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Dragonlance Movie FAQ Version 2.62 [1/1]


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                              [DRAGONLANCE®]
                          Movie FAQ Version 2.62
                  http://www.cinemagine-ltd.com/dlmovie/

                    COMPILED & MAINTAINED BY BEN CRAIG

                             COPYRIGHT NOTICE

         © Copyright 1995-98 Benjamin Craig. All Rights Reserved.

     Permission is granted for reproduction, distribution,
     transmission, or storage (see exception below) of this FAQ for
     non-commercial purposes only and on the condition that the
     contents are not modified in any way.

                                DISCLAIMER

     Whilst every effort has been made to maintain the accuracy of
     information provided in this FAQ, the author cannot accept any
     moral or legal liability for inaccurate or outdated information
     contained within. Furthermore, certain information presented in
     this FAQ is based on the opinions and experiences of the author
     only, and cannot be taken to be legally binding.

     "Dragonlance," "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" and "AD&D" are
     registered trademarks owned by TSR Inc. This document is not
     affiliated with, nor authorised by TSR in anyway, and is
     presented as a free informational resource for DL fans.
     Trademarks referred to in this document are used without
     permission. Reference to these trademarks is for informational
     purposes only and should in no way be considered a challenge to
     their ownership.

     Distribution Exception - In response to their support of the
     former TSR's draconian Internet policy, this FAQ may not be
     uploaded or stored on the Multi-Player Games Network (mpgn.com)
     in any form whatsoever.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

                            TABLE OF CONTENTS

     Introduction
     Latest Revisions
     Where can I get the latest version of this FAQ?
     Contacting the Author

     Gimme the current buzz regarding a Dragonlance® movie?

     What other news/rumours have been floating around?
     But I heard that a D&D movie was definitely happening.
     I heard something about Jim Henson/Muppet DL?
     Wasn't there an animated DL movie coming out?
     I heard that ... was going to play ... character?
     Who should play [insert character]?
     The Official Dragonlance® Dream Cast Poll.
     Other Dragonlance Movie Related Sites

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     INTRODUCTION

     This document has grown from a large number of questions that are
     being posted by every second new user on alt.fan.dragonlance
     regarding the possibility of a Dragonlance® movie of any kind.

     The intention of this FAQ is to provide answers to these
     questions to free up the newsgroup from repetitive questions. I
     will try and keep it as up-to-date as possible. If you come
     across any information that relates to DL movies, please let me
     know. Note however, all information given to me via
     non-official/media sources will be considered rumours until
     proven otherwise.

     Finally, this document is maintained by me due to a *personal*
     interest in the idea of movies based on Dragonlance®. Over recent
     months many Net users have taken the opportunity to congratulate,
     suggest, or flame me under the mistaken assumption that I, as a
     filmmaker, am involved in the production of such a movie. I would
     like to take this opportunity to announce to all prospective
     emailers that myself or the company I work for (Cinemagine) are
     not associated with any Dragonlance® film projects in anyway.
     Please do not email me with your congratulations or grievances.

     Comments and suggestions should be directed to Ben Craig

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     LATEST REVISIONS

     (Note dates are in sensible format - dd/mm/yy)

     26/03/98 - Version 2.62 Small corrections to Muppet DL.
     12/03/98 - Version 2.61 Small updates to D&D Movie info.
     08/01/98 - Version 2.6 Updated current buzz information.
     01/10/97 - Version 2.5 Added D&D movie info, restructured main
     movie info
     01/08/97 - Version 2.4 Added Other DL Movie related sites
     section, deleted unanswered questions
     18/07/97 - Version 2.31 Added further production rumours,
     funkified the design
     11/12/96 - Version 2.3, Added Muppet DL news
     06/12/96 - Version 2.2, Added Jim Henson stuff, Changed posting
     frequency to monthly
     30/09/96 - Version 2.11, Added extra stuff to the Intro.
     31/07/96 - Version 2.1, Updated movie info/poll info
     17/02/96 - Version 2.0, New movie Info
     03/02/96 - Version 1.3, DL Movie Poll results are included.
     27/09/96 - Version 1.2, DL Movie Poll Closes
     17/12/95 - Version 1.2, Added TSR staff/Margaret Weis comments
     08/09/95 - Version 1.1, Added Poll info.
     02/09/95 - Version 1.0
     18/08/95 - FAQ Created.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     WHERE CAN I GET THE LATEST COPY OF THIS FAQ?

     The most latest version of this FAQ is always available at the
     Dragonlance® Movie Homepage:

                  http://www.cinemagine-ltd.com/dlmovie/

     You can also pick up a copy from the following places:

        * USENET - Posted monthly to alt.fan.dragonlance, alt.answers,
          news.answers

        * FTP - available in ASCII from the MIT Usenet Archives (and
          relevant mirrors),
          ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/alt.answers/movies/dragonlance-faq

        * EMAIL (last resort) - Send email to the author with the
          subject MOVIE FAQ PLEASE. No need to put anything in the
          body of the message.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     Contact Details (Contacting the Author)

     It is a real shame that I am forced to go to these lengths, but
     due to absolutely thoughtless people who do not respect email
     privacy, I have had to put anti-spam protection on this FAQ.

     To send email, simply drop the "NoSpam!" section from the address
     below. If you are reading the HTML version of the FAQ, there is
     no need to change anything. Just click on the link.

                  dlmovie@toaster.globalnet.NoSpam!.co.uk

     What is spam? No, we're not talking tinned 'ham-like' products,
     we're talking mass unsolicited commercial email. Unscrupulous
     companies use bulk-extraction software to scan the Usenet and Web
     for valid email addresses (ie. lines of text that fit the
     user@somewhere.whatever format). They then compile all these
     email addresses into massive mailing lists, which are then sold
     off to whoever wants one.

     The result is pretty much anyone who is willing to pay for a list
     suddenly gains access to millions of email address, to which they
     send their unsolicited commercial email, offering anything and
     everything from Christian guidance to hardcore pornography. And
     this is done entirely on the premise of exposure - no thought is
     given to demographics, geographics or the fact that you never
     asked for it in the first place. At the end of the day the bill
     for this unwanted advertising is footed by ISPs and by you, the
     end user, NOT by the spammers that send it. You don't believe me?
     Check out http://spam.abuse.net for the complete rundown on why
     spam should be outlawed, and while you're there join the
     anti-spam campaign. Excuse the doom-preaching, but left
     unchecked, spam could make using email and the Usenet impossible.

             [Join the Anti-Spam Campaign - click here now!!]

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     Gimme the current buzz regarding a Dragonlance® movie?

     There is none.

     According to the TSR FAQ "the deal for the Dragonlance movie fell
     through." What deal? I hear you ask. Well, your guess is as good
     as mine. My immediate suspicion is the "talks with a large
     production company" rumour, however, it could be any of the
     wonderful tit-bits that have been floating around over the past 2
     years.

     Another factor that may still be affecting potential movie deals
     could be the recent Wizards of the Coast buy-out. TSR will
     require time to settle into their new Seattle home, and probably
     have more pressing tasks at hand (such as getting their products
     out to the market place again) than diving into the movie game.

     A little while ago, Margaret Weis did put forward one reassuring
     thought: apparently Wizards have good relationships with several
     film companies so a movie project could be a serious idea further
     down the track.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     What other news/rumours have been floating around?

     Lots. Welcome to the wonderful time in the genesis of a movie we
     in the business refer to as 'development hell'. It can mean
     anything from a producer simply having an idea in the back of
     their head (and telling people "I'm developing a project at the
     moment"), through to a company contracting a writer to bach out a
     screenplay. Some of the buzz so far...

     Fox & Dragonlance
     At the beginning of 1996 Margaret Weis informed us that 'talks'
     were being conducted between Fox and TSR regarding possible DL
     projects. The emphasis here is on projects (the plural), as ideas
     from telemovies, mini-series, features and even animation had
     been mentioned in connection with this. The other important
     questions regarding this potential partnership was, just which
     part(s) of Dragonlance® would be used? The existing novels, the
     game materials, both or something entirely new? Nothing has been
     heard of these discussions for over a year now so it is probably
     safe to assume that not much is happening there in the
     foreseeable future.

     Fox, Dragonheart & Dragonlance
     One interesting idea that emerged from the Fox scenario involved
     the film Dragonheart. It was suggested that Fox were closely
     watching the release of this film (in the second half of 1996)
     and planned to use it's success/failure to gauge the feasibility
     of a DL project. The fantasy genre hasn't really been a big
     money-spinner for any Studio in the past, the only notable
     exception being Conan The Barbarian. Well Dragonheart only did
     so-so business (something to do with a crap script perhaps?) so
     this may well have cooled the Fox enthusiasm for a potentially
     more expensive outing.

     Jim Henson (Muppet) Dragonlance
     Early 1997 came around and word on the street was that TSR and
     Jim Henson Productions were conducting discussions which formed
     the initial stages of a possible Henson-produced DL project.
     Henson is of course famous for bringing us The Muppets, amongst
     other things. There has since been no word as to how the buy-out
     will/won't/did effect these discussions. See "I Heard Something
     About Muppet DL" for more info.

     'Large Production Company' & Dragonlance
     Also at the beginning of 1997, rumours suggesting that TSR was
     talking with a 'large production' company regarding a DL project
     were rife on alt.fan.dragonlance. This company was reportedly not
     Henson, the rumour stemming from a post by TSR staffer Steve
     Miller. Nothing further has immerged from this and since then
     several staff have departed TSR ranks. This is quite possibly the
     "deal that fell through". Oh, there was also this small corporate
     buy-out that happened recently too.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     But I heard that a D&D movie was definitely happening?

     Yes, indeed there is. In late 1995 TSR sold the screen and
     associated rights for Dungeons & Dragons® to a film company
     called Sweet Pea Entertainment. This movie will focus on generic
     D&D and will have nothing to do with Dragonlance®. Word is,
     production has commenced on the film and you can expect to see it
     in US theatres (or more likely the bargain bin at your local
     video stores if insider buzz is correct) towards the end of 1998.
     Check rec.games.frp.dnd or the TSR Product FAQ
     (http://www.tsrinc.com/faq/faqproduct.html) for more information.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     I heard something about Jim Henson/Muppet DL?

     On 25 October 1996 Margaret Weis dropped in this lovely post to
     AFDL:

          "Yes, dear friends, it's another rumor, to wit: the Jim
          Henson people have expressed an interest in DL. Which
          leads to the question:

          Which of your favorite Muppets should play which
          companion? I say Kermit as Tanis is a given."

     Of course this spurred AFDL casting gurus to plunge headlong into
     a massive thread regarding which Muppets should play which
     characters.

     Some insider info has now come to light. Apparently Jim Henson
     Productions were in talks with TSR over the possibility of some
     kind of DL project. One of the initial concerns raised by Henson
     was that they consider DL to be "too macho" for their audience
     (as Margaret pointed out, what ever that means?).

     One thing that is guaranteed to send a chill down many a
     DL-friendly spine is TSR's alleged response to this criticism,
     one simple sentence of perhaps Cataclysmic (sorry, couldn't
     resist :) proportions........

                          "It could be revised."

     This response is rather interesting really as the animated movie
     that was supposed to be happening reportedly died because Nelvana
     (the production company) wanted to do something "unDragonlance"
     and TSR didn't want to play ball. Does this mean that TSR has
     decided to sell out after all and "revise" DL to fit a Henson
     mould? Or will they try to force Henson Productions into using
     the material to do something entirely new?

     TSR were reportedly negotiating with Henson, but nothing seams to
     have come of this, and with TSR's cryptic "the deal for the DL
     movie fell through" message; who knows.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     Wasn't There An Animated Movie Coming Out?

     Yes there was (note the past tense). Canadian animation company
     Nelvana Studios was slated to produce an animated telemovie based
     on the story gap between Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Chronicles
     Vol.1) and Dragons of Winter Night (Chronicles Vol.2) - ie. the
     Heroes' quest to recover of the Hammer of Kharas after freeing
     the slaves from Pax Tharkas). Those of you who have played the
     'classic' game modules will recognise this as the story behind
     DL3: Dragons of Hope and DL4: Dragons of Desolation.

     This deal has fallen through because, according to Margaret Weis,
     "...they [Nelvana] wanted to go off in a bizarre direction that
     was very unDragonlance."

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     I Heard That ... Was Going To Play ... Character?

     Obviously because there aren't any concrete plans for a DL
     project at this stage, you heard crap.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     Who should play [insert character]?

     An ongoing raging debate has existed on alt.fan.dragonlance for a
     long time now about who should play X character in a hypothetical
     DL movie. Suggestions have ranged from well thought out to down
     right ludicrous (Jim Carey as Tasslehoff, Arnie and Danny DeVito
     as Caramon and Raistlin!).

     Ignoring the ridiculous suggestions, there are two main schools
     of thought on which actors should play what roles in a
     hypothetical DL movie. One side of the argument suggests that all
     of the major characters should be filled by unknown actors who
     look right for the role and can act. To me, this seems like the
     more sensible option - why ruin the greatest part of DL, it's
     characters by having someone playing one of the Heroes who is
     better known in your mind for walking around with a 9mm Uzie and
     saying "Hasta La Vista Baby"? By casting stars in these roles you
     would most likely ruin the uniqueness that DL possesses (Caramon
     would cease to be Caramon anymore, becoming instead just another
     Schwarzenegger character).

     The other side want to see some of their favorite stars playing
     the roles of the Heroes. They advocate careful selection of stars
     who look right for the parts. A few advantages lie in following
     this path, particularly with regards to using star power to 1)
     get enough money for a good movie to be made; and 2) make DL
     appeal to a wider audience.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     The Official Dragonlance® Dream Cast Poll.

     Before we get into this I'd like to make the fact perfectly clear
     that the results of this poll itself DO NOT contain my views on
     casting. Please do not email me with suggestions/flames for the
     choices listed below. The final list is compiled ENTIRELY of
     responses from users of alt.fan.dragonlance.

     For the last few months of 1995 and January 1996 a poll was
     conducted on alt.fan.dragonlance regarding the best actors to
     play the characters in a hypothetical DL live action movie. The
     poll closed on 22 January 1996.

     Before we get into it, a couple of points.

     Firstly, the poll was administered by Chris Pierson, and in
     return for the more-than-it-looks amount of work involved, Chris
     has reserved the right to list his personal choices with the
     poll. I will also take the liberty of putting my general views on
     the poll in this FAQ because, hey - I wrote it! (see the end of
     this section).

     Secondly, this poll was compiled solely from Internet user's
     votes (a total of 285 valid ballots). As mentioned before, the
     results do not reflect Chris' or my point of view in any way.

     Finally, these results do not belong to any official casting list
     whatsoever, nor are they being actively submitted to any official
     parties - it's all for our interest and amusement only.

     Live Characters

      CHARACTER  ACTOR                  CHRIS' CHOICE

      Tanis      Kevin Costner          Eric Stoltz
      Caramon    Arnold Schwarzenegger  Liam Neeson
      Raistlin   Brent Spiner           John Malkovich
      Sturm      Christopher Lambert    Patrick Bergin
      Laurana    Michelle Pfeiffer      Robin Wright
      Kitiara    Demi Moore             Michelle Forbes
      Goldmoon   Meg Ryan               Meg Ryan
      Riverwind  Lou Diamond Phillips   Wes Studi
      Flint      Danny De Vito          Malcolm Dixon
      Tasslehoff Elijah Wood            James Robinson
      Tika       Nicole Kidman          Helena Bonham Carter
      Gilthanas  Cary Elwes             Cary Elwes
      Verminaard Jeremy Irons           Clancy Brown
      Gunthar    Gene Hackman           James Cosmo
      Astinus    Patrick Stewart        Christopher Walken
      Eben       Duncan Regehr          Steve Buscemi
      Theros     Morgan Freeman         Morgan Freeman
      Toede      Wallace Shawn          Wallace Shawn
      Elistan    Charlton Heston        Charlton Heston
      Derek      Dennis Quaid           Harvey Keitel
      Ariakas    Rutger Hauer           Rutger Hauer
      Fizban     Christopher Lloyd      Richard Harris
      Berem      Brad Pitt              Willem Dafoe
      Silvara    Drew Barrymore         Drew Barrymore
      Bupu       Rhea Perlman           Carol Kane
      Solostaran Frank Langella         Frank Langella
      Alhana     Courtney Cox           Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
      Gnosh      Kenny Baker            Kenny Baker
      Bakaris    Sting                  Sting
      Maquesta   Angela Bassett         Angela Bassett
      Amothus    John Cleese            John Cleese
      Zebulah    Sean Connery           Robert Duvall
      Apoletta   Halle Berry            Halle Berry
      Takhisis   Teri Hatcher           Sigourney Weaver
      Otik       Bob Hoskins            Mike McShane
      Lorac      Donald Sutherland      Donald Sutherland
      Bertrem    David Hyde-Pierce      David Hyde-Pierce
      Hederick   Tommy Lee Jones        Robbie Coltrane
      Mishakal   Moira Kelly            Moira Kelly
      Highbulp   Jack Purvis            Jack Purvis
      Porthios   Kiefer Sutherland      Ian Hart
      Pyros      Sam Neill              Sam Neill
      Sestun     Mike Edmonds           Mike Edmonds
      Crysania   Sandra Bullock         Madeleine Stowe
      Dalamar    Daniel Day Lewis       Daniel Day Lewis

     Voice Characters

      CHARACTER         ACTOR
                                              CHRIS' CHOICE

      Soth              James Earl Jones      Jeremy Irons
      Gakhan            Robert Englund        Michael Wincott
      Skie              Jack Palance          Jack Palance
      Pyrite            John Rhys-Davies      John Rhys-Davies
      Forestmaster      Rene Russo            Rene Russo
      Khisanth          Linda Hamilton        Linda Hamilton
      Matafluer         Kathy Bates           Kathy Bates

     Alright. Comment time... Overall I think that the results of this
     poll show a general lack of imagination possessed by many DL fans
     on the Net. Films like Star Wars worked so well because they used
     unknown actors who had the acting ability and look that the
     director considered suitable for the relevant character. More
     importantly, their personality and on/off-screen history did not
     interfere with the portrayal of their character.

     I believe the importance of the characters to DL cannot be
     stressed enough - the skeleton story is the same as a million
     other fantasy trilogies, but it is the unique, three-dimensional
     characters that give it a life of its own. It would be a real
     shame to see such a potentially brilliant story watered down (a
     la Jurassic Park) and turned into mindless Hollywood garbage.

     One thing that might work is to hand out minor roles as cameos to
     stars who 1) can act, and 2) were right for the role.

     Just my 2 steel pieces worth.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     11. Other Dragonlance Movie Related Sites

     The Official TSR Product FAQ -
     http://www.tsrinc.com/faq/faqproduct.html
          Not specifically related to the movie idea, but it does
          contain extremely brief info regarding films based on
          AD&D/DL.

     Dragonlance® Dream Soundtrack Page -
     http://www.accent.net/sabin/dl-movie/
          Raven has provided some Real Audio samples of music he
          thinks would fit particular scenes from the books.

     The Newsgroup alt.fan.dragonlance
          Of course!

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     This FAQ is © Copyright Benjamin Craig, 1995-98. All Rights
     Reserved.

-- 
Benjamin Craig
London, UK.
Please drop "NoSpam69" from my email address before replying.

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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM