Netflix is reportedly going to add an interactive element to their upcoming project: Dragon’s Lair. Star Ryan Reynolds claims that the live-action adaptation of the video game uses interactive technology in a brand new way. He went so far as to call the project a “living, breathing thing as opposed to just a piece of entertainment you watch.”
The movie was originally picked up by Netflix in 2020 but in the two years since, few details about the film have emerged. Until in a recent interview with Collider, Reynolds had some pretty exciting things to say. “I can say that Netflix has approached Dragon’s Lair in a spirit of partnership that I’ve never really seen before. They’re taking such a swing with it.” the Deadpool actor commented, adding “how we’re approaching it and attacking it and what we’re doing with it, I think will be pretty surprising to a lot of people. In its scope I mean. And I’m not sure, but I don’t think anyone’s ever tried it before quite like this.”
Reynolds will play the film’s lead Dirk the Darling as he traverses a medieval castle to save his beloved Princess Daphne. The film will also be produced by Reynolds through his production company Maximum Effect. He will be sharing producing credits with Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment and Trevor Engelson of Underground Films. Also producing is the video game’s designer Don Bluth.
The 1983 video game was famous for it’s fast-paced choose-your-own-adventure gameplay and has been adapted into numerous cartoons and miniseries.
Netflix has used interactive concepts before in some of their previous movies. The 2018 Black Mirror episode ‘Bandersnatch’ let viewers pick actions for the main character that affected the storyline. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend, released in 2020, also had multiple endings and allowed viewers to choose their own adventure.
Reynolds implies that Dragon’s Lair will take these interactive innovations a step further. Saying about the movie, “it really intersects in a unique way with technology that I’ve never been privy to in the entertainment industry. So they’re taking some kind of pretty innovative stabs at this particular IP in a way that I’m blown away with.”
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