Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

How do!

So this kind of a deep dive (turns out that was a naughty fib, no depth here!) into what makes GW’s properties work on the tabletop. And a singularly uninformed view on Trying To Found A New Movie Genre.

And as the title says….it’s Blood Bowl.

40K and Heresy would either take too long to explain and setup. And to be done properly, probably far too violent for anything but a restrictive rating. The worst thing there of course, is that even if you do make a suitably violent movie, and it does well at box office and home media, you’ve indelibly tied your IP to ultra violence in the eyes of parents. Which for GW isn’t ideal.

But…..

Blood Bowl. To the best of my knowledge, in terms of board games it was The First. Fantasy Football before fantasy football became a thing. It’s also been exceptionally daft in the background since forever. Whilst a solid game system, it’s never, ever taken itself seriously. And as much as players will take A Game seriously, nobody takes The Game and it’s background seriously. Indeed, with its tongue so far in its cheek it can taste the curtains, that’s a massive part of its appeal.

Actual kills and serious injuries can be described by the commentators, and therefore can be implied, removing the need to show on screen. Heck, even add some 60’s Batman style captions. Oof! Wallop! Smash! Bokko!, with it being in-universe justified as censorship on Cabal-Vision. Bit of the old Ultra V without actually being explicit Ultra V.

Example. The hype moment of a High Elf star player entering the field, to an adapted Pinball Wizard. Swap Pinball for Blood Bowl, and make it about an Elf with the various disabilities listed. Hype him up with the commentators. Let them provide WWE style commentary, explaining how good this Elf is. Can’t see, can’t hear, can’t speak, but still Plays A Mean Blood Bowl….with the “comedy” (quotations because beating up disabled people isn’t inherently funny), coming from an Ogre, Troll or Black Orc type catching them during a manoeuvre and the *Hulk and Loki moment*

I’m pretty sure a suitable director could have a field day in shooting a somewhat camp and highly entertaining movie on a relatively low budget.

My suggestion for the plot is fairly classic sports film. Follow the rookie through thick and thin, with a Rocky moment of lifting the cup.

And all possible because the setting is intentionally daft.

That, and I really want to see a Pogo Loonie on the big screen!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh yeah. And I’m not aware of any movie which might be considered equivalent.

Sign me up.

I remember an old movie, probably from 80's that had a sport similar to BB. Players had a skull instead a ball, and there was some elite league for this. It was some post-apocalyptic future. This sport was a bloody thing and injuries/deaths were a common place.

Only one I can think of is Rollerball. I think it’s had a remake, and I can barely remember them.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Only one I can think of is Rollerball. I think it’s had a remake, and I can barely remember them.

Made a quick google search and I do not think it is the one. One I think of had a player living in the post apo world on the surface trying to get to the league in the world under it. he and his team had to win some eliminations to get a ticket for the underworld matches.

 Shadow Walker wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Only one I can think of is Rollerball. I think it’s had a remake, and I can barely remember them.

Made a quick google search and I do not think it is the one. One I think of had a player living in the post apo world on the surface trying to get to the league in the world under it. he and his team had to win some eliminations to get a ticket for the underworld matches.

I know the one you mean, and it was released under at least three different names IIRC... I think I've got it downloaded somewhere - I'll have a look...

I’d suggest somewhere between Baseketball, and A Knight’s Tale.

Both movies far better than they should’ve been, both spoofing sports in a largely affectionate way.

 Shadow Walker wrote:
I remember an old movie, probably from 80's that had a sport similar to BB. Players had a skull instead a ball, and there was some elite league for this. It was some post-apocalyptic future. This sport was a bloody thing and injuries/deaths were a common place.

The Blood of Heroes?

Good shout

the stories go well with clever and funny fantasy like Discworld - should be a hit

My ropey, no idea how these things actually work premise also lends itself to sequels (the quest for more money) or tv type sequels (or even adapt the whole thing for streaming).

It just seems a largely original or at least poorly explored trope.

Would it be the next MCU? Pffffrrttt. No. But for the right budget, it could prove quite profitable if it strikes the right chord.

The film was called Salute of the Jugger

The real advantage here is that you can take the standard "feel good sports movie" formula like the Bad News Bears, the Benchwarmers, the Mighty Ducks, and apply liberally so you are basically making a genre slicing fantasy sports movie.

Genre slicing is all the rage right now! Just ask the MCU and Star Wars!

beast, you ninja'd me, that's the one, for some reason it's got 2 titles, probably from different territories

beast_gts wrote:

 Shadow Walker wrote:
I remember an old movie, probably from 80's that had a sport similar to BB. Players had a skull instead a ball, and there was some elite league for this. It was some post-apocalyptic future. This sport was a bloody thing and injuries/deaths were a common place.

The Blood of Heroes?

Yes, this is the one

There are so, so many glam rock songs could be applied to this concept.

It’s camper than a field full of scouts…..

But this one, communicating the Hero Team’s drive to continue their success. Maybe prove it for a linear threquel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u-rYzSSs7U


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And for high camp glam rock nonsense for the first film?

Just swap out Ballroom for Blood Bowl. Maybe for a training/match montage?




Really isn’t a tricky one to adapt beyond the simple word swap.

And then you can court the youth audience with a Mighty Ducks version . My those plucky youngsters are in for a shock…

Oh you may jest my fine young man!

But in this day and age, a well executed opener can and will lead anywhere.

If we really, really want to froth without worrying about…

A) money we’re not spending
B) there is no B
C) A tired audience……

You could, with luck and a fair wind turn this into something akin to the MCU.

Consider…and I’m going proper Galaxy brain idiot “not actually attempted to think this through”….region locked regionals, all culminating in THE Blood Bowl, annually.

I did say I’d not thought this through!

But the potential is there all the same. Just needs an MCU style toe in the water to judge and adapt to the potential market.

Starship Troopers worked so 40K can work too.

Plot of a BB movie? BB has actually a rich history content. So you can pick a struggling team, watch the manager hire three new players which look pretty harmless and then watch them perform on the pitch in a wild and unpredictable manner.
Which movie am I referring too? Slapshot of course! Lol!

What team would fit in BB? Dwarf Warhammerers. A trio of unstable brothers on the team which perfected the way of using illegal contraptions on the field would be a no brainer.

Besides the audience already accepted a bunch of dwarfs as protagonists as seen in the Lord of the Rings.


Final thought: If you want to watch a goofy American Football movie then you have to watch Bud Spencer's "Sie nannten in Mücke". And yes, you have to watch it in German otherwise it will be only half as funny because the translator was famous for adding/changing stuff in all Bud Spencer/Terence Hill movies. That's why they became a hit in Germany.