Dungeons & Dragons is finally getting a big-budget movie that might be worthy of the iconic role-playing game. Warner Bros., Hasbro and Sweetpea Entertainment all reached a settlement to determine film rights to the game last year and now they are finally ready to get to work.
The new film will be written by David Leslie Johnson (Wrath of the Titans) and produced by Roy Lee (The LEGO Movie, How To Train Your Dragon). It will be set in the Forgotten Realms environment.
The three companies reached an undisclosed settlement last year after a six-day trial over the film rights to D&D. Hasbro filed a lawsuit against Sweetpea and the studio filed a counterclaim in 2013. Sweetpea’s Courtney Solomon, who directed the 2000 Dungeons & Dragons movie and Getaway, and Allan Zeman will oversee the new film and anoy otheer Warner D&D projects as part of the settlement.
“We are so excited about bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life on the big screen,” Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, said in a statement Monday. “This is far and away the most well-known brand in fantasy, which is the genre that drives the most passionate film followings. D&D has endless creative possibilities, giving our filmmakers immense opportunities to delight and thrill both fans and moviegoers new to the property.”
Solomon’s 2000 D&D movie was a critical and commercial flop and followed by a direct-to-video movie in 2005. The film grossed $33 million worldwide. Hopefully for Warner Bros., the new project does much better.