The breakout hunk of Netflix’s massive hit Bridgerton, Regé-Jean Page, is hitting the big screen in a high-profile project, Dungeons & Dragons. The cast also includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Justice Smith. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Game Night) are directing and wrote the most recent screenplay based on an earlier draft by Michael Gilio. The movie adaptation hails from Paramount and eOne, a division of Hasbro, who have previously produced the GI Joe and Transformers franchises.
British-Zimbabwean Regé-Jean Page rise to stardom exploded with the release of Bridgerton, on which he plays Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. He has already won the IMDb Award for Breakout Star. He previously starred on ABC’s legal drama For the People and appeared as Chicken George in the miniseries Roots. Prior to that, he starred on the British series Waterloo Road and appeared onstage in The History Boys and The Merchant of Venice. He will be seen this weekend when he hosts Saturday Night Live.
The first version of Dungeons & Dragons was published in 1974. It is a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game that draws heavily from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, presenting a reality populated by dwarves, elves, orcs, trolls, and more. The gameplay is controlled by a host called the Dungeon Master. Dungeons & Dragons has since been adapted multiple times into video games, as well as other types of media including books and a Saturday morning cartoon in the 1980s.
A previous film adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons was released in 2020, with Jeremy Irons and Marlon Wayans starring. But that flick came and went with little fanfare. The movie rights to the tabletop game have shifted around. At one time, Warner Brothers planned to make a film version with Rob Letterman (Detective Pikachu) directing and Ansel Elgort attached to star.
At this time, no plot details are known. It’s possible that this will be a straight fantasy epic, but Goldstein and Daley are known for more humorous projects. It’s possible that the gameplay source material could factor in somehow, especially considering their previous movie, Game Night, also incorporated… well, games.
Dungeons & Dragons is due in theaters on May 27, 2022. Check back for updates as they arrive.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
