A couple of years ago, Warner Brothers obtained the rights to make a brand new movie based on the iconic pen and paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Their plan was to strike while fantasy films were hot again thanks to Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit Trilogy, but then they were hit with a lawsuit that held up the proceedings and forced them to roll a series of legal saving throws. It turns out that Hasbro felt they owned the rights to a D&D movie since they had acquired Wizards of the Coast in 1999, but the dispute has been settled and they will now team up with Warner Brothers to make the film together. Stephen Davis, executive vice-president and chief content officer of Hasbro, had this to say about the announcement:

“This is such an enormous opportunity to bring the rich fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms to life and, together with the creative powerhouse of Warner Bros., use movies to tell the stories that have enchanted passionate D&D fans for decade. D&D is the role-playing game that started it all and now we have the opportunity to ignite a franchise for its legions of avid fans in a way never done before.”

This is the first time we’ve heard Forgotten Realms mentioned as a possible setting for the film, but it would seem that this is probably a result of the fact that Hasbro is now on board. Does this mean Drizzt Do’Urden and other well-known characters may eventually be involved? I would say count on it. The new Dungeons & Dragons movie does not yet have a director or cast, but the script was written by David Leslie Johnson (The Conjuring 2, Wrath of the Titans). Expect to hear more soon as the production is being fast-tracked. Are you excited about a new Dungeons & Dragons movie and the inevitable Forgotten Realms cinematic universe?