Ryan Reynoldsisn’t letting the Coronavirus blues keep him down, as he’s in talks to star in and produce a live-action adaptation of the ’80s arcade gameDragon’s Lairfor Netflix, Collider has confirmed.
It took Netflix nearly a year to close the rights to the game, which has been featured in the streamer’s hit seriesStranger Things– an appearance that sparked renewed interest in the game.
DanandKevin Hageman, who wroteScary Stories to Tell in the Darkand earned story credit onThe Lego Movie, have been tapped to write the script. Reynolds will play a knight named Dirk the Daring who must rescue Princess Daphne from the clutches of an evil dragon known as Singe and the wizard Mordroc.
I can’t say I’m especially enthused about this one, as the premise sounds pretty generic if you ask me. I’ve had enough of knights and dragons and wizards, but then again, I’m the guy who can’t standGame of ThronesandHarry Potter, so you’re probably wondering what I’m doing writing for this website in the first place. This kind of movies just isn’t my bag, and while I like Ryan Reynolds, I’m also struggling to erase the festering memory of6 Undergroundfrom my mind. Here’s hoping his next Netflix movie, the international action movieRed NoticewithDwayne JohnsonandGal Gadot, turns out better once it resumes filming.
Reynolds will produce theDragon’s Lairmovie under his Maximum Effort banner along withRoy Leeof Vertigo Entertainment andTrevor Engelsonof Underground Films.Gary GoldmanandJon Pomeroyare also producing along withDon Bluth, who created the original game withRick Dyer.
Published in 1983 by Cinematronics,Dragon’s Lairused new-ish LaserDisc technology to push the story forward with cinematic animation. The game was immensely popular out of the gate, but didn’t have the same staying power as other games.
Dragon’s Lairisn’t Reynolds' only video game-themed movie on the horizon, as he also stars inFree Guyas a man who realizes he’s a background character in a video game. That film is slated to hit theaters in July… if they reopen by then. Reynolds is also familiar with the Hageman siblings, as they wrote the upcoming sequel to the animated hitThe Croods, which features his voice. The duo currently serve as the showrunners and executive producers of Nickelodeon’s animatedStar Trekseries.
The Hollywood Reporterbroke the news about Reynolds, who will soon be seen in another sequel –The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which seesSalma Hayekjoin him andSamuel L. Jackson. He’s represented by WME. To watch the trailer forFree Guy,click here.
