Hey folks, Harry here with another report from DRAGONCON... this time it comes from the amazing Xrae, the spy that sees through everything... save lead. And at DragonCon this year, there was very little lead around any of the films discussed there. Of most interest here is the information about DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS and the info that it doesn't quite have a domestic distributor. So check it out... there's quite a bit here... enjoy...
Hello Harry -
Just returned from another DragonCon and read the one report you've posted about this enormous SF/fantasy/comics/gaming/horror/etc. event. I sat in on one panel featuring Justin Whalin, who is a star in the new Dungeons and Dragons movie. Afterwards I cursed myself for not having anything to write on to take notes. Oh well. The film's director was also in the audience, so he provided clarification on issues as needed. This is what I remember:
* The film was shot in Czechloslovakia, which is how they got the most bang for their $35 mil budget. Whalin, who was so full of info I figured he must also have a producing credit on the film, said that in the Czech Republic your American dollar goes four times as far. Plus, they had some killer buildings to shoot in and around, so they don't have to do as much CGI for the backgrounds.
* The film was financed by selling the foreign distribution rights and also getting a really rich investor to put up the cash.
* Although Warner Bros. says they've got the film, in reality nobody in the States has yet purchased the rights to the film. Until there is an American distributor, we won't have a release date. They are aiming for a Christmas or (more likely) Memorial Day release. There will be an enormous amount of toy tie-ins for this movie. Expect a huge marketing push after somebody finally buys the film.
* The script is one of the first that was written for a D&D film, nearly 10 years ago. The project's director, whose name I do not know, has been with the project that long.
* Jeremy Irons is the main star of the film.
* Justin Whalin plays a thief in the film, and he is teamed up with another thief played by Marlon Wayons.
* The dragons won't talk. (Yay!)
* Later I saw a trailer for the film and it looked very promising. It was hard to see details in the film (such as CGI), because I was kind of far away from the huge video screens it was projected on.
Brad Dourif was part of several panels that discussed the new LOTR films. He said that they're still filming scenes off and on with him. He'll have to go back in September and shoot some more, I believe. He plays Grima Wormtongue in the film. The LOTR trailer played continually at a booth in the convention center lobby, and there was always a crowd gathered to watch it. Dourif did say that most of the dialogue in exterior scenes will have to be looped due to constant "spy" helicopter traffic above the sets.
Every year one special guest just takes me by surprise, even though I'm familiar with most of the people who will be there. Last year it was Billy Dee Williams, when I saw him getting out of his limo. There he was - Lando Calressian - right in front of me! This year it was Richard LeParmentier, who played Admiral Motti in Star Wars Ep. 4. (He's the Imperial officer that gets choked by Vader in the conference room). I like the guests like that -- as actors they don't get the most fame or recognition, but they're your childhood icons. (Bill Mumy was also very cool).
Until next year.....
xrae
