Paramount Pictures has been developing a live-action Dungeons and Dragons movie for a while it looks like we have an update on the film’s current status. Our pals over at ThatHashtagShow have revealed that director Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie) has likely exited the project and a new script from screenwriter Michael Gillio is also still being worked on this time.
It was reported last year that Chris McKay would be helming the project, but at this point, the film finds itself without a director and with time running short on getting what will be a VFX-heavy film going in order to deliver on that 2021 release.
While they’ve certainly stumbled out of the blocks, Paramount does seem to be gaining some traction now and looks to be on the way to having things in order for a late-summer/early-fall start of production. Late last month, writer Michael Gillio turned in an updated draft of the script that had studio execs absolutely buzzing. The studio gave Gillio some notes to take back to his workshop but if all goes well, Paramount will get back to work on finding a director for the project.
In November, Chris McKay recently attached himself to the live-action Jonny Quest movie for Warner Bros. based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon series and he had previously attached himself to a Nightwing solo movie as well that seems to be on hold at the studio.
They also mention a list of actors the studio hopes to coax into taking roles on the project. Although the list includes embattled actor Johnny Depp, who I doubt is on anyone’s wishlist these days after being thrown off Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and is reportedly being recast in Universal’s Invisible Man remake.
Paramount Pictures certainly has lofting ambitions for the project and has already set its release date for November 21st, 2021, giving them plenty of time to figure things and could delay filming as far back as summer/fall of 2020. I’m not as convinced they’ll be able to pull things together for a spring/summer shoot this year, but it could happen.
SOURCE: THAT HASHTAG SHOW
