Producer Roy Lee gives a hopeful update on the Dragon Cave Film on Netflix, an adaptation of the 1980s arcade game of the same name starring Ryan Reynolds.
To kick off the San Diego Comic-Con panel “Producers on Producing,” which focused on the ins and outs of film production, Collider spoke with producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Akiva Goldsman and Roy Lee about their various projects, from Constantine 2, I am Legend 2 And The thing Series. In the midst of these updates, one came about Dragon Cavewhich gives fans of the franchise some hope after four years of development.
Related
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is not the “Choose Your Own Adventure” we wanted
Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is undoubtedly ambitious, but it falls short when it comes to interactive storytelling.
It was a tough fight to make the film. After almost a year of negotiations Netflix acquired the rights to the film in 2020. Through his production company Vertigo Entertainment, Roy Lee was to produce the film together with Trevor Engelson of Underground Films. Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Jon Pomeroy and Ryan Reynolds himself. Notable among these names is Don Bluth, who was not only the director of such beloved childhood classics as The Secret of Nimh And Fievel, the Mouse Wandererbut also the lead animator behind the iconic images of the original Dragon Cave Game. Dan and Kevin Hageman, known for their work on The Lego Movie And Scary stories to tell in the dark, should write the script.
Originally it was supposed to be one of those choose-your-own-adventure movies.
What has happened to the film since then? According to Lee: “The status has changed dramatically. Originally it was supposed to be one of those choose-your-own-adventure movies. They had the Black Mirror episode where you could decide the fate of the characters, and that’s how we originally developed it. We had a 400-page script because you could go in different directions and take different pathsand Ryan Reynolds was supposed to play Dirk the Daring, but that format was canceled. Now we’re redesigning the film and making it a straight, linear film.”
Related
Halloween is actually a “Choose Your Own Adventure” franchise
With multiple reboots and several viable but incompatible storylines, the Halloween franchise works best as a “Choose Your Own Adventure” series.
It has already been suggested that Netflix could be the perfect home for such “choose your own adventure” stories as Dragon Caveso some fans will be disappointed to see this format fall by the wayside. But don’t worry about the writers, they still have the job. They just had a long way to go because as Lee said, “All they had to do was take the 400-page script and cut it.”
What is Dragon’s Lair anyway?
Dragon Cave was a video game released in 1983 and developed by Rick Dyer that spawned a franchise that will (hopefully) soon include this film on Netflix. At one point it was the most popular game in America. Its stunning visuals stood out from the crowd of standard 80s arcade games thanks to the then-revolutionary LaserDisc technology used to store Don Bluth’s cinematic animations. It told the epic story of a knight, Dirk the Daring, who sets out to save Princess Daphne from a terrifying dragon and an evil wizard. This style of cinematic storytelling in arcade games never really took off and the game eventually faded into obscurity, but many still fondly remember the game, as well as its comic book spin-off and other interesting additions to the world of Dragon Cave.
With any luck, this new film will bring this beloved franchise back from obscurity. While the adaptation won’t use the “choose your own adventure” style of the original game as originally planned, there’s still a lot to look forward to. With a number of experienced producers, two great writers, and a megastar on board, this film could well move past its long development phase and grace our televisions in the near future.
Source: Collider, The Hollywood Reporter.
