When the Live Action OOTS Comes Out...

[brian 333]

There has been a trend in movies lately to turn comics into films. It's only a matter of time until OoTS is remade as a box office blockbuster. So, when that time comes, who will be the actors who play the characters we have come to know and variously love and hate?

I'm pretty sure Roy will be played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Nale/Elan, of course, will be portrayed by the incomparable Seth Green, but I can't figure out who the rest of the cast is going to be.

Any ideas?

[Winter]

Don't you think there's a difference between a decade-long multi-million comic that has penetrated the international pop-culture and some overblown nerd comic on the internet?

I doubt anyone would want to finance a movie for 30+ million $ about a webcomic.

Apart from that: S. L. Jackson is getting old. He's not the young guy from the 90s anymore. I doubt he could play a 30 year old warrior. Also, Samuel is best when he scream loud a lot of profanity and threatens to **** people up. He'd suck as Roy.

[KillianHawkeye]

There's never going to be a live-action OOTS because they'd have to cast a gendered actor to play Vaarsuvius.

[Kish]

It's only a matter of time until OoTS is remade as a box office blockbuster.

Fifty gold says it won't.

[King of Nowhere]

There's never going to be a live-action OOTS because they'd have to cast a gendered actor to play Vaarsuvius.

Just a few weeks ago I saw not one but two people who could have filled the role...

but oots is a comedy, not action movie material.

[NerdyKris]

There has been a trend in movies lately to turn comics into films. It's only a matter of time until OoTS is remade as a box office blockbuster. So, when that time comes, who will be the actors who play the characters we have come to know and variously love and hate?

I'm pretty sure Roy will be played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Nale/Elan, of course, will be portrayed by the incomparable Seth Green, but I can't figure out who the rest of the cast is going to be.

Any ideas?

Amazing how when it's a black character, everyone immediately says Samuel Jackson, regardless of age, personality, or ability to play that character.

Roy is 35 years younger than Samuel Jackson, who's a senior citizen born in 1948.

Samuel Jackson plays a very specific type of angry character, that isn't in any way like Roy, an idealistic leader who is simply annoyed at his partners.


And just so we don't focus just on Roy, Seth Green turns 40 next year. Elan is 21. Even with his youthful looks, he certainly can't pass for 21.


Finally, no, they are not likely to make a live action OOTS movie. There's hundreds, if not thousands, of more popular properties to buy.

[Don Ohnic]

I do not think there will be an Oots movie for the foreseeable future. I am however interested in stories and adaptations for the screen, albeit my prime concern is not casting.

So, I will throw another question to the playground: How would you adapt the story? How much would the first movie cover? Any necessary additions or cuts? Other changes?

As said, I do not imagine any Oots script to be forthcoming, but I like the idea of imagining what that script could look like.

[SaintRidley]

Honestly, if you were adamant about Samuel L. Jackson in a live action adaptation, he'd have to be Eugene.

Why not Dave Chappelle or Idris Elba for Roy? They're quite a bit closer in age to Roy, for starters.

[NerdyKris]

Dave Chappelle is forty, and doesn't really act in anything but bit parts. Idris is also forty. Both look even older than that. Roy is 28.

You guys know there's lots of black actors out there that are in their 20's and early 30's, right? It could even be a brand new actor just starting out in his career. This isn't exactly a role that demands an oscar winner.

[Shred-Bot]

Honestly, if you were adamant about Samuel L. Jackson in a live action adaptation, he'd have to be Eugene.

Why not Dave Chappelle or Idris Elba for Roy? They're quite a bit closer in age to Roy, for starters.

Samuel L. Jackson could do Eugene (he was Mr. Glass in Unbreakable), but honestly I think he'd be better as Horace. He's got a fighter's build.

And I think Idris Elba would be way better than Dave Chappelle for Roy... Chappelle is kind of scrawny (though with old guy makeup he could be a fun Eugene), Roy would need a bigger build than that.

Also! Chord Overstreet (from Glee) as Elan/Nale, think about it... blonde pretty boy, goofy singing... he's perfect!

For V maybe Tilda Swinton?

Also any casting choices we make here will probably age out by the time any movie gets made (if at all). So really we should be naming random child actors and hope they grow up to look like the cast.

[Howler Dagger]

I would say Matt Smith for Elan, Dule Hill or Jesse Williams for Roy, and Morgan Freeman for Eugene.

[Manga Shoggoth]

So, I will throw another question to the playground: How would you adapt the story? How much would the first movie cover? Any necessary additions or cuts? Other changes?

I would probably merge On the Origin of PCs and parts of Dungeon Crawling Fools as follows:

• OOPCs scenes to introduce the characters and the formation of the team.
• Enough of the early strips to cover going through the first part of the dungeon. I'd junk the very DnD specific bits (like the original start of the story, converting between editions).
• The Linear Guild
• Showdown with Xycon

I think there is enough material for a decent film there, and I don't think I would add much. Most of the cuts would come from the DnD parody parts and possibly the characters being aware that they are in a story...

...Although, if done right, something like having Elan being the only person to think in terms of being in a story might work well.

[ThePhantasm]

It's only a matter of time until OoTS is remade as a box office blockbuster.

I highly highly highly highly doubt this.

[Chromascope3D]

I can see the title now: "Order of the Limb"

[Dr.Epic]

There has been a trend in movies lately to turn comics into films. It's only a matter of time until OoTS is remade as a box office blockbuster. So, when that time comes, who will be the actors who play the characters we have come to know and variously love and hate?

Yes, comics. Comics that have been around for decades and almost all of which have had television show adaptations that are owned by huge comic book companies and have made millions (probably billions) from said comic before the idea to even make the film was thought of.

Not web comics that have been around for approximately ten years. You're going to have a hard time pitching this to a Hollywood studio. Heck, I think the only web comic to branch out into film/television is Axe Cop, and even that's just a fifteen minute animated television show.

Nale/Elan, of course, will be portrayed by the incomparable Seth Green

I'm sorry, WHAT?!?!

Are, are you actually serious?

[Sunken Valley]

People: Don't be so hard on a live action OOTS.

It definitely wont be coming out soon (not til at least Rich finishes, which should not be until at least 2017-18). And then it would need the studio to pick it up etc.

But I think that OOTS has a big enough appeal. It has a fanbase big enough to give the film money, a appeal and comedic style to give it high RT scores, its not so big that everyone knows of it so it still has an aura of mystery and it would have Rich's blessing as he would never let them release something bad.

It may not be for a while, but if it happens I think it will work well.

Also, cast lists are largely pointless because a live action OOTS won't happen til at least 2025. So a new bunch of 20-30 year olds will exist. Maybe some of the old characters will be played by known actors (Xykon, Shojo, Tarquin, Scribble, Anyone who needs to be voiced). But its too early to say.

[Winter]

But I think that OOTS has a big enough appeal.

I think you underestimate how much money a budget of like 50+ million USD is and overestimate the drive a website like this can have. I'm also not sure of how much of what makes OotS what it is you can put into a two-hour movie and how much that appeals to the mass-market.
So even if you could get a movie from this franchise (let's play that thought, even if it is not realistic at all) you'd probably have to change it so much to appease the mass market to make your money back + x that you as "fan of the first hour" would have to hate it.

Even D&D cannot gross in on the name and D&D has a much bigger name and value as a subset of it (OotS). Yes, this also has to do with that movie being crap but it also has to do with the size of the base it stands on.

[OOTS_Echoes]

Elan/Nale: Neil Patrick Harris
Haley: Emma Stone

[Dr.Epic]

Elan/Nale: Neil Patrick Harris
Haley: Emma Stone

I don't know. The age difference is kind of creepy.

[Don Ohnic]

I would probably merge On the Origin of PCs and parts of Dungeon Crawling Fools as follows:

• OOPCs scenes to introduce the characters and the formation of the team.
• Enough of the early strips to cover going through the first part of the dungeon. I'd junk the very DnD specific bits (like the original start of the story, converting between editions).
• The Linear Guild
• Showdown with Xycon

I think there is enough material for a decent film there, and I don't think I would add much. Most of the cuts would come from the DnD parody parts and possibly the characters being aware that they are in a story...

...Although, if done right, something like having Elan being the only person to think in terms of being in a story might work well.

I agree this suggestion would probably work well. I would add some bits from the Start of Darkness as well, but probably only some of the Xykon bits, as to save the whole Dark One and the rift story for the inevitable sequel.

As for that sequel I would probably let it run all the way to the end of the battle for Azure city, but I might leave the escape from the city and the splitting of the party to the beginning of film three. And maybe we have not seen the end of the third film in comic yet.

[Hiro Protagonest]

"When the Live Action OOTS Comes Out"

What.

There has been a trend in movies lately to turn comics into films.

...You know that's Marvel, right? And a bit of DC? Those guys who've been wildly successful for a long time, and have been making shows and movies for much longer than "lately"?

It's only a matter of time until OoTS is remade as a box office blockbuster.

I find this wildly confusing and a little amusing. It's never going to be a blockbuster. At best, it'll be a low-budget cult classic.

I'm pretty sure Roy will be played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Nale/Elan, of course, will be portrayed by the incomparable Seth Green

Yeah, no. They're both much too old. And even if Seth was younger, Elan is said to be very good-looking.

Haley: Emma Stone

Why? What possible reason do you have for casting Emma Stone, besides red hair and beauty (Haley is made out not to be drop-dead gorgeous anyway).

[fergo]

Am I the only one who thought OP's "only a matter of time" comment was tongue-in-cheek?

[Kish]

It is possible that brian_333 is a victim of Poe's Law, but...you'd have to be way more out-there than "OotS will inevitably be made into a live-action movie!" for it to be obviously a joke.

[JennTora]

A cartoon would be more likely, make more sense, and be generally better for keeping the spirit of the comic. And it would be much better than most of the stupid crap that's on TV anymore.

Which makes me wonder who'd play their voices.

[Hiro Protagonest]

A cartoon would be more likely, make more sense, and be generally better for keeping the spirit of the comic.

Cartoon!? How dare you utter such an idea! If it is not live-action, we don't get to see Neil Patrick Harris put on a cape and annoy Roy!

And it would be much better than most of the stupid crap that's on TV anymore.

Please, that's just nostalgia and bad memory forgetting the shows that you didn't watch.

[JennTora]

Cartoon!? How dare you utter such an idea! If it is not live-action, we don't get to see Neil Patrick Harris put on a cape and annoy Roy!


Please, that's just nostalgia and bad memory forgetting the shows that you didn't watch.

Don't know. I still like looney tunes and such even now. And I even like some of the 90's cartoons like ed eddn' eddy and billy and mandy. But adventure time is crappity crap.

And seriously, oots does not have the right spirit for live action. Ever notice how south park or family guy have never done live action movies? Ever notice how the flintstones, mario, and scooby doo movies are all terrible? Ever read tge faq about why the Giant doesn't draw oots more realistically? Seriously, it's soul is that of a webcomic, stick it in a live action body and its soul will die.

[Umberhulk]

I'm pretty sure Roy will be played by Samuel L. Jackson,

SJ has been my go to for any role played in any yet-unmade movie for many years (Bilbo Baggins, Anakin Skywalker, Queen Elizabeth, etc.) but sadly he's getting a bit old for the role. The actor would need to be highly physical and able to portray mentality..

[Umberhulk]

Oh, and I nominate Justin Timberlake for Belkar. ;)

[Lecan]

SJ has been my go to for any role played in any yet-unmade movie for many years (Bilbo Baggins, Anakin Skywalker, Queen Elizabeth, etc.) but sadly he's getting a bit old for the role. The actor would need to be highly physical and able to portray mentality..

I would pay to see Samuel L Jackson as Queen Elizabeth.

[Alysar]

There's never going to be a live-action OOTS because they'd have to cast a gendered actor to play Vaarsuvius.

Julia Sweeny