Cast the Legend of Drizzt Movie (should it ever be made)

[OsGom]

First of all I was referring to the way infravision was described in the novels. Matron Malice was described as her face turning white as she went into a rage. And are you referring to 2nd Edition infravision, or 3rd Edition Dark Vision? Because those are two different things. And in 3rd Ed, surface elves don't have Dark Vision, they have Low Light Vision, which is totally different.

Darkvision was introduced in the 3.0 edition of the game to replace both Ultravision and Infravision, which had become seen by some designers of the game as too logically inconsistent to continue using as-is.

So really the idea that Drow see in the Infrared spectrum doesn't exist anymore.

Regardless, unless it was filmed in the first person it's a moot point. As long as their eyes glow I think the audience will get the gist that they see in the dark somehow. It's been a while since I've read the Homeland series but Drow vision isn't really a part that stands out in my mind.

I think all you people who want live action and to cast actors like Bale, Dicapprio and McGreggor are HIGH.

If you are realistically thinking about adapting this series. Casting top tier actors and incorporating the level of effects required to really capture the audience just isn't financially feasible. Better to spend the money on effects and story. Get capable unknowns for the motion capture characters and hire a director with edge and vision.

 

[Thundarr]

Darkvision was introduced in the 3.0 edition of the game to replace both Ultravision and Infravision, which had become seen by some designers of the game as too logically inconsistent to continue using as-is.

So really the idea that Drow see in the Infrared spectrum doesn't exist anymore.

Regardless, unless it was filmed in the first person it's a moot point. As long as their eyes glow I think the audience will get the gist that they see in the dark somehow. It's been a while since I've read the Homeland series but Drow vision isn't really a part that stands out in my mind.

R.A. Salvatore never converted his writing to 3rd edition terminology though. When Drizzt is seeing in the dark, Bob still refers to it as infravision. He's not changing the story to fit the new game rules, and Lizards Of The Coast be damned. And if you'd ever seen the size of the man, you wouldn't want to argue with him. Seriously, he looks like he could play Conan The Barbarian.

Anyway, Drow vision is a very important part of the first two books. In the prologue Bob makes reference to how to Dinin's heat sensing eyes, the lightless Underdark is far from colourless. He also makes a point of explaining that Dinin doesn't take a direct path on his lizard mount to his destination because footprints leave a residual heat train that those with infravision can follow. Then there's the part where Zaknafein has a spell cast upon him to cool his body to the same temperature as the air around him, making him virtually invisible in the infrared spectrum. Or the part when Zaknafien stacks coins on Drizzt's thumbs so he can toss them up in the air and catch them, and he keeps his hands on the coins as he speaks encouragement to Drizzt to warm them so that they're easier to see. And these are just examples off the top of my head. There are plenty more, like the fact that hook horror shells are the same temperature as the stone, making them difficult to see in infravision, etc, etc, etc.

 

[OsGom]

R.A. Salvatore never converted his writing to 3rd edition terminology though. When Drizzt is seeing in the dark, Bob still refers to it as infravision. He's not changing the story to fit the new game rules, and Lizards Of The Coast be damned. And if you'd ever seen the size of the man, you wouldn't want to argue with him. Seriously, he looks like he could play Conan The Barbarian.

Anyway, Drow vision is a very important part of the first two books. In the prologue Bob makes reference to how to Dinin's heat sensing eyes, the lightless Underdark is far from colourless. He also makes a point of explaining that Dinin doesn't take a direct path on his lizard mount to his destination because footprints leave a residual heat train that those with infravision can follow. Then there's the part where Zaknafein has a spell cast upon him to cool his body to the same temperature as the air around him, making him virtually invisible in the infrared spectrum. Or the part when Zaknafien stacks coins on Drizzt's thumbs so he can toss them up in the air and catch them, and he keeps his hands on the coins as he speaks encouragement to Drizzt to warm them so that they're easier to see. And these are just examples off the top of my head. There are plenty more, like the fact that hook horror shells are the same temperature as the stone, making them difficult to see in infravision, etc, etc, etc.

I understand what you're saying. And it's possible I am wrong and infravision is still used but I have read all the Drizzt books and the War of the Spiderqueen series etc etc. I did not notice any mention of infravision, heat signatures or temperature variances in any recent literature. I remember it from the Homeland series but don't recall it having much impact since.

However, I just don't think this is pivotal to the story. You and i might eat this level of detail up but it wont appeal to a broader audience. Keep it simple, Drow live underground and have adapted to seeing in the lightless environment. They can discern shapes (as in normal, daylight vision) but only in shades of grey. No need to make them more alien (ala Predator) then they are already.

Think about it. The creators of D&D removed it because it wasn't logical. Let's say you take the time to establish infravision. That's baggage Drizzt has to carry around with him throughout any future films. Your creating questions that would take up valuable story time to answer. There is way too much story to waste time on such an insignificant (albiet cool) detail. You do a few seconds of first person in the opening scene and you establish Drow can see in the dark. Done.

 

[Wildfire]

My apologies for coming into the conversation so late but in my quest to read any info on any possibility of a Drizzt movie I saw this and had to read it.

Wow, there’s a lot that’s been discussed so far!

Anyway, I figured I’d offer my 2 cents.

As far as fantasy movies being made it seems to be the cool thing to do. Finally the genre is being taken seriously thanks to LotR and Harry Potter (though I credit LotR more than HP). I’m not sure who I would pick as actors for any given part but some good ones have been mentioned so far. I don’t think they have to be African-American actors but if they are, that works too. The advent of CGI can do pretty much anything as far as making a movie look at it should.

If they do make a movie(s) I hope they start with The Dark Elf Trilogy and have the guts, as Peter Jackson did with LotR, to film the whole thing at once. The complexity of Drizzt warrants it I think. If not The Dark Elf Trilogy then there really is no other choice other than Icewind Dale.

It’s the right time for this movie. People finally know what a Hobbit/Halfling is, they’re not afraid of “Satan’s Game” D&D (most you probably remember those years, eh?...silly), and they really need something like this in our bizarre real life times to escape. Did I mention that the books are NYT Bestsellers? My hope beyond hope is that Wizards of the Coast have absolutely nothing to do with it…at all…nada…zip…zilch.


On to other things.

Cliche. There was a comment calling these characters cliché and repeated and such. Anyone would be hard pressed to make an original anything. Great themes and characters endure repetition and retellings simply because they hit us in profound ways…these characters and stories do at least that.

Infravision. It’s a complete non-issue. Why? How many movies are made that are filmed in the first person? Not too many methinks. The majority are done in third person where we get to see what is happening as an uninvolved participant. Don’t mention the vision and people won’t think about it (ie. Don’t remind the teacher she forgot to give homework).

The Menzoberranzan setting is dark…illumination wise. For sake of filming it could be lightened a little bit. I’ve seen lots of movies that have night scenes and if you look in the background there is this spot/flood light beyond the horizon that is there for the sole purpose of night filming. It realistically has no logic or place in the scene (don’t try and convince me with the “Moon excuse&#8221 yet we suspend disbelief or don’t even acknowledge it at all because we’re focused on the action (kind of like slight of hand magic tricks). I’m by no means a film smith so I might be off base in saying that something like that could be done.


I’m sure we’ve all endured many b-rated, camp style fantasy movies and tv shows. Thankfully, fantasy movies are contenders in the film arena. I hope to see Drizzt there before long.

 

[Thundarr]

I understand what you're saying. And it's possible I am wrong and infravision is still used but I have read all the Drizzt books and the War of the Spiderqueen series etc etc. I did not notice any mention of infravision, heat signatures or temperature variances in any recent literature. I remember it from the Homeland series but don't recall it having much impact since.

It's mentioned less in later works, mostly because Drizzt doesn't need it that much while living Above. The War Of The Spider Queen series was written mostly by writers other than Salvatore. They've all bowed to the wishes of Lizards Of The Coast and refer to it as "Dark Vision" or "Drow Vision". Bob still refuses to do this however, to keep his newer novels consistant with his earlier ones.

However, I just don't think this is pivotal to the story. You and i might eat this level of detail up but it wont appeal to a broader audience. Keep it simple, Drow live underground and have adapted to seeing in the lightless environment. They can discern shapes (as in normal, daylight vision) but only in shades of grey. No need to make them more alien (ala Predator) then they are already.

This is why I suggested starting with Sojourn in the first place. There are only a couple of scenes where Drizzt uses his infravision. Like when Drizzt and Kellindel meet each other face to face, and it's dark enough for them both to be viewing each other in infravision. Or when Mooshie dies and Drizzt watches his body gradually cool. These can be done in first person POV shots, establishing how many demihumans and humanoids see in the dark. Then when they go back and make the prequels, all the infravision scenes will make perfect sense.

Think about it. The creators of D&D removed it because it wasn't logical. Let's say you take the time to establish infravision. That's baggage Drizzt has to carry around with him throughout any future films. Your creating questions that would take up valuable story time to answer. There is way too much story to waste time on such an insignificant (albiet cool) detail. You do a few seconds of first person in the opening scene and you establish Drow can see in the dark. Done.

First of all, Lizards Of The Coast didn't create D&D... They ruined it. They put TSR out of business with that idiotic Magic The Gathering card game of theirs, and then bought the company because "they were fans of D&D". Now they've turned D&D into a tabletop version of World Of Warcraft. Secondly, infravision wasn't complicated or illogical. In the context of the game it only meant that you could see in the dark without any light source. If DMs tried to add more detail to make it more like in the Dark Elf novels and it becomes more complicated, that's the fault of the DM and not the system. Third, Dark Vision is what's illogical. Drow don't see light reflecting off of objects because there is no light. They don't see heat signatures. So what the hell are they seeing when they are seeing in total darkness?

So start with Sojourn, continue with The Icewind Dale Trilogy and The Legasy Of The Drow. After Siege Of Darkness, go back and make Homeland and Exile. By this time everyone will be used to Drizzt's infravision from the rare occasions he gets to use it, and seeing an entire movie like that will be less disconserting. Then simply continue on with Passage To Dawn. Perhaps Homeland and Exile can be made at the same time as Sojourn, but not be released until after Siege Of Darkness. Or maybe release Sojourn first, then Homeland and Exile, then start in on The Icewind Dale Trilogy. Not only does this answer the "Infravision Question" to the uninitiated, but it also adds the human quality to the movie that some others have mentioned on this thread.

 

[Thundarr]

I think all you people who want live action and to cast actors like Bale, Dicapprio and McGreggor are HIGH.

If you are realistically thinking about adapting this series. Casting top tier actors and incorporating the level of effects required to really capture the audience just isn't financially feasible. Better to spend the money on effects and story. Get capable unknowns for the motion capture characters and hire a director with edge and vision.

First of all, I never touch the Halfling Leaf. It just doesn't affect me, so why bother spending money on it?

Secondly, I believe the point of this thread was to list who we think should play what if they ever made a Drizzt movie. While I agree that having an entire cast of A-List actors would practically wipe out the films budget and finding good unknown actors to fit the bill, as they're unknown how am I supposed to list them? And if you go back and read my list of selections again, you'll find that except for a few main characters most of the people I had listed are relatively unknown. Both Orlando Bloom and Christian Bale would make a great Drizzt. But if you can't get/afford them, James Marsters is just as good, but not nearly as well known. I'd hardly call Lee Arenberg an "A-Lister", and most people don't even know who Brett Beatty is. Randal "Tex" Cobb gets plenty of work but is hardly an "A-Lister" either. About the only other A-List actors I had listed were Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel as possible Dove Falconhands and Donald Sutherland as Mooshie. Again, these are all just suggestions, doesn't mean they'll actually be cast.

And finally, while on a certain level I agree with the idea of doing these movies in motion capture animation (like Beowulf and Polar Express), casting the movie becomes a moot point. Just hire Rich Little and get him to do ALL the voices. I think the idea was to cast a live action adaptation.

 

[OsGom]

And finally, while on a certain level I agree with the idea of doing these movies in motion capture animation (like Beowulf and Polar Express), casting the movie becomes a moot point. Just hire Rich Little and get him to do ALL the voices. I think the idea was to cast a live action adaptation.

Touche' sir. I believe you are correct there.

 

[Thundarr]

I'd been thinking about the whole "shooting in infravision" debate, and I've had some ideas. First, I'd like to end the whole "infravision vs dark vision" debate. It belongs on another thread on a different website (penandpapergames.com or vancouvergamingguild.com for example).

Second, I've thought of how it could be done so as not be too confusing to the casual viewer but still maintain the integrity of the novels (and not piss off Bob). As I had mentioned before, film the entire thing in black and white and digitally make all the characters eyes glow red, ad faerie fire to the buildings in the background, and make Drizzt's eyes glow purple. Then insert POV shots intermittenly throughout the movie, especially in key scenes where the difference between infravision and normal vision are very important. Like Dinin looking around at the beginning of the film to make sure no one followed him to his meeting with Faceless. And Zaknafein having the cooling spell cast on him to make him virtually invisible in the infrared spectrum. And Dinin signalling to Nalfein that it's time to attack House Devir. And the coin trick when Zaknafein was trying to convince Malice that Drizzt should become a fighter. And Drizzt's attempt to rescue the drow child from the hook horrors. These can all have POV shots interjected into them to show people how the drow see without light.

Now the only problem is writing all the dialogue in the drow tongue and hoping the casual viewer doesn't become fed up with it.

 

[Thundarr]

I don't understand why anyone would think that a dark elf would have to be played by an black actor. People of African descent aren't really "black" of course - they're brown. Dark elves would have to be true black or purple-skinned in a movie, so the actors would have to wear full makeup no matter what.

A non-black actor wearing dark elf makeup isn't the same thing as wearing racist blackface makeup.

I agree with you 110%. Any actor of any racial persuasion would have to wear full body black makeup, so casting an actor based on his race is pointless. Also, not to seem racist or anything, but many African-Americans are physically very unsuited for playing elves. Their lips are typically too full, their noses are typically too flat, and their faces are typicall too rounded. And the darker their skin, the more pronounced these traits tend to be. And these are all very unelvish looking physical features.

That being said, I think Halle Berry would make an excellent Matron Malice. Maya Do'Urden should be played by Lisa Bonet or Beyonce Knowles. And Vierna Do'Urden should be played by Kiera Knightly. I'm not sure who should play Briza Do'Urden. Maybe Joanie "Chyna Doll" Laurer or the actress who played Atalanta on Hercules: The Legendary Journies. Zaknafein should be played by Al Leong.

 

[Thundarr]

THE FORGOTTEN REALMS PRESENTS...
A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ADVENTURE...
THE CHRYSTAL SHARD
Based on the novel The Chrystal Shard by New York Times Best Selling Author R.A. Salvadore

The roles of Drizzt, Bruenor, Cassius, and most other returning characters from the first movie will be played by the same actors as the first movie. New characters and actors are listed below...

REGIS: My first choice for Regis is Warwick Davis. He's an excellent actor, he looks the part, he loves fantasy stories, and he's very well known. My second choice is Vern "Mini Me" Troyer. He's more of a comedic actor than Warwick, but he's more well known by the younger audience members. If I have to make a third choice, I'd have to say the guy who played Kramers friend Mickey on Seinfeld. He'd have to shave the beard and mustache, but he's a pretty good actor.

YOUNG CATTI-BRIE: Possibly an unknown. For a known actress I would say Dakota Fanning. Or possibly Lindsay Lohan's little sister, Ali Lohan. It's a small role so exactly who plays it doesn't really matter.

CATTI-BRIE: This actress will be playing the role throughout the entire franchise. My first choice is Lindsay Lohan. If she can stay out of jail/rehab long enough and stay clean & sober, she'd be great in the role. She's young enough to still play an 18 or 19 year old, her natural hair colour is red, and she has the sexy curves that are perfect for the role. She'll just need to spend some serious time in the gym to tone up her arms, legs, and stomach. She looks too soft to be someone who spent her entire life living with the very industrial dwarves. My second choice is Michelle Trachenburg (Dawn from TV's Buffy The Vampire Slayer). Like Lindsay, she has the youth, the beauty, and the curves required for the role. She'll need to dye her hair red, but other than that she's perfect.

YOUNG WULFGAR: If this film is made soon enough, the perfect person to play Wulfgar as a boy is "Little Hercules" Richard Sandrak. He was only seven years old when I first read about him back in 2000. That would make him about 14 now. Just the right age to play the youngster who breaks his pole over Bruenor's head during the barbarian assault on Ten Towns. If they don't make the movie soon enough, and the role of Young Wulfgar is given to someone else, if he's tall enough he might be right for the role of the fully grown Wulfgar. I don't have a second pick for this role.

WULFGAR: This is the Wulfgar who recieves the warhammer Aegis Fang and will be with the group for the next four movies at least. If it takes five or six years to get Sojourn made, and if he's tall enough, then Richard Sandrak should play Wulfgar. The only other actor I can think of who would make a good Wulfgar is Tyler Mane (Sabretooth from The X-Men and Michael Myers from Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween). He's the right size, has the right build, has the right colour hair, has some big movies under his belt as an actor. My only concern is he may be too old to play Wulfgar as a 19 or 20 year old barbarian. He'd be perfect to take over the role in Passage To Dawn should the Drizzt movies ever get made and the franchise actually goes that far. If neither Richard Sandrak nor Tyler Mane can take the role, I'd have to go with a complete unknown.

AKAR KESSEL: I don't really know of any actors who would be perfect for this role, but I can think of a few who might do a good job. James Vanderbeek (Dawson's Creek, Varsity Blues) is a fair actor. I've never seen him in any villainous roles, but I think he could pull it off. Scott Caan (Varsity Blues, Ready To Rumble, Gone In 60 Seconds) is also a fair actor. Much like James Vanderbeek, I've never seen him play any villainous roles. But if he's anywhere near as good as his dad at being a villain, he'd be great. Or maybe Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek, The Skulls, The Mighty Ducks I-III, Urban Legend). Again he's never really played a villain, but some of his past roles were real creaps. Point is it should be someone relatively well known, young enough to be relevant, but old enough to look too old to be a wizard's apprentice.

KING HEAFSTAAG: I've only got one choice for this character. Mark "The Undertaker" Calloway. He's the perfect size, has the right hair colour, is the right age. And it's not a huge role so he doesn't have to worry about a lot of lines to memorize.

KING BEORG: Another role with only one choice. Terry "Hulk" Hogan. He's the right size, has the right hair colour (what's left of it), and is the right age. He's also had plenty of movie and television experience (No Holds Barred, Rocky III, Suburban Commando, Santa With Muscles, Thunder In Paradise, Mr. Nanny). Bad acting isn't much of a consideration because the character dies early in the story anyways.

ARTEMIS ENTRERI: This character is very minor in this movie, but as it's the first third of a trilogy it's important that he's properly cast, especially since he's going to be prominantly featured in the next four or five films (Streams Of Silver, The Halflings Gem, The Legasy, and Starless Night) First choice is Colin Farrel. He has the look and the build to play Artemis Entreri. He's also an A List actor who's name will help draw an audience and he did an excellent job as Bullseye in Dare Devil. Second choice is Christian Bale. He's a very good actor. He did an excellent job as a villain in American Psycho as well as in Shaft. He's very physically fit. And he's another A Lister. My third choice is Ray Parks, who is the guy who played Darth Maul in The Franchise Menace and Toad in The X Men . He's really well known among Sci-Fi geeks, he's a blackbelt in ninjitsu, and he has the perfect look for the role. Also, as he's no "A Lister", he'd be cheaper to hire. Finally, I would give the role to whichever actor didn't get the role as Drizzt. If for example, Orlando Bloom were cast as Drizzt, I'd probably give the role of Artemis Entreri to James Marsters. Marc Dacascos I would likely recast as Jarlaxl in The Legasy.

 

[That-Guy]

Thundarr, I love the fact that due to your efforts, this thread has officially become the "Thread that Wouldn't Die," but I have to say... I HATE most of your casting choices. The only ones that I like are Warwick Davis (but he's been in so many fantasy movies I think it's time to find a new little person actor) and maybe Bale or Farell. But Lindsay Lohan? The Undertaker? Um... Hulk Hogan? Were you being serious?

 

[Thundarr]

Thundarr, I love the fact that due to your efforts, this thread has officially become the "Thread that Wouldn't Die," but I have to say... I HATE most of your casting choices. The only ones that I like are Warwick Davis (but he's been in so many fantasy movies I think it's time to find a new little person actor) and maybe Bale or Farell. But Lindsay Lohan? The Undertaker? Um... Hulk Hogan? Were you being serious?

1) Lindsay Lohan is a highly underrated actress. Before her success went to her head she was making some decent movies. I really enjoyed the remakes of The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday. I also thought Mean Girls was alot of fun. Then she started making movies just for the sake of making enough money to pay her coke dealers and everything went to crap. She has the right look, and if she can keep her head in the game she could do a great job. The movie could be the comeback role she's been looking for. Besides, the actress should be in her early twenties and should have red (or at least reddish) hair. Dye jobs and wigs just look fake.

2) How many near 7' tall red haired actors can you think of? Marc doesn't need to do much besides agree to the aliance between the barbarian tribes of The Dale and then die in a duel with Wulfgar. It's an important character, but a pretty small role that's hard to screw up. If you can come up with a better suggestion I'd love to hear it.

3) Again, how many 6'7" blonde haired actors do you know who are old enough to play a barbarian king? This role is just as important as King Heafstagg's but even smaller and harder to screw up. All he has to do is forge the aliance between the barbarian tribes of The Dale and then die in the attack on Ten Towns. The Hulkster might not be the greatest actor, but he has the right look and the role is simple enough that even he couldn't screw it up. Besides, I've been a Hulkamaniac most of my life and I'd like to see him in the role. But if you have a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

4) Warwick Davis might have been in alot of fantasy movies, but most of them have him in so much prosthetic makeup you can't even recognize him (Lepricaun 1-4, Return Of The Jedi, the Harry Potter movies, etc). I think it would be nice to have him in one where the only prosthetics are the hairy hobbit feet, so we can see his face.

 

[Jarlaxle]

sorry to interrupt you guys, but I think that Luke Goss would make an excellent Drizzt. Luke is the prince from hellboy 2. Hes not a big actor, hes good with a blade, and he has the body build and the eligancy of a drow. Luke Goss is the perfect person to play the part.

 

[Thundarr]

sorry to interrupt you guys, but I think that Luke Goss would make an excellent Drizzt. Luke is the prince from hellboy 2. Hes not a big actor, hes good with a blade, and he has the body build and the eligancy of a drow. Luke Goss is the perfect person to play the part.

Just rewatched Hellboy II recently. You're right, he would make a pretty good Drizzt. Or maybe another key drow character, like Dinin or Jarlaxle.

 

[That-Guy]

Yeah, I remember watching Hellboy 2 and I practically jumped out of my seat and screamed Drizzt.

Question for you guys. Would you rather see films that follow the Drizzt books faithfully, or do you think it would be more interesting to see a new story that encompasses the whole of the Forgotten Realms universe, with Drizzt as a major player?

I ask because, while I love Salvatore's books, I'm not sure that they would translate as well to film as one would hope. I think that Homeland and Exile could work as films, but Sojourn probably wouldn't. The Icewind Dale trilogy also would have problems... chiefly because I think that people would accuse the first two parts of the story as being LOTR and Hobbit rip-offs. The Legacy of the Drow series has a lot of potential, but that would have to be made WAY down the line.

So I'm wondering if the best way to go is to go the route of superhero films and have a new story that features Drizzt but isn't specifically based on any of the books. His origin could still be kept intact, but the actual adventure would be new and feature some of the other major players in the Forgotten Realms. I think what would be needed is a story that is on a grand scale... most of the Drizzt books feature more isolated conflicts. And while I don't necessarily feel that a Drizzt or FR movie needs "top" Lord of the Rings, I think that if they don't make it ambitious, critics and audiences would just write it off as a cheap LOTR wannabe without giving it a chance.

 

[Thundarr]

Yeah, I remember watching Hellboy 2 and I practically jumped out of my seat and screamed Drizzt.

Question for you guys. Would you rather see films that follow the Drizzt books faithfully, or do you think it would be more interesting to see a new story that encompasses the whole of the Forgotten Realms universe, with Drizzt as a major player?

I ask because, while I love Salvatore's books, I'm not sure that they would translate as well to film as one would hope. I think that Homeland and Exile could work as films, but Sojourn probably wouldn't. The Icewind Dale trilogy also would have problems... chiefly because I think that people would accuse the first two parts of the story as being LOTR and Hobbit rip-offs. The Legacy of the Drow series has a lot of potential, but that would have to be made WAY down the line.

So I'm wondering if the best way to go is to go the route of superhero films and have a new story that features Drizzt but isn't specifically based on any of the books. His origin could still be kept intact, but the actual adventure would be new and feature some of the other major players in the Forgotten Realms. I think what would be needed is a story that is on a grand scale... most of the Drizzt books feature more isolated conflicts. And while I don't necessarily feel that a Drizzt or FR movie needs "top" Lord of the Rings, I think that if they don't make it ambitious, critics and audiences would just write it off as a cheap LOTR wannabe without giving it a chance.

I have to disagree with you on the Drizzt Do'Urden novels not translating well to film. I think they'd translate to film better than JRR Tolkien's LOTR did. Bob Salvatore writes very detailed action scenes, which a stunt/fight choreographer could easily develope into an action scene for film.

As for the similarities between the Drizzt novels and the Hobbit and LOTR novels, it's true that many people would probably view them as Salvatore ripping off Tolkien. But those people are idiots. People who have read the novels and read up on Bob Salvatore would know that those similarities are done as a tribute to those books, as an homage, and there is a difference. They'll probably learn that after they rent the movie on DVD and watch it with feature length commentary.

Also, of the entire Dark Elf Trilogy, Sojourn translates easiest to film, not Homeland and Exile. Those ones are more difficult due to the number of elaborite sets that would have to be built. The entire script would have to be performed in the Drow tongue. Trying to come up with a way to establish drow infravision to the uninitated audience (like I wrote earlier, intercut POV shots of characters looking around in infravision, shoot the rest of the movie in black & white making the characters eyes glow red or purple through CGI, and have the screen suddenly go white whenever a candle is lit, etc). Sojourn takes place mostly in the wilderness, which means minimal sets need to be built, they just need to find some good shooting locations.

 

[That-Guy]

You make good points, and you might be right. However, you do have to acknowledge that the general public isn't going to realize that Salvatore is making a homage to Tolkien, and even if they do, it's not really going to matter. People are going to be thinking, "I've seen this before, and I liked it better the first time." And while I've read his books, I personally feel they got better once he moved away from the Tolkien influence. Homage or not, I really found the first two books in Icewind Dale to be somewhat run-of-the-mill, but the series really picked up in The Halfling's Gem.

As for Sojourn translating better than Homeland and Exile... yes, it's true that it would be easier to film, from a technical standpoint. I meant in terms of story... Homeland follows a more conventional narrative, as does Exile. Sojourn is more of an introspective story that might play well in a book, but I could see audiences getting bored with it. Also, can you imagine how amazing the visuals could look in a movie set in the Underdark? It wouldn't be easy... but a talented director could make it work. And audiences would be thinking "WOW! This is something I've never seen before."

The Drow language thing is something that they could probably just do away with in favor of a "common tongue." Whenever the Drow need to speak something only they can understand, they could just use their sign language.

 

[Thundarr]

You make good points, and you might be right. However, you do have to acknowledge that the general public isn't going to realize that Salvatore is making an homage to Tolkien, and even if they do, it's not really going to matter. People are going to be thinking, "I've seen this before, and I liked it better the first time." And while I've read his books, I personally feel they got better once he moved away from the Tolkien influence. Homage or not, I really found the first two books in Icewind Dale to be somewhat run-of-the-mill, but the series really picked up in The Halfling's Gem.

As for Sojourn translating better than Homeland and Exile... yes, it's true that it would be easier to film, from a technical standpoint. I meant in terms of story... Homeland follows a more conventional narrative, as does Exile. Sojourn is more of an introspective story that might play well in a book, but I could see audiences getting bored with it. Also, can you imagine how amazing the visuals could look in a movie set in the Underdark? It wouldn't be easy... but a talented director could make it work. And audiences would be thinking "WOW! This is something I've never seen before."

The Drow language thing is something that they could probably just do away with in favor of a "common tongue." Whenever the Drow need to speak something only they can understand, they could just use their sign language.

You too make some good points. I would like to say that while I do enjoy reading LOTR, I found Tolkien's style to be over written. While the first two books in The Icewind Dale Trilogy have some very obvious influences from LOTR (the goblin horde attacking Ten Towns, the corrupting influence of The Crystal Shard, the fight with the Balor, the body count competition between Wulfgar and Drizzt, etc) I think it was much better written. Very discriptive while at the same time being very well paced, rather than two whole pages being used to discribe an uneventful walk across an open field.

As for the language thing, having everyone speaking "common" as their native tongue regardless of race is a copout. They did that in the comics and it took something away from the story. In Sojourn, one of Drizzt's biggest trials in the beginning is his inability to communicate with his human neighbors due to the language barrier. This is another reason the franchise should start with Sojourn rather than Homeland or Crystal Shard. The problem is established and then overcome. We learn of Drizzt's history through the narrative (flashbacks, his talks with Mooshie, etc). And the story isn't as cerebral as you may think. Nearly half of it would be one long chase scene. Plus there would be some pretty spectacular battles throughout. Drizzt's assault on the barghest welps. The stone giants ambush of Dove Falconhand's hunting party. The orcs assault on Mooshie's grove. McGrissle's fight with Drizzt in Icewind Dale, and later with Bruenor. Audiences have more patience for a good story than you give them credit for, as long as it is a good story (unlike The Franchise Menace.

In order to keep people from crying "Rip off" when they see the Drizzt movies, they should promote the hell out of them. Have interviews on ET and Access Hollywood. Write blogs on the internet. Keep the public informed. Have "making of" specials shown on TV even before the first movie hits theatres. Tell everyone that they're staying as true to their source material as possible, then have Salvatore talking about his inspiration for the source material. Take away the ignorance of John Q Public and their ignorance will no longer be a deciding factor in the films success. I will agree with you on one thing though. With the right set design, CGI, and wardrobe, Homeland and Exile would be visually stunning.

 

[Jarlaxle]

It is all about the directer. Now if they have peter jackson direct it, it will probably be a little like LOTR. But if you have someone like Michel Bay or someone that likes more fighting scenes and special effects, then it wouldn't be anything like LOTR. Now they should start from the very beginning when drizzt was born and explain where he came from and how his life was with his family. How he struggled to find his place in the underdark. Make a very dark atmosphere and have very dark characters.

P.S. Liam Neeson for drizzts dad would be SWEET!

 

[Thundarr]

It is all about the directer. Now if they have peter jackson direct it, it will probably be a little like LOTR. But if you have someone like Michel Bay or someone that likes more fighting scenes and special effects, then it wouldn't be anything like LOTR. Now they should start from the very beginning when drizzt was born and explain where he came from and how his life was with his family. How he struggled to find his place in the underdark. Make a very dark atmosphere and have very dark characters.

P.S. Liam Neeson for drizzts dad would be SWEET!

Liam Neeson as Zaknafein Do'Urden? Now why the hell didn't I think of that? He's an excellent actor, he's very good at playing older mentor type characters, and he had to learn swordsmanship for his roles in Rob Roy, The Franchise Menace, and Batman Begins. Very good choice, I likee.

 

[O_o]

I was wondering (I did't read the whole forum) if someone mentioned Karl Urban as Entreri? I know that Hugh Jackman is a good actor (in my opinion), but Entreri... Should look younger. It was said that he is about 40, but looks like man even half his age, at the most 30.
And still both Jackman and Urban are quite tall...

 

[Thundarr]

I was wondering (I did't read the whole forum) if someone mentioned Karl Urban as Entreri? I know that Hugh Jackman is a good actor (in my opinion), but Entreri... Should look younger. It was said that he is about 40, but looks like man even half his age, at the most 30.
And still both Jackman and Urban are quite tall...

I'd cast Ray Park as Entreri. He's the right size, and a good fighter. Plus he has the right look about him.

 

[That-Guy]

You too make some good points. I would like to say that while I do enjoy reading LOTR, I found Tolkien's style to be over written. While the first two books in The Icewind Dale Trilogy have some very obvious influences from LOTR (the goblin horde attacking Ten Towns, the corrupting influence of The Crystal Shard, the fight with the Balor, the body count competition between Wulfgar and Drizzt, etc) I think it was much better written. Very discriptive while at the same time being very well paced, rather than two whole pages being used to discribe an uneventful walk across an open field.

As for the language thing, having everyone speaking "common" as their native tongue regardless of race is a copout. They did that in the comics and it took something away from the story. In Sojourn, one of Drizzt's biggest trials in the beginning is his inability to communicate with his human neighbors due to the language barrier. This is another reason the franchise should start with Sojourn rather than Homeland or Crystal Shard. The problem is established and then overcome. We learn of Drizzt's history through the narrative (flashbacks, his talks with Mooshie, etc). And the story isn't as cerebral as you may think. Nearly half of it would be one long chase scene. Plus there would be some pretty spectacular battles throughout. Drizzt's assault on the barghest welps. The stone giants ambush of Dove Falconhand's hunting party. The orcs assault on Mooshie's grove. McGrissle's fight with Drizzt in Icewind Dale, and later with Bruenor. Audiences have more patience for a good story than you give them credit for, as long as it is a good story (unlike The Franchise Menace.

In order to keep people from crying "Rip off" when they see the Drizzt movies, they should promote the hell out of them. Have interviews on ET and Access Hollywood. Write blogs on the internet. Keep the public informed. Have "making of" specials shown on TV even before the first movie hits theatres. Tell everyone that they're staying as true to their source material as possible, then have Salvatore talking about his inspiration for the source material. Take away the ignorance of John Q Public and their ignorance will no longer be a deciding factor in the films success. I will agree with you on one thing though. With the right set design, CGI, and wardrobe, Homeland and Exile would be visually stunning.

I don't know, I've debated long and hard over Tolkien's style versus Salvatore's style... I think that both have their strong and weak points. Tolkien does describe certain things in too much detail (landscapes, appearances) while not providing nearly enough detail to things that the reader REALLY wants to know more about (the battles). On the other hand, I think that the overall story is far superior to anything that Salvatore has crafted and (with the exception of the Hobbit) LOTR never becomes severely cheesy or silly.

Salvatore is a lot better at moving the story faster without completely avoid any description (Hello, C.S. Lewis) and does write fight sequences really well, but I think that he goes overboard at times with the swordfight stuff. It is interesting, but unless the reader has actual experience in swordfighting I think that a lot of that can be lost on them. I think that he does a good job of fleshing out the characters... probably better than Tolkien... but in terms of story, often it feels like there isn't much there. If he didn't craft such interesting characters, some of the stories were fairly average. But my biggest gripe about Salvatore is how he periodically doesn't take his own work seriously. The Harpells were f**king stupid. Silverymoon felt a bit too goofy and silly. And he actually named a dwarf Dagnabit (which I'm guessing he later regretted since the character is referred to as Dagna in later books).

Anyway, I don't want to trash the guy... I do love his work. And perhaps you're right... Sojourn might be a great place to start the story, as long as it includes flashbacks to Homeland and Exile.

The Franchise Menace... that's great.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Jessica Biel as Cattibrie


Brandon Routh as Wulfgar


Mathew McConaughey as Artimis

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...w=119&prev=/images?q=brandon+routh&hl=en&um=1
Luke Goss as Drizzt

As for Bruenor and Regis, Im totally lost. I dont have any idea who could play those two.

 

[That-Guy]

Biel as Catti-brie might work. She's hot, a decent actress and is also very athletic. Goss as Drizzt is spot-on. Not sure about the other two though. I don't think Routh would look right as a blond. He's certainly big enough though. McConaughey though... yeah, I'm going to have to with "no" on that one. He'd have to drop the Southern drawl, first of all... has he ever done that? I've seen him play a few evil or psycho characters but I can't see him pulling off the soullessness you'd need for Entreri.

Daniel Craig, if he were willing to darken his hair, would be the perfect Entreri if he was a little younger.