According to Deadline, the directing duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley of Game Night fame are suiting up to helm another big game-themed extravaganza — the big screen adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons for Paramount and Hasbro’s AllSpark Pictures banner. Obviously nothing is set in stone at the moment, but the trade notes that discussions are currently underway.
Goldstein and Francis Daley scripted Spider-Man: Homecoming for Marvel and were previously attached to direct The Flash for Warner Bros., but ended up exiting the DC project in July.
It was previously reported that Goosebumps director Rob Lettermen would helm the Dungeons & Dragons movie way back in 2016, but that film never materialized and the project has gone through various iterations including one with Lego Batman director Chris McKay.
Role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons first became popular in 1974, and since then has amassed millions of players and fans worldwide. The hugely popular property has also influenced numerous writers, directors, game designers and other creative professionals throughout its four decades. The feature was first announced in 2013 wherein a rights-dispute began between the studio and Hasbro (parent company of publisher Wizards of the Coast), but the issues were resolved last year and the film remains in-development.
First adapted for the small screen as an animated television series in 1983, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson’s iconic RPG was turned into a live-action feature film in 2000 directed by Courtney Solomon. The film was neither a critical nor financial success, but it did lead to a telefilm sequel with 2005’s Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God and a direct-to-DVD followup with Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness in 2012.
