaos, etc
First RA key, bit about Gothmog sayign they are necessary, but obviously hiding something.
Have them approach level four, the whole 'warning' in the start, Halk would give a resigned shrug as some noisy critter off camera starts...
Cut to the stores, the adventurers have onbviously just blasted throuhg. Gothmog leads them dismissively down passed the treaure stores, and they rest in the tombs. Character reflection moment...the someone solves the Grave of Milius- somehow that opening allows Gothmog a way to lead them through six (a quick short cut tothe end) and the impressive Tomb of the Firestaff. The need for RA keys revealed, along with the fatc the firestaff is there, chaos has placed it there, but he has sealed it and the grey lords old rooms off anyone.
Onwards to an impressive level eight - like some sort of amphitheatre/tomb, huge. Big fight scene as the spirits of the dead implict themsevles on the characters, but again Gothmog shows them a secret way - the skeleton stairs. A secret path, he can open fro mthe inisde, so bipassign any other areas. He leads them to the end of level 9, where they have to fend off rats as he gets the RA key - then apparently betrays them!
The three other heros have to run after after him, noting how he has opened the twelve and eleven ways and got soemthing. They follow him through level 12 to the RA key and catch him getting it - but then they are set upon by Oitu'sand armours. Syra, torn, chooses to chase after Gothmog and leave her two companions in peril.
They escape, and chase after the two. syra catches up with Gothmog back in the tomb - he reveals he can hear and sense theron - he knows now Chaos is too insane to be allowed the power, but that neither shoudl Librasulus have the staff . When the two were split each got a part of the knowledge....Chaos does not know where a secrtet area of the Grey Lord's research is, where alternate methofds to free the power gem were available, etc. Theron can show him.
They uncover it, but Syra does not trust Gothmog and refuses to believe that LIbby is just as evil, duie tobeing both elf and her hope to get Alex freed, So she betrays Gothmog and sucks him someohow, takign the key and gettign the firestaff. Halk and Nabi arrive, and Gothmg and those two must race Syra for the stafff. They are almost too late, sheis about to give hi mthe staff. They stop her, but too lose to libby and in his rage drops them into the dragon layer. Lat big fight, with them gettign the power gem, Chaos appears, lots of shiny fun, the end.
Or soemthing.
There you go, lots of plot twosts, the actual dungeon itself just gets touched upon, but is not marginalised in a way that we DM fans would go 'but wait, that CAN'T happen'
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cowsmanaut
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cowsmanaut
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DaveTheMiller
/gothmog.png)
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OOps I started a thread on this elsewehere, sorry.
I think it'd make a good film, but as far as characters go they'd opt out of the best ones and try and be politically correct to appease everyone.
So we'd end up with:
Iaido (played by Min Sik Choi)
Hawk the Fearless (played by Will Smith)
Gando (played by Christopher Lee)
and the token totty would be Syra (Cameron Diaz) or Chani (Christina Ricci).
Lord Chaos would be played by some unknown bloke in a mask but be voiced by James Earl Jones.
I think it'd make a good film, but as far as characters go they'd opt out of the best ones and try and be politically correct to appease everyone.
So we'd end up with:
Iaido (played by Min Sik Choi)
Hawk the Fearless (played by Will Smith)
Gando (played by Christopher Lee)
and the token totty would be Syra (Cameron Diaz) or Chani (Christina Ricci).
Lord Chaos would be played by some unknown bloke in a mask but be voiced by James Earl Jones.
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Gambit37
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Hmmm.... I wouldn't go with your choices at all. Will Smith has no place in a high-fantasy DM type film, and Christopher Lee simply would *have* to be someone with a bit more stature than Gando! Cameron Diaz just not right, neither Ricci. Eliza Dushku on the other hand would make a great Leyla....
Heh, a very odd chain of life imitating art imitating art imitating life imitating art.Lord Chaos would be played by some unknown bloke in a mask but be voiced by James Earl Jones.
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DaveTheMiller
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/gothmog.png)
Id cast William Shatner as Halk, he definately has the style and swagger of an arrogant barbarian. Christopher Walken could play an Antman with the minimum amount of make-up and they might as well make Hissssa CGI, as they use it so often these days. Doing the voice for Hissssa would be a blast, what with all the hissing and tongue manouvers.
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ADDF_Toxic
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This topic attracted my attention. This is something that was in my brain, maybe in February or March. I had read Lost Scrolls of Mount Anais when I thought of this, that inspired me. I was thinking, when I first thought of this, which I could change now that I've read the manual, was someone is fighting Chaos with a sword, not knowing that won't work. Then, a demon comes up behind him and hills him. Errr, it's dark and spooky.brrr! The camera falls with him, showing his face, then the background changes to the HoC. He's in a mirror. Who knows who it is. A spirit or something(possibly Theron!) comes flying through and ressurects two champions. Then, two reincarnated champions come through and meet up and continue. Mmmm, apple, right under mancles...Ah, quit daydreaming!
I supose they could shove the manual story inbetween this, possibly the "Lost scrolls of Mount Anais" story too.
I supose they could shove the manual story inbetween this, possibly the "Lost scrolls of Mount Anais" story too.
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ADDF_Toxic
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