Dungeons & Dragons Movie Reportedly Scores Chris Pine As One Of Its Stars
The Dungeons & Dragons movie may have nabbed one of the Chrises.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Pine is currently negotiating to play the lead role in an upcoming adaptation of the legendary tabletop role-playing game, which is coming courtesy of Paramount and eOne.
As though Pine weren't an exciting enough get, the upcoming movie is being directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (a.k.a. Sweets from Bones). Goldstein and Daley previously directed another of the Chrises (Hemsworth) in Vacation. That movie received an underwhelming reception, but their follow-up, the Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams-starring Game Night, was a hit. That movie successfully blended wacky comedy with genuinely intense action, and it seems like the duo will be looking to bring a similar alchemy to their take on the classic fantasy adventure game. Goldstein and Daley are also putting their touch on the film's script, which was originally written by Michael Gilio.
If you're thinking, "Wait, how has it taken so long to make another D&D movie?" Well, a Dungeons & Dragons movie has been in the works for a while, but until now, the effort has been rolling straight 1s.
A new Dungeons & Dragons movie has been in the works for a long time
The upcoming Dungeons & Dragons film has been in development hell for many years. It should be noted that this would not be the first adaptation of the game, but considering the 2000 attempt landed on Empire's list of "The 50 Worst Movies Ever," it's probably best left forgotten to time, along with its two sequels.
This new project has been kicking around since 2015, and its long development cycle seems to be due to legal issues. When it was initially announced, David Leslie Johnson, who worked on the scripts for The Conjuring 2 and Aquaman, was tapped to pen the film. However, that version never materialized.
Then, in 2018, Chris McKay of The Lego Batman Movie fame was announced as being attached to the project. At this point, the script was being written by Gilio. However, by 2019, Goldstein and Daley were already reported to be poised to take over the project.
Even though it's been a long and arduous campaign, having a big name like Pine circling the lead role in the film should give fans hope that a quality Dungeons & Dragons film is likely on the horizon. According to Variety, the movie is scheduled to be released May 27, 2022.