Fan service, Jonathan Goldstein seems to have pointed out, can be an alienating experience for outsiders. While there may have been a way to make a “Dungeons & Dragons” feature that was nothing but in-jokes and deep-cut references that only old-world fans of the game might be able to spot, it was vital that the filmmakers speak to filmgoers merely seeking a light adventure movie. It can be a mistake to spend too much time worldbuilding describing lore. If the film is interesting enough, that’s enough. Goldstein said:
“The fact that you don’t really know the game but you seem to have enjoyed the movie is crucial. The movie is too expensive, frankly, to just appeal to fans. It has to cross the line and convert other people. I don’t really care if they then go and play the game. That’s their own decision. But I just want it to be something that you can enjoy and access without knowing the lore at all.”
The lore of “Dungeons & Dragons” is far too complex to include in a single feature film anyway. It’s a game that has been published and republished multiple times over the last 50 years, each time inventing new kingdoms, new classes of warriors, new weapons, new monsters, and new elements of gameplay. A filmmaker eager to adhere to the game’s mythology would have to begin by asking which version of the game they wanted to adapt. And then figure out the skill levels of each character, their possessions, etc. And if one is going to all that trouble, they may be better off merely playing the game.