Topic: Will the inevitable movie "save" the franchise by killing it?

[Chernabogue]

A CG movie would be neat. Look at the first LoS2 trailer, it was awesome.

[Shiroi Koumori]

A CG movie would be neat. Look at the first LoS2 trailer, it was awesome.

Only Final Fantasy can get away with doing a full length CG movie.

[son_the_vampire]

Although the thought of a CV movie is pretty great, i really don't feel one should be made. I'm sure most would agree a franchise which has had positive influence on its fans through 2 decades has a very high bar set. So many things have happened throughout the story (canon), that making a movie now would only disappoint many a fan. Everyone of us would expect one thing or another we have favored highly from the series and it would fall short. A prime example i can use of epic movie adaption failure would be Dragonball Evolution. I loved the series through its entirety but when the actual movie came out i was very against seeing it. (still haven't) So many things seemed unfitting. Personally i believe a showtime series or something would work wonders with giving Castlevania a somewhat movie persona.  Should it make it past one season with decent reviews then the thought of a movie would be more acceptable. I just feel like all the years it took them to decide who was going to do the movie caused the chances for it to be good to expire.

[Johnny Alucard]

Only Final Fantasy can get away with doing a full length CG movie.

Resident Evil: Degeneration and Tekken: Blood Vengeance say hello.

[Trevor Belmondo]

The only way a live action Castlevania movie (or any video game based movie) could successfully capture the look, feel and essence of what that particular game that it is based off of, would be to have actual, non-biased and dedicated fans of the game, do the actual meat of the movie.

In my opinion, this would be the writing and directing.

On a side note, in my honest opinion I feel the best way they could capture a solid first movie story line would be to have it span over at least 2 hundred years.
They may have to change the places of a few characters in order for it make sense to anyone not familiar with the series' timeline (basically 80% of general movie goers).

A good example:

- Trevor (instead of Simon) confronts and defeats Dracula.
- Dracula lays a curse on Trevor, now he has to break the curse by gathering Dracula's scattered parts for a final battle to end the curse.
Perhaps he defeats Dracula but fails to end the curse, which would explain Dracula returning in 100 years and would also lead us to...
- 100 years later Simon Belmont must end the curse of darkness placed on the land by Dracula that his ancestor Trevor, thought he had accomplished.
With the help of a female mystic (Sypha Belnades), an acrobatic pirate (Grant Danasty) and the son of Dracula himself (Alucard), the trio must set out to destroy Dracula once and for all (or at least for the next 100 years or so).

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That would make good, thorough plot depth for a first film.

The sequel, would be where the action, story and intensity really ramps up.
In my opinion, this is where Dracula X: Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the night would step in.

1792 - Richter Belmont is thrown into the chaos brought on by the resurrection of an almost forgotten, dark legend, Count Dracula. Richter's homeland becomes assailed by dark forces and his fiance is abducted.
Richter must rediscover and embrace his heritage, his destiny as well as the Vampire Killer whip, in order to make his way to and through the devil's castle, Castlevania, in order to rescue his beloved and destroy Count Dracula.
(This is a much more personally motivated and driven story.)

Richter Belmont succeeds.
5 years later, Richter disappears.
(We all know why.)
With no Belmont to face and defeat the returning evil, a man's eternal slumber is disturbed, as  he is called upon by the forces of light (i'm assuming the soul of his mother Lisa), to once again, confront and neutralize the forces of darkness once more, his own father. (I told you, very, very personal...).

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So that's it, my basic groundwork for the first 2 Castle flicks.
Like i said, I was a little loose with the "whys" and "hows", but at least THIS would be light years ahead of what they have in store for us.

Don't need a crystal ball for that...

[TheouAegis]

Grant should just be what he was intended to be, a member of the Danesti clan trying to reclaim Wallachia from the evil sorceror Dracula. And the movie needs to focus on Dracula's alchemy. That's what distinguishes CV's Dracula from all other Draculas.

But most importantly, the whole entire movie needs to be an homage to not only the game series but old horror movies as well. Think "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" but in a serious tone. If you're going to make a movie about a game that's an homage to a genre of movies, the movie should also be an homage to that genre of movies.

[DragonSlayr81]

Grant should just be what he was intended to be, a member of the Danesti clan trying to reclaim Wallachia from the evil sorceror Dracula. And the movie needs to focus on Dracula's alchemy. That's what distinguishes CV's Dracula from all other Draculas.

But most importantly, the whole entire movie needs to be an homage to not only the game series but old horror movies as well. Think "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" but in a serious tone. If you're going to make a movie about a game that's an homage to a genre of movies, the movie should also be an homage to that genre of movies.

I actually think THAT is what a reboot of the games should've went for in the first place. Keep to the classic horror inspiration, but a uber serious and dark take on it. Frankenstein's monster, the mummies, Medusa, Death, werewolves, mermen, clasics like medusa heads, bone pillars, yadda yadda. Hell, even maybe retro "black suit, hair slicked back" Dracula. Something that exists as hallmark to a certain time, yet is timeless as well. Nothing heavily drenched in medievalism. And since it's a reboot, they could start over with the story, and take ideas fromt he original canon buy bypass the plot holes. You COULD make Grant a Danesti, flesh out all the dies between the House of Belmont, House of Danesti and the House of Tepes. Agreed, make Dracula an alchemist and sorcerer and keep his origin "to the point" instead of "Voilà! Dracula is REALLY a Belmont!" or "Voilà! Dracula is a guy named Mathias Cronqvist who was best friends of the head of the Belmont clan!!". Just keep him Vlad Tepes, show him as a human transforming himself into the "Dark Lord" through sorcery, demonic worship and alchemy. Show him as BOTH a brillaint tactician who can command hoards of monsters to reap a trail of death over the Wallachian countryside as well as a vicious warrior who can take out band of warriors/vampire hunters with little hesitation. No "either one of the other", but BOTH! I'm tired of the stark contrast ideals of choice in modern EVERYTHING. Either one or the other. NO! BOTH!!!!! You can have BOTTTTH! You just have to TRY! It's like everybody's too caught up in their own little illusions of "this can't work any way but either one way or the other!". When people dellude themselves into thinking like that for so long, there IS no other way than path 1 and path 2. There is no middle ground, or at least they've become(made themselves) blind to it. It's a situation where the phrase "Open your eyes." fits in perfectly. You CAN have your peanut butter and your chocolate TOGETHER!!!

[TheouAegis]

They need an outside source. IGA... had some ideas. I mean, Dracula being a bit remorseful and just missing his wife was cliche, but at least he gave Drac a personality. He kinda made you feel sorry for the guy. Really, Drac wasn't all that bad. A bit misguided, very intelligent, very knowledgeable... AND NOBODY WOULD LET HIM FUCKING SLEEP! Just let the guy get a good century's rest and he might not be so cantankerous the next time people see him.

But letting Europeans work on the story... Maybe if it was a pagan greek. But anyone that thinks Satan should be in Castlevania needs to be pulled from the crew immediately. I have no problem with a villain in Castlevania being from the Belmonts. I liked making Richter into a villain temporarily. And in one of my planned (still in planning) fan games, I was going to make a Castlevania enemy a Belmont in origin.

I would love to see Dracula fight with a sword and sorcery. Then summon a demon while he recuperates, then when the demon is defeated he gives his body over to the demon and it attacks stronger than ever.

But Big D was only really ever evil because he was a warmonger with an army of demons. I mean, the guy never actually hurt anyone. There were rumors of it, but all he did was send skeletons and demons out to terrorize villages. Maybe spread a curse about the countryside. Wasn't the only time he was ever seen leaving the castle in Haunted Castle? And that was just to snag a girl.

[Ahasverus]

What? the old Dracula having a personality?

"Bah i'm revived so I will cleanse the world from humans blah blah, master tactician that never  comes out of his throne room and waits for the hero to be fully powered to fight blah I'm so sorry Alucard lisa I love you forgive me blah 5 minutes later I'm seducing a young witch and then procceed to kill her blah blah blah"

No, the old Dracula was a bad pastiche of every evil cliche. At least the new Dracula doesn't want to kill humanity, he wants to kill THE BROTHERHOOD and oh he's got good reasons for that.

But Big D was only really ever evil because he was a warmonger with an army of demons. I mean, the guy never actually hurt anyone. There were rumors of it, but all he did was send skeletons and demons out to terrorize villages. Maybe spread a curse about the countryside. Wasn't the only time he was ever seen leaving the castle in Haunted Castle? And that was just to snag a girl.

IGA liked to call Dracula "The prince of Darkness" and the "most powerful demon lord" (Even when he didn't even left his room in 1000 years or so). He liked to picture him has the baddest of the baddest and was supposedly humanity's worst nightmare. as a game villain there couldn't be a worse bad man than Old Dracula. He was so futile.

But letting Europeans work on the story... Maybe if it was a pagan greek. But anyone that thinks Satan should be in Castlevania needs to be pulled from the crew immediately. I have no problem with a villain in Castlevania being from the Belmonts. I liked making Richter into a villain temporarily. And in one of my planned (still in planning) fan games, I was going to make a Castlevania enemy a Belmont in origin.

Well Akumajou Dracula means "Dracula Castle of the Devil" and it was implied in the beginning that Dracula got his powers from Satan, we also had a lot of christian imagery in Castlevania. Satan is not an outsider to the universe, even if the implementation wasn't as good, you can't say that he doesn't have "a place" in the series.

[TheouAegis]

Akuma doesn't mean THE Devil. An akuma is any kind of malevolent demon. And Dracula summoned Sumerian demons. Satan was Jewish and questionable as to even being a demon. So no, he doesn't belong. Dracula wasn't a devil worshiper, he was an alchemical sorceror and demon conjurer.

Actually the master tactician that never leaves his throne room is good strategy. If you're not a soldier, don't go forth into battle. He's never really been the hardest boss in the series, just tediously slow to die because of his multiple forms or summons.

[crisis]

Well Akumajou Dracula means "Dracula Castle of the Devil" and it was implied in the beginning that Dracula got his powers from Satan, we also had a lot of christian imagery in Castlevania.

Actoolee, to be more accuracy, I believe the CVAdventure manual stated that Dracula made a pact with an "evil deity," and Lament confirms that evil deity was Death. There was also some stuff about "Satanic Rituals," but the canon never states that the actual fallen angel Lucifer/Satan had any involvement. And TheouAegis is right; Dracula summoning Sumerian demons & gods to do his bidding is more likely than him becoming pals with Satan.

However what I DO like about the LoS-verse is how this version of Dracula essentially usurped Satan for Hell's throne, which is why he and his acolytes wants revenge on him 1000 years later. Dracula is an enemy of both God AND Satan, and I think that makes for a good story.

[Ahasverus]

Actually the master tactician that never leaves his throne room is good strategy. If you're not a soldier, don't go forth into battle. He's never really been the hardest boss in the series, just tediously slow to die because of his multiple forms or summons.

Because "Getting the ***** out and thinking another strategy" was not good enough for him. He should had learned that the Belmonts were not cute puppies by his 3rd encounter, a frontal attack is simply not an option, and of course, he was too "battle weak" to be considered a threat. It's even worse that we are told that he's the most evil thing on earth but we never see him doing any harm (except in Rondo of Blood but that's not IGA's story) outside his Castle. He's not that bad, really. And that undermines his importance and "awe". The old Dracula was just not a compelling villain, not in the way he was written. In the way he didn't represent A THREAT.

Not that Gabriel is MUCH better but at least we can understand him, and right now he's done nasty things justified by his own twisted moral code. And the fact that he believes himself to be God sent could lead to interesting things. And for all we know he wasn't killed in MoF so he's a little more of a figure.

[DragonSlayr81]

Because "Getting the ***** out and thinking another strategy" was not good enough for him. He should had learned that the Belmonts were not cute puppies by his 3rd encounter, a frontal attack is simply not an option, and of course, he was too "battle weak" to be considered a threat. It's even worse that we are told that he's the most evil thing on earth but we never see him doing any harm (except in Rondo of Blood but that's not IGA's story) outside his Castle. He's not that bad, really. And that undermines his importance and "awe". The old Dracula was just not a compelling villain, not in the way he was written. In the way he didn't represent A THREAT.

Not that Gabriel is MUCH better but at least we can understand him, and right now he's done nasty things justified by his own twisted moral code. And the fact that he believes himself to be God sent could lead to interesting things. And for all we know he wasn't killed in MoF so he's a little more of a figure.

I still dont' care for Gabriel that much, though, especially as Dracula.

And the gripe about old CV Drac not measuring up is only so really because, quite frankly, he couldn't. None of the original games invested in the story over gameplay. If anything, you can't tell a deep story in a 2D side-scroller or metroidvania if you want to keep up the pacing of exploration(MoF is a prime example, the pacing feels off). Not that it CAN'T happen, though you have to balance both sides to get it right. For longer story sequences, you have to balance that with gameplay. The game would have to be considerably long because of that. RPGs can do that because they are given an ample amount of time to develope both their stories and gameplay through exploration. Actions games rarely reach that mark. That being said, I'd love, for once, a ballsy action game that TRIES to do something like that(as in an action adventure that actually spans 60+ hours of gamplay and story, with multiple locations and events), though in this ADHD generation, the quick fix rules over the slow burn. Peoplel want games they can finish fast and easy.

As for Dracula, I still stand on my belief that one dipping from both puddles would be the best representation. One who is both a genius tactician AND a ruthless warrior. So far, Gabriel has only shown me he's a brute, and old Drac is mainly the last boss. I want to see a CV story where Dracula actually confronts the Belmont and leaves him on the verge of death. Then when the Belmont returns home, he finds his family all slaughtered and staked to the walls in crucifix style(didn't a comic or the movie treatment do something like that?). Dracula basically leaving the Belmont alone and broken, and he, the last of his family, has to work his way up again, train and take his revenge on the "Dark Lord". THAT is the fuckin' CV reboot I want to see. It could be a retelling of the origin with Trevor being the young Belmont man seeking vengeance on Dracula and his hoard of monsters. Dracula could be leading groups of monsters and completely demonlishing villages. Survivors get rounded up and taken to the castle for impalement. That's really what I want to see in this series.

[crisis]

You can either have Coke or Pepsi, DragonSlayr81-chan, NOT both 

[DragonSlayr81]

You can either have Coke or Pepsi, DragonSlayr81-chan, NOT both 

Hey, but Coksi tastes freakin GOOOOOOD!!!

Besides, I was thinking up an idea. Maybe a new Dracula origin where Trevor's father, Grant's father were allies with Dracula(then, Lord Vlad Tepes), who led them in his personal elite squad against the Turks. But throughout battle, Dracula's bloodlust grew and he was to lead them into Turkey to commit atrocious acts on innocent people. Belmont and Danesti(among the few others, you could fill in the blank to who they are with various important families in the CV universe) abandoned him and he was captured by the Turks, tortured and imprisioned. There, kept with other undesirables and locked away in the darkest pits under the Ottoman rule, Vlad met an old man who was locked up for heretic practices, but strange enough, cannot die(the Turks have tried to kill him on many occasions for being a blasphemer in the wake of Islam, but the man continues to live). The man teaches Vlad the dark artes and secret rules of Alchemy.

Vlad eventually breaks out of the prison and uses his new found powers(not yet a vampire) on his captors. He then seeks to reclaim his homeland and rules as a cruel leader and seeks to ethnic cleanse the lands from those who might taint it's heritage. Lots of people, radicals, pilgrims and criminals are impaled. Vlad, now calling himself Dracula, seeks even more power, and eventually crosses over into there realm of being a cursed being, like the man passed his dark wisdom down to him. He now seeks revenge on those who abanodoned him, but from the years he was imprisoned, many of them(Belmonts, Danesti, among others) left the area of Wallachia to settle elsewhere, in secrecy, leading simple lives. Dracula finds one of his former knights still living in the area, masquerading as a simiple farmer who's raised his lovely daughter, Elisabetha, alone. Dracula has both them brought to his castle, Elisabetha is raped in front of her father, then he is killed in front of her. She's kept inprisoned in his tower, his pet and prized bird. She eventually gives birth to Alucard and kills herself shortly after. The time prior and after, he actively searches the countryside for the others, finding some and leaving many in misery.