Sci-Fi & Fantasy Girlz discussion

This is interesting. I watched the first time they went about it, and I didn't hate it even though it was SyFy Channel craptastic in a lot of ways. The effects were often bad, and the casting awkward in a few ways. They took a lot of liberties with the original materials, which can be frustrating, but it did get some attention to the books. It's what got my attention, at least....

In a competitive situation, Fox21 Television Studios has optioned the rights to The Dresden Files, the long-running New York Times bestselling series of contemporary fantasy novels written by Jim Butcher for series development.
...
Ileen Maisel, who is under a first-look deal with Fox 21, is producing the project with Temple Hill Entertainment. John Fischer and Julie Waters are overseeing the project for Temple Hill.

Full article: https://deadline.com/2018/10/the-dres...

I'd applaud if it were anyone but FOX... .

Amber wrote: "I'd applaud if it were anyone but FOX... ."

That does make me a little leery too. Aside from any Faux-iness of the situation, that studio/production team hasn't got the best record when it comes to sci-fi products.

So many good adaptations, but no one bothers to get the rights to make a Dragonlance TV series... ☹

Except STAR WARS, before George sold Lucasfilm to Disney, Gary.

Yoly wrote: "So many good adaptations, but no one bothers to get the rights to make a Dragonlance TV series... ☹"

I complained about that many years ago, I think in the context of a conversation about TSR's efforts to make a TV series. The person I was speaking to had some sort of connection with the TV studios, but this was at a Hollywood party, and I never saw the guy again, so take it for what that's worth. Anyway, he said that the problem with a Dragonlance series had to do with the cost for the rights being prohibitive. That is, they'd have to pay Hickman and Weis some sort of chunk of money, and they wouldn't have to do that with something "new" (read: something tossed together from a writer's room) without "based on" in the credits.

In other words, it's all about the mighty God known as Mammon. *wink*

Amber wrote: "In other words, it's all about the mighty God known as Mammon. *wink*"

I guess. Honestly, I nodded and said, "Hmm, that makes sense," at the time, but in retrospect I'm less satisfied. Rather, it seems like just one of a set of choices about how to go lowball when producing something without giving any of the creative people behind it any meaningful credit (let alone $$$.)

I never saw more than a few minutes here and there of the animated Dungeons and Dragons TV show that they wound up putting out, though. So, I can't speak with any authority about that. It just seemed so half-assed that I never bothered, even at the height of my nerddom back then.

I never saw it at all. Wasn't interested in D&D cartoons as a kid. I preferred Captain O.G. Readmore's cartoons.

Gary wrote: "Yoly wrote: "So many good adaptations, but no one bothers to get the rights to make a Dragonlance TV series... ☹"

I complained about that many years ago, I think in the context of a conversation a..."

I think Gary Gygax himself was involved in the Dungeons and Dragons TV show cartoon. I started reading Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons and I think it mentioned something along those lines. I remember the animated show and the first time I watched it I didn't know what Dungeons and Dragons was but I enjoyed the show as a fantasy cartoon. It was probably the first fantasy anything I had ever watched, so I was glued to the television whenever it was on. I watched a version translated in spanish on local TV and it seemed like they basically only had like five or six episodes which they constantly played. I should probably watch the full thing as an adult and see how much of it I can take.

I watched a recent panel with Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman and other people and someone asked them about a Dragonlance movie and all they could say was that they had a meeting and they signed an NDA. I really hope that means something might be in the works. I think the rights would have to be paid to Wizards of the Coast and not Weiss and Hickman (or maybe both?), so that probably means a huge (YUGE?) amount of money to be paid. But I assume Amazon had to pay a nice amount of money to get the rights for a Wheel of Time series, so let's hope some studio thinks Dragonlance is the next Game of Thrones :)

A bit off-topic, but since we mentioned D&D, have you seen this gorgeous book that came out last week?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3CRd...