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Dirk the Daring is one step closer to saving the princess.
That’s because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, James Bobin is in talks to direct Netflix‘s live-action “Dragon’s Lair” feature. Bobin directed 2011’s “The Muppets” and the 2014 follow up “Muppets Most Wanted’.
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The director is known for usually lighter comedic fare, including more family-oriented entertainment like “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and “Dora and the Lost City of Gold”. He was also one of the most frequent directors of the more adult-oriented series “Flight of the Conchords”.
Ryan Reynolds is attached to star in and produce “Dragon’s Lair”. The “Deadpool & Wolverine” star has been a part of the project ever since Netflix approved the adaptation back in 2020. Also producing are Roy Lee, Trevor Engleson, Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Jon Pomeroy.
For a time, “Dragon’s Lair” was the most popular game in any and every arcade in America. The game unfolds more like an interactive movie than a video game, with the player needing to select the right direction of the controller and hit the action button in time to survive threats like giant skeletal hands or collapsing bridges.
The hero of the game is Dirk the Daring, a sword-wielding knight on a quest to save the Princess Daphne from Mordroc the wizard and Singe the dragon.
Netflix’s film won’t be the first time the popular game has been adapted to the screen. A short-lived animated “Dragon’s Lair” series aired on ABC in 1984 but only got through 13 episodes before it was Game Over.
Considering its popularity, it’s a genuine surprise that it’s taken this long for a “Dragon’s Lair” film adaptation to make any headway. Netflix’s decision to move forward no doubt has something to do with the growing popularity of video game adaptations.
Between the popular “Sonic the Hedgehog” series, “A Minecraft Movie,” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, video game films are threatening to replace superhero adaptations.
The animation of “Dragon’s Lair” was so integral to the charm of the game that it seems almost sacrilege to adapt it in live-action. However, if you need someone to reproduce Dirk the Daring’s heroic but goofy demeanor in live-action, Ryan Reynolds is a solid choice.
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