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Classic Arcade Game Dragon's Lair Movie in the Works, But It's No Sure Thing

"It's time to make the movie!"

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Animated movie veterans Don Bluth and Gary Goldman want to make a movie from their classic arcade game, Dragon's Lair, and they've turned to Kickstarter to help get the project off the ground.

Bluth and Goldman, whose film credits include The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go To Heaven, An American Tail, and The Secret of NIMH, today launched a Kickstarter campaign asking for $550,000. That would be used to make a 10-minute teaser that Bluth and Goldman would then pitch a full-length movie to Hollywood studios. Bluth and Goldman will also meet with private investors or investment banks to secure funding.

They estimate that it would actually cost around $70 million to make the full movie when all is said and done, which they said is on the lower end of what animated films cost these days.

Dragon's Lair was originally released for arcades in the 1980s. Writing on Kickstarter, Bluth and Goldman said it's Dragon's Lair, not any of their films, that fans know them best for. They estimated that there are "millions" of Dragon's Lair fans out there, 30 years after the game's original release.

The Dragon's Lair mobile game "continues to sell," they said.

"Just like Dirk the Daring, a character that just won't die, the game marches on," reads a line from the Kickstarter page. "It's time to make the movie!"

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There is no word yet on what the story for the Dragon's Lair movie would be, but it's a safe bet that it would include a dragon, a lair, a man named Dirk, and a princess named Daphne.

If Bluth and Goldman are able to raise $550,000, they will hire a small team of "A-list" writers and artists to produce the teaser over a 21-week schedule. Bluth and Goldman will oversee the project as leaders of their company, Don Bluth Films. The teaser will be relatively rough, featuring only "some" animation, but mostly storyboards, as well as recorded dialogue. It's meant to be meant to be representative of the final film's story and character personalities.

Backer rewards include things like digital post cards ($15), access to the password-protected studio blog that features text and video development updates ($25), and a signed photo of Bluth and Goldman ($50). Pledging at least $75 gets you access to the pitch video once it's complete. If you contribute $10,000 to the campaign, you can have dinner with Bluth and Goldman.

For more on the Dragon's Lair movie project, head to the Kickstarter page. Notably, there is no mention regarding what the team would do with extra funds beyond the $550,000 goal, provided it's achieved.

Dragon's Lair is one of many video game movies currently in development. Next year will see the release of arguably two of the most anticipated ones: Assassin's Creed and Warcraft.

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