Dragonlance Movie Interview

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Written by BuckGB on January 3rd, 2008

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Q: In general, what are the concerns of a writer when their work gets adapted for the big screen. How were those concerns addressed in the creation of this film?

Margaret Weis: My concern was that the script remain true to our story and the characters. I think George has done a fantastic job of doing that. I had read other DL scripts that bore no resemblence to anything Tracy and I had written, and I was really pleased and touched by much care Geroge took to remain true to our vision.

Tracy Hickman: I think most novel writers do not understand film. I once read that books are all internal in nature: we hear the character's thoughts and view the world and events through their eyes from an internal perspective. Stage plays are all talk: we experience the story mostly through their words and what they tell us but we don't get inside their minds. Film, on the other hand, is all show: it is all about showing you as an observer what is happening and experiencing the character's perspective externally ... we don't actually hear a character's thoughts unless the screenplay resorts to the crutch of the 'voice over.'

What writers should be concerned about is if the structural and emotional core of their story is being portrayed. This has nothing to do with how accurate a reproduction of the book is found in the screenplay. George Strayton captured the spirit of our original story and told it in a new way. That's George's genius and I'm grateful both to him for it and to the producers who had the wisdom to bring both Margaret and me into the process.

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