Dirk the Daring may be making his live-action debut! Ryan Reynolds, the star behind the major-successful Deadpool movies, among others, is in talks with Netflix to both produce and star in the 80s arcade-inspired show Dragon’s Lair. It will be interesting to see if they go with the original arcade version video game, or dip into the sequels, comics, and cartoons that followed.
Dragon’s Lair Was A Game Before Its Time
There wasn’t another game like it. Don Bluth, a former Disney animator, partnered up with Rick Dyer and created this iconic arcade gem under Cinematronics. It was so popular, that lines would form and people would wait for hours to cram fifty cents in to take their turn at Singe. It was the first game to use interactive Laser-Disc technology and blew any graphics competition out of the water. However, the advanced game play was also it’s downfall.
Laser-Disc technology was relatively new at this time, and the Pioneer disc players that ran the game often broke down. Not that they were bad players, but the tech needed to scan for random animations every few minutes instead of, for example, playing a straightforward movie, simply just wore them out fast. As a result, as quickly as the game climbed, it also fell. Dragon’s Lair also didn’t translate well to earlier home consoles, so the format would be changed to a side-scroller, which was much less popular.
For it’s time, however, Dragon’s Lair hit #7 on the Top 50 Greatest Arcade Games of All-Time list by GameSpy, and is one of only three games on display in the Smithsonian. That’s right… Dragon’s Lair, Pong and Pac-Man are the only three because of their cutting edge tech of their time. That’s no easy feat!
Here’s Our Fan-Casting For The Show
Alright, so the original arcade game didn’t have a lot of characters in it aside from our hero Dirk, and the lovely Princess Daphne. There are some nameless humanoid baddies. Mainly, the antagonist in the original is Singe the Dragon, and the narrator hints at the evil wizard Mordroc. Although, he wouldn’t debut until Dragon’s Lair II came out. Hey Ryan, if you’re reading this, here’s our vote for the rest of the cast.
Blake Lively As Princess Daphne
This should be an easy one. One of the early complaints about the Princess is she doesn’t seem too bright. Lively could change that persona. She and Ryan have appeared together before in Green Lantern (I know, tough example), so the precedent is set.
Hugh Jackman As Singe the Dragon
So this one may be a little tougher. The hilarious back-and-forth jabs between Reynolds and Jackman is the stuff of legend. You can’t tell me Hugh wouldn’t love to torment Reynolds as he stumbles through Mordroc’s Castle to find Daphne. It would make the show an absolute blockbuster.
Simon Pegg as Mordroc the Wizard
If Mordroc is going to brought into the show, Simon Pegg would be perfect. There’s no funnier actor out there to pull off the crazy wizard (who is also Dirk’s brother!). C’mon Ryan, we’re loaded with ideas here!
We’ll Keep You Posted As Dragon’s Lair Develops!
If Ryan Reynolds takes the job, Dragon’s Lair would be produced through his Maximum Effort Productions, alongside Vertigo Entertainment and Underground Films, then appear on Netflix. If they stay true to the original game, Dirk doesn’t speak. I’m willing to bet that won’t be the case here, but hopefully they keep the grunts, crazy screams and the occasional “uh-oh.” No matter what direction they go, this project is going to be fun!
Wonder Woman 84 delayed – read it here!
There it is Hashtaggers. Proof yet again that 80s intellectual properties are still a hot commodity almost 40 years later. As a result, stars from that decade are being cast in some of the hottest shows today, such as Michael Biehn cast for The Mandalorian for example. You just can’t keep a great decade down! Stick with us at That Hashtag Show for all your geek pop-culture news and reviews!
Contributing source: CBR.com
