The characters have been chosen and armed for their adventure.
The spells have been defined.
The dungeon has been designed.
The dragon is waiting.

Let the game begin.

Dungeons & Dragons is the ultimate fantasy role-playing game, a heady mix of high adventure, dreadful monsters and complex magic lore that has fired the imaginations of players all over the world for 25 years.

Joining forces with leading action-adventure producer Joel Silver, New Line Cinema is about to take the game to a whole new level when it releases Dungeons & Dragons on December 8, 2000. The highly anticipated fantasy- adventure film brings to life the magical world that three generations of aficionados have seen only in their imaginations, but it also stands alone as an exciting adventure that non-players can enjoy as they discover the wonders of that much-visited D&D universe for the first time.

Dungeons & Dragons stars Justin Whalin ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"), Zoe McLellan (Mr. Holland's Opus), Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune), Bruce Payne (Passenger 57), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie), Lee Arenberg (The Cradle Will Rock), Kristen Wilson (Doctor Doolittle), Thora Birch (American Beauty), Richard O'Brien (Dark City) and Tom Baker ("Dr. Who").

The film is directed and produced by first time director Courtney Solomon based on a screenplay written by Topper Lilien and Carroll Cartwright. Thomas Hammel and Kia Jam are Producers and Executive Producer Joel Silver. The Director of Photography is Academy Award nominee Douglas Milsome; the Production Designer is Bryce Perrin, and the Costume Designer is Barbara Lane. Carol Ross edited the film. Joan Collins Carey served as Visual Effects Supervisor and Academy Award winner -George Gibbs as Special Effects Supervisor.

ABOUT THE FILM

Since it was sprung on the world in 1974, Dungeons & Dragons has become the undisputed champion of role-playing games, even as the RPG (role-playing game) phenomenon has continued to grow, with hundreds of new games being invented and the realm of play expanding onto the Net. In the 25 years since it was introduced, "D&D," has acquired three generations of fans, 25 million strong.

To put perspective on this phenomenally popular property, there are more than 400 paperback fantasy adventure novels that have been published set in the D&D world. That world is medieval and geographically vague, but filled with beings human and inhuman, exotic settings and magical paraphernalia which have all been defined for players with the wide-eyed attention to detail one would expect to find in a medieval bestiary or Grimoire.

The roots of the D&D world are literary, so heroic fantasy authors like L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, R. E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, H. P. Lovecraft and A. Merritt figure prominently in the library of any Dungeons & Dragons devotee worthy of the name. The wealth of exotic lore accumulated over 25 years of play is probably the most important element in richness of the D&D experience, but it is not the whole story, according to Gary Gygax, the co-creator of the game:

It is absolutely necessary to understand the only valid purpose for role-playing games. The games exist to provide entertainment....[But] without the interaction of the social group, the role-playing game experience is less entertaining -- its drama is less intense, its dangers abstract, its triumphs shallow....There is a message contained in the true role-playing game. It is the message of the difficulty of surviving alone, and the folly of trying to profit from the loss of others.*

That philosophy is part of the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons, along with the heroic role-playing and the fantastic intricacies that continue to enthrall new players in each generation. It would therefore have to be part of the first D&D movie, along with the tapestry of mayhem and marvels that players love to weave when they play the game, if the game's unique spirit was to be preserved.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Who better to do that than a Dungeons & Dragons aficionado? That is why the game's proprietors, after years of dodging major studio offers to translate the D&D world to film, took the unusual step of optioning the rights to a young man named Courtney Solomon – an aspiring filmmaker with no studio backing.

Solomon's mother is a production coordinator, which had allowed him to get experience of all sides of film production by working on some 20 different films shooting in his native Canada, but he never attended film school. "Instead of going on with my university education, or moving to Hollywood to look for work," he explains disarmingly, "I decided I wanted to make a big action-adventure movie like the ones George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were doing at the time.

"I always liked Dungeons & Dragons when I was a kid, and my friends and I thought it would make a great movie, particularly when movies like Raiders Of The Lost Ark began coming out. It's a unique world."

Hollywood had had the same thought, but so far no producer had succeeded in securing the rights to make a D&D film, because of the proprietors' fear that a big company would distort the game-world to suit its own ends. The 20-year-old Solomon must have looked less menacing. "I 'cold-called' the company and befriended some of the people there," he recalls, "and then I worked for 18 months convincing them to give this young untried kid the rights to make the movie."

Early in the creation of a campaign the aspiring Dungeon Master will encounter sizable financial obligations.

So began a quest that lasted nine years. Securing an option, Solomon eventually obtained financing from Hong Kong-based investors Allan Zeman, Nelson Leong and the Shaw family. Learning that Joel Silver had long been interested in the idea of a D&D film, Solomon showed him a short film he had made with a horse chase to convince the producer that he could handle the creative logistics of the huge assignment.

Silver signed on as executive producer, and nine years after Solomon's first "cold call" to the Dungeons & Dragons company the 28-year-old D&D aficionado found himself in Prague, Czech Republic, as the Dungeon Master -- producer, writer and director -- of a $36 million production that would be his first feature film.

"I didn't think anyone would let me direct," says Solomon, "but I had been working on it so intensely for so many years that everybody thought it would be a bad idea to give it to someone else to direct -- they might not give it the heart and soul I would. It was a scary proposition, but it was the kind of movie I always wanted to make."

Before the play session, have the scenario ready. It must be known to you and you must visualize it in relation to the players and their game personas.

During that long nine year process, pieces had been falling into place. Solomon's first visit to Prague, for example, happened three years before the production of Dungeons & Dragons set up shop there, with the result that the script was rewritten to incorporate locations he had seen.

Justin Whalin, who agreed to play the thief-hero Ridley before the picture was a "go," had been another early addition to the production: "I got the part before the film was greenlit," he recalled during filming, "and stayed very involved throughout the whole process." Whalin devoted three years to working on Dungeons & Dragons, which consequently lead to his Associate Producer credit on the film. "I have been there every step of the way. Besides being creatively fulfilling, working on Dungeons & Dragons has been an amazing educational experience as well," added Whalin.

The most important thing, Solomon says, was finding the right story, which means the right cast of characters -- the heart of any Dungeons & Dragons adventure. "Most of the characters we chose are around 20," he says. "The Empress Savina is just 17. I wanted characters who were that age because it's the point in life when people make decisions about where they're going to go and what they're going to do."

"Then you've got your older establishment characters, who are set in their ways and don't want things to change, while the young people want things to change and have all this enthusiasm -- somewhat naive at times -- about making that happen."

"It's a movie about people finding out who they are and making the right or wrong choices. You get taken through this great world, but you do it through the eyes of these characters, and you get to grow and learn with them. It's got a lot of action and special effects, but at the core of it, it's a great story with great characters, and all the characters are unique."

Elves are inclined to haughtiness and do not make friends easily, but friend or enemy is never forgotten.

Dwarves tend to be dour and taciturn. They are strong and brave, but they also enjoy beer, ale, mead, and even stronger drink.

Each character involved in the quest, who belongs to a defined race or class within the D&D world, is also an individual: The Empress Savina, thrust onto the throne by the murder of her father when she is still just 17, has to find the strength to thwart a palace revolution. Ridley, thief and commoner, has to overcome his hatred of Mages, while his friend Snails (described by Marlon Wayans as "a punk") learns courage on the journey. The young Mage Marina has to overcome her pride, the elf Norda has to overcome a tendency to see things in black and white, and Elwood the dwarf is forced to relinquish his dwarfish propensity for solitude, which has no doubt been reinforced by signs like those we see in a tavern at one point: "No dwarves allowed."

"I had a lot of friends who were D&D players, and I sat in on a couple of sessions," says Lee Arenberg, who plays Elwood. "The game is very cinematic. The Dungeon Master who leads you through the experience is making up a story very similar to the one in this film. I'm a dwarf, I'm impervious to magic, I react like a dwarf would in the game."

Citing dwarves' love of meat and even stronger beverages, Arenberg notes that Elwood's greatest conflict arises from Marina's orders that no one is to drink during the adventure.

The professional thief is not dishonorable, although he is neither honored nor highly respected in some quarters. The primary functions of a thief are 1) picking pockets, 2) opening locks, 3) finding/removing traps, 4) moving silently and 5) hiding in shadows.

While magic users are not strong in combat with weapons, they are possibly the most fearsome of all character classes when high levels of ability are finally attained. Survival up to that point, however, can be a problem.

Although Dungeons & Dragons is a heroic fantasy adventure, Justin Whalin notes that inside the standard fairytale battle between good and evil "there's a real-world kind of world." There's a political struggle between the generations, between magic users and non-magic users (rich and poor), and conflicts between races who each have there own biases."

"All people are equal," says Zoe McLellan, who plays Marina. "The message is what drew me to this story."

The characters played by McLellan and Whalin exemplify that. "Marina first meets Ridley and Snails when they're breaking into the Magic School, and that's not a good first impression," says McLellan. "There's an attraction right away, but they're thieves, and they're commoners, and they're boys, so it takes a while for her to get used to them."

Elwood and Norda, whose races have always been like oil and water, are another case in point: "Dwarves and elves go back centuries," says Kristen Wilson, who plays Norda. "They are exact opposites, so they clash. But by the end of the adventure Elwood and Norda reach an understanding with one another."

"The theme is equality among different peoples," says Lee Arenberg, "that you can be whoever you are -- you can be a dwarf, you can be an elf -- but the main thing is that we get along together. This motley group of adventurers is fighting for the idea that everyone should have the same chance to succeed in life, and I think that's a great message for kids, and maybe even a better reminder for us "adults" that have forgotten this basic principal."

The need for cooperation arises out of characters who can only achieve their goal by joining forces. Marina, who is just in her third year of Magic School, knows a bit about magic and has the map that shows where the potent talisman they are seeking can be found, but she needs the combat skills of Ridley and Snails, who are professional thieves, to complement her own limited powers.

Elwood, as a dwarf, is partially immune to magic and fearless in battle, particularly when he is made irate by his bald-spot being uncovered. As for Norda, Kristen Wilson explains, "She works with the natural order. She's part of magic, instead of trying to harness it the way humans do."

The Dungeon Master approaches each play session with verve. It is not just a regular event -- it is a special, exciting one in which danger, excitement, fun and adventure will prevail. Your attitude, posture, tone of voice and words all relay this to the group assembled. They are inspired, they believe, and for a time they are immersed in the mythic world thus created.

"We were very careful with the casting," says Courtney Solomon. "I only wanted people who really loved the characters that they're playing." That was not hard to discern in Kristen Wilson, at least. "When I went into my first audition," she recalls, "I told Courtney that I was Norda. That was pretty much it."

When the cast first assembled in Prague, Solomon spent two weeks helping them become their characters. "We were very untraditional in the way we set up," he says, "We figured how each character was feeling at different times, and I took them to the locations when there was nobody else around to show them where they'd be, because they really were going into a different world. And they've come through by creating these wild and interesting characters."

A trained dancer, Kristen Wilson says she found Norda by concentrating first on the special way she moved, and then on the way she talked: "She speaks many languages" -- "elvish, gnome, goblin, hobgoblin, orcish, gnoll and the 'common tongue' of mankind" according to the D&D handbook -- "so her use of language and the way she articulates herself are different.

"Elves see things that humans don't see. Time is relative for elves. They see what's happening in the past and the present as well as what's going to happen in the future, so they're constantly filtering things and deciding what they're going to say."

Jeremy Irons took a more traditional approach to his character, the arch-villain Profion. "I think a lot of actors enjoy playing characters that allow them to be villainous, wild," he says. "Richard III and Iago are among the most wonderful characters to play in Shakespeare."

The director's enthusiasm for the project was communicated to the actors, who gave it their all. Zoe McLellan, after describing Marina as "a priss," says her favorite day of filming was the nine hours she spent wearing a wetsuit under her costume and wading around in a sewer set, which was a major turning point for her character. "It was really dirty and gross," she recalls fondly, "but I loved it."

For Bruce Payne, who plays Profion's cruel lieutenant and head of the Empires forces Damodar, the opportunity to do all his own swordfights, with a sword that weighed a ton, was one of the high points of the game. "I have a great passion for it," he says. "I've done a lot of sword fighting beginning in drama school. It's a very eloquent domain for showing the largesse of a character without the accent being on the aggression. You're actually writing with your sword, and everybody has a different style."

Justin Whalin, Marlon Wayans and Lee Arenberg also did almost all their own fighting. Whalin, who is a skilled martial artist, overshot during a fight and broke a stuntman's nose. Later it was his turn when a swinging 400-pound axe came within less than an inch of him during the scene where Ridley braves the deadly maze of the Thieves' Guild: "We had four cameras on him," Courtney Solomon said, "and that shot is in the film."

Preparation is the key to an exciting and satisfying play session. This applies to the Dungeon Master's psychological preparation, the conceptual preparation of the material to be used, and the physical preparation of the place where the play session is to be held.

"Prague is a city with a unique look and a lot of locations that had never been filmed before," says the director, explaining his choice to make the film there, after citing the well-known high quality of Prague studios and technicians. "With a little dressing they fit right into the world we were trying to create."

Bruce Payne, who is a student of Celtic lore, thinks there may be a reason for that. "Historically," he points out, "a lot of Celtic and Gaelic tribes started here." "Western Bohemia," the name of the Czech province where Prague is located, is derived from the name of the Celtic tribe that first settled the region.

St. Nicholas Cathedral, one of the masterpieces of high baroque architecture, was the Empress Savina's private chapel and a memorable experience for Thora Birch, who was visiting Europe for the first time. "St. Nicholas left me dizzy with awe," she says. "200 feet high, huge statues, marble, wood -- it was very humbling in the scenes where I was alone there."

Jeremy Irons had a more out-of-the way architectural marvel for his lair -- the Bone Chapel in the All Saints Church of Kutna Hora, once used as a burial site for 30,000 of Prague's wealthy citizens who died during a plague. In 1870 an ingenious woodcarver arranged human bones into the shape of bells, a chandelier, a monstrance and a coat of arms, using them to decorate the walls of the chapel as well. "Nobody had filmed there before," Solomon said. "The Prague authorities liked the message of the film, so they let us use the Chapel as the bad guys' base."

The setting where Profion and Savina circle around each other on a huge mosaic floor while debating the future of the Empire before a gallery of Mages in red velvet boxes is not a CGI creation -- it is Prague's State Opera, which required almost no re-dressing for these key scenes. The interior of the Magic School at the beginning of the film was filmed inside the Library of the Strahov Monastery, normally closed to visitors, which contains half a million books written in over a hundred languages.

Two real castles figure prominently in the action: Lipnice Castle became the setting for the Thieves' Guild, and the crumbling Rabi Castle became the setting for Ridley and Snails' fateful confrontation with Damodar.

Although all these settings were real, the sweeping opening shot of the film, which portrays the city of Izmer from the air, is a CGI creation of Digital Firepower, which did all the digital effects in the film. Working in conjunction with production designer Bryce Perrin, the Digital Firepower wizards sought inspiration for their magical city in the architecture of the city that had played host to the production for eleven weeks, which Zoe McLellan describes as "like a dreamworld."

How did the first-time director fare with his big-budget action film, whose challenges would daunt many a more seasoned filmmaker? All concurred, after the first weeks of shooting on difficult practical locations, that Courtney Solomon did not seem to be a first-time director. "I was impressed with his knowledge of this movie," says Marlon Wayans. "He knows every shot, he knows the world."

"He's very knowledgeable about the process, and very clear and exact about what he wants," says Thora Birch. "What won me over was Courtney’s passion. His vision of everything, the characters, the sets, the effects -- he has it right at his fingertips." Kristen Wilson adds, "I don't think of Courtney as a first-time director."

Because this is a game, there is nothing in the scenario to be tasted, touched, seen, smelled, or heard. Yet all of the five senses function in the game because the Dungeon Master provides this information to the players.

The production finished filming on soundstages at Prague's Barrandov Studios, where much of the blue-screen work was done to prepare such CGI effects as Teleportation Portals, a spectacular device the film's magic users employ to get from place to place.

For scenes like the final combat between Savina's forces and Profion's, when the sky above Izmer is filled with countless winged dragons battling for the soul of the Empire, actors and director alike had to make a special effort of imagination. "Fantastic!" says Bruce Payne. "Courtney Solomon has great passion for these things and is happy to share it with you. He'll spend time showing you storyboards, or computer visualizations, so you have a whole vision of this world inside you when you step before the cameras. You feel very much included."

"You have to know what it's going to be," says the director, "because the actors are playing against nothing! You have to give the 3D CGI characters a personality, and the actor has to appear to be really interacting with these non-existent characters."

Lee Arenberg found that not very different from "normal" acting. "Actually you have a creative role in that process," he says, "because when they start working at the computer they build it off what your reaction was, where you were looking, how you were reacting, and design the CGI character's action accordingly. So in my mind I was playing with another character."

"It's like being in kindergarten and pretending there's this giant dragon in front of you," says Zoe McLellan. "It's make-believe." Which is, of course, the essence of any role-playing game, and especially Dungeons & Dragons.

The Dungeon Master has done his work. The game begins December 8, 2000, when New Line Cinema releases Dungeons & Dragons in theatres everywhere.

*All quotes are adapted from Gary Gygax's Master of the Game, The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook and The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide.

ABOUT THE CAST

JUSTIN WHALIN (Ridley)

A native of San Francisco, Justin first became interested in acting when he signed up for an acting class with a girl whom he had a crush on. The crush did not turn into love, yet Justin’s acting career commenced with the lead role in "The Little Prince" at San Francisco’s Victoria Theatre. Justin continued his studies at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

At 13, Justin’s first television role was portraying the spoiled, bratty Alan Quatermaine Jr. on daytime’s "General Hospital." He went on to star in the sitcom "Charles in Charge," The Disney Channel’s "Perfect Harmony," the sitcom "It Had to be You" opposite Faye Dunaway, The ABC Afterschool Special "Other Mothers," the John Waters film "Serial Mom" with Kathleen Turner, and "Miracle at Midnight" opposite Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston. "Other Mothers" was nominated for seven Daytime Emmys with Justin’s portrayal of a son with lesbian parents awarding him an Emmy.

Continuing his success in television, Justin captured the role of the young journalist Jimmy Olsen in the long-running series "Lois and Clark – The Adventures of Superman" starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. Justin updated the quirky Jimmy character with a certain hip edge that only he could bring to the role.

Acting is not Justin’s only joy. He loves to play blues guitar, instruct Tae Kwon Doe, play golf and will take on the role of pool shark any time. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Reina.

ZOE MCLELLAN (Marina)

One of Hollywood’s rising stars, Zoe McLellan was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and was able to explore professional acting without leaving home. She made her first appearance on an episode of "Americas Most Wanted". Soon after, she landed her first big movie as ‘Girl Number Two’ opposite Richard Dreyfuss in the award winning Mr. Holland’s Opus. All roads pointed to Hollywood and on her first day in Los Angeles, she auditioned and won the role of ‘Girl Number Three’ in Inventing the Abbotts. Things looked good.

It wasn’t long before McLellan began working non-stop in a string of leading roles with more diversity and scope. These included an expansive range of characters from the schizophrenic biologist in the feature Total Stranger, to the weak and fearful hostage in NBC’s "Home Invasion" and as the tough detective with a death wish in the pilot spin off of "Diagnosis Murder". Science fiction producers can’t get enough of McLellan. Fans will remember her as the evil alternate version of Quinn Mallory on the series "Sliders", her recurring appearances as the insecure crew member on "Star Trek: Voyager" and her current recurring role of the brilliant but mysterious young scientist on USA’s "Invisible Man". Back in the real world, she recently starred as the loving and supportive girlfriend in the indie feature Stonebrook opposite Seth Green and Brad Rowe. McLellan is grateful for the tremendous range of roles that she has been given the opportunity to play in just four short years.

McLellan currently lives in Los Angeles, where between acting assignments she loves hiking, camping and Bikram Yoga.

JEREMY IRONS (Profion)

Jeremy Irons began his career in England in theatre at the Bristol Old Vic and continued it with a London debut in "Godspell" as John the Baptist. His work in the West End and at Stratford Upon Avon culminated with his performance of "Richard II" for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He made his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard’s "The Real Thing" opposite Glenn Close, for which he won both the Drama League Award and Tony Award for Best Actor.

Irons has played many roles for television, most notably "Love for Lydia" and Christopher Hampton’s "Tales from Hollywood". His performance in "Brideshead Revisited" brought him worldwide acclaim and nominations for an Emmy Award, the British Academy and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. In 1996, he directed and co-starred with his wife, actress Sinead Cusack in "Mirad, A Boy From Bosnia", a Channel 4 Television film about refugees, written by Ad De Bont.

On the wide screen he has starred in such films as Jerzy Skolimowski’s Moonlighting, Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, Volker Schlondorff’s Swann in Love and The Mission with Robert De Niro. Irons played opposite Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, for which he received the Variety Club Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA nomination, and opposite his son in Roald Dahl’s Danny, Champion of the World. His performance in David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers brought him a Best Actor Award from the New York Film Critics Circle and a Canadian Genie. Irons starred again with Glenn Close in the film based on the re-trial of Claus von Bulow, Reversal of Fortune. For this performance, Irons received the 1990 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

Irons went on to work in such films as Steven Soderbergh’s Kafka, David Cronenberg’s M. Butterfly and Bille August’s The House of the Spirits, with Streep and Close again. In 1994, Irons created the voice of Scar for Disney’s The Lion King. He followed that with the action film Die Hard with a Vengeance co-starring Bruce Willis, and Bernardo Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty.

Irons’ recent films include Wayne Wang’s Chinese Box and The Man in the Iron Mask, in which he co-starred with Gerard Depardieu, Leonardo DiCaprio, and John Malkovich. Jeremy Irons’ played Humbert Humbert in Adrian Lyne’s controversial film Lolita and also co-starred in Longitude, an A&E Granada film that premiered on BBC. He most recently completed filming The Fourth Angel in England, a film directed by John Irvin.

He lives in both England and Ireland with his wife, actress Sinead Cusack and their two sons Samuel and Maximilian.

BRUCE PAYNE (Damodar)

Bruce Payne studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London where he graduated with seven awards. His film, television, and theatre credits are numerous. His filmography includes Passenger 57, Highlander: End Game, Switch, Warlock: The End of Innocence, Absolute Beginners, For Queen or Country, and many more. Amongst his most notable television guest appearances are leading roles in "La Femme Nikita", "Tales From the Crypt" and "The Equalizer."

In the theater, Payne has starred in a number of productions including "West" and "Greek", both directed by Steven Berkoff, "Alice", directed by Nicholas Hynter, as well as starring in The Rocky Horror Picture Show as Frank’n’furter.

MARLON WAYANS (Snails)

After graduating from the famed, High School of Performing Arts in New York, Marlon Wayans studied at Howard University’s Film School. From there Marlon headed out west to join the cast of the Emmy Award winning comedy series, "In Living Color." In 1990, young Marlon created and starred in "The Wayan Bros." sitcom, which headed up the WB Network lineup for five years.

Marlon’s career has been going strong ever since. After starring in the feature films Mo’ Money and Above the Rim, Marlon wrote, executive produced, and starred in the hit comedy Don’t Be A Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in The Hood. The film parodies the coming-of-age-in-the-’hood genre. Next, Marlon starred in The Sixth Man (Disney/Touchstone), a comedy filled with spectacular special effects and a winning combination of comedy and tenderness. Recently, Marlon starred opposite David Spade and Matthew Lillard in Senseless directed by Penelope Spherris (Wayne’s World).

Marlon co-starred in and co-wrote the summer blockbuster, Scary Movie, a send-up teen horror genre, which he also wrote. The teen slasher spoof has grossed over $150,000,000 making it the biggest opening in Miramax history among other records it has broken.

Currently, Marlon stars with Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Ellen Burstyn in the feature film Requiem For A Dream directed by Darren Arronofsky for Artisan. In this dramatic independent film, Marlon portrays a young man addicted to heroine.

Marlon teamed up again with Shawn to create and produce a new animated feature Roaches, and they are currently in pre-production on Scary Movie 2.

In addition to his roles in film and television, Marlon has the title of author to his list of accomplishments. DTP, a division of Dell Books, published 150 Ways to Tell If You’r Ghetto, a comical offbeat collection of one-liners. The book hit the Waldenbooks’ Best Seller List. Marlon is also about to put out a comedy album, which he wrote with Shawn.

LEE ARENBERG (Elwood)

Lee Arenberg has the remarkable ability to morph himself into frightening aliens, twisted psychotherapists, lascivious entertainment executives and everything in between. Most frequently referred to as a character actor, Arenberg maintains a flourishing acting career almost 20 years in the making spanning television, stage and film.

Lee's first professional job was in late 1986 at the Mark Taper Forum in Ghetto, a play directed by Gordon Davidson. Within weeks he was cast in three films, including the role of 'Norton' in the feature Tapeheads opposite Tim Robbins and John Cusack. Guest appearances on television began in 1987 with the hit sitcom "Perfect Strangers," and have continued with memorable roles such as the notoriously huge studio head, ‘Bobby G.,’ on the controversial syndicated comedy "Action; " the parking space stealing New Yorker on "Seinfeld;" and as the murderous rock promoter opposite Katey Sagal and the late Sam Kinison in "Tales From The Crypt;" as well as roles on "Arliss," "Friends," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and "Deep Space Nine" among others.

Arenberg has appeared in more than 30 movies, including Cradle Will Rock, Robocop 3, Waterworld, Bob Roberts, The Apocalypse, Cross My Heart and others.

Lee resides in Los Angeles with his wife, writer Lisa Derrick, their two dogs and three cats.

KRISTEN WILSON (Norda)

Kristen Wilson was born and raised in Massachusetts where she trained as a dancer and performed with the Boston Ballet for four years. She received her BFA degree in musical theatre from Syracuse University. Taking time out in her junior year to take part in a national tour of "West Side Story," Wilson was well on her way to a successful acting career.

Soon after, Wilson moved to New York where she starred in "Tyson" and then landed her first feature film role starring Adam Sandler in Bulletproof.

Wilson’s additional feature film credits include two Spike Lee films: Girl 6 and Get On The Bus, Pompatus of Love with Kristen Scott Thomas as well as Doctor Dolittle in which she co-starred opposite Eddie Murphy as his wife.

Wilson is currently reprising her role in Dr. Dolittle 2, the film is due for release next year.

Following the release of Dungeons & Dragon, audiences will see Wilson star with Jennifer Grey in an untitled thriller from Dimension Films.

THORA BIRCH (Empress Savina)

Born in Los Angeles, Thora Birch started acting at the age of four. She appeared in over 40 commercials before making her television series debut on NBC's "Day By Day." She was six years old when she made her feature film debut in The Purple People Eater, and on her ninth birthday, she started work on her second feature, Paradise, opposite Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Birch's other film credits include Patriot Games, Clear And Present Danger, Now and Then, Hocus Pocus and All I Want For Christmas. She recently starred in the Academy Award winning motion picture American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes and also starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening.

Birch can also be seen in upcoming 2001 films Ghost World and The Hole.

RICHARD O'BRIEN (Xilus)

Richard O'Brien is well known for a musical he wrote in 1973 that became a worldwide phenomenon: "The Rocky Horror Show." Made into a film in 1975 with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and O’Brien as Riff Raff, the sinister butler, it became the longest running midnight in history, with thousands of fans in the US and abroad who dress up as the characters on Friday and Saturday nights and act out their own version of the film as it unspools.

In addition to film and theatre, O'Brien has made many television appearances which include presenting at the 1993 BRIT AWARDS, and most recently, the IPV awards.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

COURTNEY SOLOMON (Director, producer)

Courtney Solomon is a producer/director with the tenacity and intelligence to follow his vision. Born in Toronto, Canada in 1970, Solomon grew up on film sets with his mother, a production coordinator. After working on over 20 film and television productions in various capacities, at the age of 20, Solomon started his own production company, Sweetpea Entertainment. Shortly thereafter he optioned the film rights to the world famous game, Dungeons & Dragons and two years later he purchased all media and co-merchandising rights to "D & D" whilst completing the first draft of the screenplay with writers Topper Lilien and Carroll Cartwright. This began his 10-year odyssey to bring the film to the big screen.

He partnered with well-known Hong Kong entrepreneur Allan Zeman. After years of scriptwriting and abandoned attempts to finance the film, Solomon devised a strategy to finance the project independently. The process included securing a large amount of equity financing obtaining foreign pre-sales and partnering with executive producer Joel Silver. In May of 1999, Solomon began principal photography on "D & D" in Prague, Czech Republic. Then he ventured into approximately 14 months of post-production which included completing over 450 of the most complicated visual effects ever included in a film.

Next, Solomon will produce the comic book adaptation of GEN 13 retitled as Seventh Graders. His production company also has a slate of properties in development that include The Bell Witch and Puppetland. Solomon is currently in the process of deciding on his next directing project.

JOEL SILVER (Executive Producer)

Joel Silver is one of the most successful producers in the motion picture industry today. His films have earned a combined gross of over $3.3 billion worldwide, averaging over $100 million per picture. His 1999 release, The Matrix, grossed over $456 million worldwide, earning more than any other Warner Bros. release in the history of the studio. Universally acclaimed for its groundbreaking storytelling and visual, The Matrix, was nominated for four Academy Awards ®, winning the Oscar ™ for Best Visual Effects.

Silver began his career at Lawrence Gordon Productions, eventually becoming the president of motion pictures. He associate produced The Warriors, and with Gordon, produced 48 Hours, Streets of Fire, and Brewster’s Millions.

Silver's first independent production under his Silver Pictures was Commando, followed by Jumpin' Jack Flash and Predator. Silver then produced (with Richard Donner), Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3,and Lethal Weapon 4, (all directed by Donner), as well as Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, The Last Boy Scout, Demolition Man, Richie Rich and Conspiracy Theory (with Donner who also directed). Silver also executive produced, with Richard Donner, Robert Zemeckis, David Giler, and Walter Hill, eight seasons of the award-winning HBO series "Tales from the Crypt," as well as two "Tales from the Crypt" films: Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood.

Silver recently oversaw the successful launch of Dark Castle Entertainment, a new production entity he formed with Robert Zemekis, with a record-breaking release of House on Haunted Hill, which opened number one on Halloween of 1999. Silver and Zemekis created Dark Castle in the spirit of the late William Castle, who devised enterprising new ways to make and release horror films in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the fall, Silver expects to begin production of his next film for Dark Castle, a remake of William Castle’s classic 1960s chiller, 13 Ghosts. He is also currently preparing the two sequels for The Matrix, which are expected to begin shooting in January 2001.

In 1967, Silver and some of his friends invented a game called Ultimate Frisbee while students at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. The fast-moving team sport has since become a global phenomenon with tournaments in 42 countries. Ultimate will be a medal sport in the 2001 World Games in Japan.

NELSON LEONG (Executive Producer)

Nelson Leong resides in Hong Kong and is a board member of and advisor to a number of companies involved in e-commerce and real estate in Greater China and North America and invests in technology and media start-ups.

From 1987-1993, Mr. Leong worked at HSBC in North America including from 1990-1993 as vice-president of Corporate Finance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto. Mr. Leong is an active participant in a number of charitable organizations in Hong Kong.

ALLAN ZEMAN (Executive Producer)

Allan Zeman is a Chairman of Sweetpea Entertainment Ltd, which produced Dungeons and Dragons. In addition, Zeman is the Chairman and founder of Colby International Limited. He started the company in 1975 to source and export apparel to Canada. Under his leadership, Colby became one of the first supply chain management companies to source for the PRC and opened branch offices in Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. In the early 1980’s Colby expanded its business to service U.S. customers and increased the number of offshore offices. In 1988, Colby acquired Armstrong Industries Limited, a leading buying agent for the U.S. retail market. The business for Colby grew dramatically in the 1990’s with the introduction of a hardlines division, a product development department and the introduction of advanced communication technology. The company now has 35 offices in Asia, the Indian Sub-continent, Europe, Africa, North America and South America which source product in over 55 countries world-wide and is one of the largest in Hong Kong.

Zeman is also the Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Ltd. The company is mainly involved in property development and is also the founder and the major property owner in the Lan Kwai Fong area in Hong Kong. He is also the Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Concepts Holdings Ltd which includes restaurants such as California, California Coffee, China Lan Kwai Fong, Indochine, Tokio Joe, Café des Artistes, Tutta Luna, Jazz Club, Thai Lemon Grass, BACI, BACI Pizza, Luna Di Notte and many other food & beverage establishments which have helped to transform Lan Kwai Fong into one of the most famous tourist areas in Hong Kong. The company has also expanded to open California, BACI, and Tokio Joe in Shanghai.

Zeman is Canadian but has resided in Hong Kong for over 30 years.

THOMAS M. HAMMEL (Producer)

Award-winning producer Tom Hammel has been working in the entertainment business since his graduation form the Art Center College of Design in 1975. Early on in his career, Hammel worked as a production manager for Roger Corman on such films as Humanoids From The Deep and Piranha. He went on to produce Georgia Peaches for Corman before a 7-year stint as Vice President of Production for HBO Pictures. Hammel later left HBO to become an independent producer.

Hammel's producer credits since then have included Traveling Man, directed by Irv Kirschner; "Dawn's Early Light" and the Golden Globe winner "The Burning Season", both for HBO, as well as Firestorm for 20th Century Fox. His Executive Producer credits include Love Potion #9 starring Sandra Bullock; Barbarians At The Gate, which won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Picture and Fair Game, with producer Joel Silver. He is currently completing From Hell, directed by the Hughes Brothers and staring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham.

KIA JAM (Producer)

Kia Jam has been involved in the entertainment industry for over a decade, working in various capacities on stage, in front and behind the camera. In 1988, Jam began pursuing off-stage ventures and founded K.Jam Productions, a production company that initially produced and promoted events and benefit concerts, with sponsors such as MTV and LA Gear.

Jam has also served as a member of the visual effects crew on numerous commercial and music video productions for the visual FX powerhouse, Digital Domain. While at DD, Jam worked on the spots for Nike, AT&T, Mercedes-Benz, Budweiser, Jeep (which won a Clio Award) and 'Love is Strong'- the Grammy- winning Rolling Stones video. His VFX feature credits include Hellraiser Bloodline, Robinson Caruso and The Crow: City of Angels.

Jam has also served as a consultant on several film projects and produced promotional campaigns. In 1995, Jam achieved much attention from Hollywood when he produced the short film For The Cause, which led to a multi-picture deal with Miramax/Dimension Films. Jam is currently producer and CEO of K.JAM Productions, a Los Angeles-based film production company and wrapped production in 1999 on the feature film For The Cause, which was shot in Bulgaria.

Currently Mr. Jam is producing the comedy Juwanna Mann, with Steve Oedekerk and Bill Gerber for Morgan Creek and Warner Bros. His other projects include an IMAX movie with Silver Pictures and Natasha’s Story, an ABC movie. Mr. Jam also serves as a consultant for IONIC World Wide for which he has created and continues to develop internet/cable content.

TOPPER LILIEN AND CARROLL CARTWRIGHT (Screenwriters)

Topper Lilien and Carroll Cartwright have collaborated on a number of feature films. Most recently, they co-wrote Where The Money Is, which is executive produced by Ridley Scott and stars Paul Newman and Linda Fiorentino. They also completed a production rewrite on Joe Johnston's fantasy-adventure Jumanji, starring Robin Williams. Lilien and Cartwright have also worked with director Michael Bay on Gory Details and Pearl Harbor, which will release later this year.

Lilien and Cartwright are currently working on an untitled drama set in the sixteenth century.

DOUG MILSOME, BSC (Director of Photography)

In his long and varied career, Doug Milsome has received numerous accolades for his extensive work in film and television. Milsome was nominated for two Emmy Awards and received the ASC Award for CBS's "Lonesome Dove" and "Loneseome Dove II, The Return", the latter of which he was a director. He also received an Academy Award nomination and the British Critics Circle Award for his work on Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. Milsome also received a British Film Institute award for camera operation on the original Highlander.

Milsome has worked extensively with many top film directors including Stanley Kubrick (Full Metal Jacket and The Shining), Michael Cimino (Desperate Hours and Sunchaser), Kevin Reynolds (The Beast and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) and Michael Mann (Last of the Mohicans). Milsome's other film credits include Body of Evidence, Breakdown, Hawks, Sunset Grill and Highlander- End Game.

Milsome also has several television credits to his name including "Glory and Honor" on TNT, "Liz" The Liz Taylor story for NBC, "Diana: Her True Story" for NBC, "Great Expectations" and "The Old Curiosity Shop," both for the Disney Channel, and "Seasons of the Heart" for Showtime.

BRYCE PERRIN (Production Designer)

Australian-born Bryce Perrin has over 15 years of experience in production design, art direction and set design. Most recently, he designed Fox 2000's horror-comedy Ravenous, starring Robert Carlyle and Guy Pearce, for director Antonia Bird. His other production designer credits include such critically-acclaimed independent productions as Sound of One Hand Clapping, which debuted at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival; Kiss of Fire for director Antonio Tibaldi, Nevada, and the Icelandic adventure The Viking Sagas. He has also served as art director and set decorator on a number of other notable productions, including Legends of The Fall; El Patrullero; Old Gringo and Walker.

JOAN COLLINS CAREY (Visual Effects (VFX) Producer/Supervisor)

Her credits include Post Production Supervisor, Judge Dredd, VFX Producer on Stigmata. She was the Co-Producer of ACM/Siggraph’s Story of Computer Graphics. Carey has VFX Produced, The Ghost and the Darkness, Associate VFX Produced, Starship Troopers, and she VFX Produced the R&D Pre-production for Stuart Little. Carey has Visual Effects (VFX) Produced compter graphic special effects for twenty years, including: FreeJack, Fern Gulley, Hot Shots, Hellraisers, Bebe’s Kids, and Nightmare on Elm Street. Her first computer animated sequence was in the OmniMax film, The Magic Egg, 1984.

GEORGE GIBBS (Special Effects Supervisor)

Academy and BAFTA Award-winning SFX expert George Gibbs is a veteran of over 30 feature films. He was nominated by both the American and British Academy for his work on Alien III and nominated by BAFTA for Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade and Labyrinth. Gibbs won Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards for Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom. BAFTA also honored him for Terry Gilliam's Brazil.

Gibbs other feature film credits include The Saint, First Knight, A Fish Called Wanda, Blake Edwards' Curse of the Pink Panther and Trail of the Pink Panther, Conan the Barbarian, Flash Gordon and Superman.

He most recently wrapped production on a new Jack the Ripper thriller, From Hell, starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham.

BARBARA LANE (Costume Designer)

Emmy Award-winning costume designer Barbara Lane began her career in London's West End Theatre, where she designed for a number of show including "Half A Sixpence," "Sail Away" and "The Music Man." She then joined the BBC, here she spent 14 years designing and making costumes for classic serials and futuristic productions such as "Dr. Who," among others. Since leaving the BBC in 1980, Lane has garnered numerous credits on both sides of the Atlantic. On television, she designed on the CBS mini-series "Manions of America," "Golda," starring Ingrid Bergman; "War and Remembrance," for which she was nominated for an Emmy and "Ellis Island," for which she won an Emmy in 1985. Her film credits include Honorary Consul, starring Richard Gere; Willow and Merchant Ivory's Heat and Dust, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA.

CAROLINE ROSS (Editor)

Before editing Dungeons & Dragons, Ross received a Co-Editor credit on Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers. Her solo credits include films such as Wedding Bell Blues, directed by Dana Lustig and Stranger Than Fiction, directed by Eric Bross and Partners in Crime, directed by Jennifer Warren. Ross has also enjoyed work as an Additional Editor on more elaborate productions such as Super Mario Brothers and Gus Van Sant’s Drugstore Cowboy.

A graduate of the University of Southern California's film school, Ross began her career as an assistant editor. She worked as an assistant editor on such films as Tapeheads and Halloween IV before moving on to blockbusters such as James Cameron’s Terminator 2 and True Lies, and Tony Scott’s The Last Boy Scout.