The Hollywood Reporter has revealedthat Netflix has secured to rights to produce a live-action adaptation of 1983 arcade gameDragon’s Lair. Ryan Reynolds – ofDeadpoolandPokemon: Detective Pikachufame – is in talks to produce and star in the project.
Netflix has been negotiating for almost a year to get hold of the rights to the classic video game franchise, finally getting the go-ahead to bring the classic animated video game title to life. OriginalDragon’s Lairanimators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman are on-board as producers, as are production companies Vertigo Entertainment (The Lego Movie,Doctor Sleep), and Underground Films.
Dragon’s Lairtook the world by storm during the golden age of the arcade. Arriving right before the industry crash, this expensive (in both production and player costs) title used laserdisc technology to present a fully-animated adventure, with players tasked with guiding hapless hero Dirk the Daring through a trap-filled castle to rescue the fair Princess Daphne.
While the use of incredible hand-drawn animation wowed players initially, the trial-and-error gameplay, high play-price (50 cents!) and fragile hardware proved problematic before too long. Despite this,Dragon’s Lairremains a legendary release, even making its way into the Smithsonian. Its financial success led to a string of similar laserdisc arcades such asSpace Ace,Time Gal,Cliff Hanger,Badlands, and the American Laser Games series.
I’m a real mark for these games and their history, having grown up with them and spent a fortune learning to beat them. So I gotta admit, I’mreallyexcited at seeing this project come to fruition. But if we have Reynolds as our Dirk the Daring… Who will be Princess Daphne?
