Dragon’s Lair: The Movie seeks $550K in crowdfunding for Hollywood pitch

By Danny Cowan October 27, 2015

dragons lair the movie up on kickstarter dragonslairmovie header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Don Bluth and Gary Goldman envision an animated film based on the classic arcade game Dragon’s Lair, and this has led the pair to launch a Kickstarter project to fund a related pitch presentation for motion picture studios.

Originally released in arcades in 1983, Dragon’s Lair is a laserdisc-driven, full-motion video game in which player input determines the fate of its animated hero, Dirk the Daring. The game was a visual standout in its time, and ports have been released for dozens of platforms in the decades following its debut.

Formerly a Disney animator, Don Bluth has directed several animated films, including An American Tail, Anastasia, and Titan A.E. Kickstarter collaborator Gary Goldman previously worked with Bluth on animated features like The Secret of NIMH and The Land Before Time.

Bluth also directed the Dragon’s Lair follow-up Space Ace, and produced the 1991 sequel Dragon’s Lair II: Timewarp.

Dragon’s Lair spawned a new genre upon its arcade release, inspiring a number of titles that use video streamed from laserdiscs during gameplay. Remnants of the genre linger in the form of “quick-time events” in modern video games, which map on-screen action to timed controller input.

Bluth and Goldman note that their Kickstarter project’s $550,000 funding goal will cover the creation of a Dragon’s Lair: The Movie pitch video for investors and motion-picture studios. The full movie, if greenlit, will cost several million dollars more to produce.

“Traditional hand-drawn or computer generated [films] can cost anywhere from $55 million to $240 million, some even more – just on the production,” the pair’s Kickstarter pitch reads. “Promoting an animated film could cost an additional $100 million to market the film worldwide. In order to finance the production, promotion and distribution, independent companies like Don Bluth Films must approach major film studios, private investors, or investment banks for loans and/or equity investment to finance their films.”

Project backers can choose from an array of physical rewards, including collectible pins, apparel, and animation tutorial DVDs. Funding will continue through November 25th.

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