UPDATED with 7 character posters!

French carmaker Renault has a new commercial coming out that is so epic that they have released a teaser trailer for it!  The ad is a live-action adaptation of the 1980s Saturday morning cartoon ‘Dungeons & Dragons’, based on the legendary role-playing game, and was made for the Brazil market, where the series (known as ‘Caverna Do Dragão’) was apparently massively popular.

The ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ cartoon debuted in 1983, and was a joint production between the game’s manufacturer TSR and Marvel Productions.  At the time, both the role-playing game and the cartoon were attacked by parents groups, who claimed that both were occult and satanic, with the cartoon called “the most violent series on television.”  Even so, the show was a success and lasted for 27 episodes, spread over three seasons on CBS.

To give the cartoon a real-world hook, it featured a group of American teens that were teleported to the swords-and-sorcery realm.  They were each assigned to a class from the game and given mystical weapons by their mysterious guide Dungeon Master.  Hank the Ranger had an energy bow, and was voiced by teen idol Willie Aames.  Coincidentally, Presto the Magician was voiced by Aames’ ‘Eight is Enough’ co-star Adam Rich.  Presto could pull any number of items from his magic hat.  Eric the Cavalier was also voiced by a popular TV star, Don Most, who played Ralph Malph on ‘Happy Days’.  Eric’s indestructible shield could generate forcefields.  Sheila the Thief could turn invisible when she put on the hood of her enchanted cloak, while her younger brother Bobby the Barbarian had a mighty club.  Diana the Acrobat carried a javelin which could be used like a bo staff or could extend allowing her to pole vault out of danger.  They were accompanied by baby unicorn, Uni, and used the weapons to battle the evil sorcerer Venger (who can be glimpsed briefly in the making-of video).

With no further ado, check out the teaser trailer!

If you were a fan of the show, as I was, you’re probably dying to see the full-length commercial, which the teaser reveals will drop on the 23rd.

If you’d like a little more, here is a behind the scenes video.  It’s in Portuguese and the English translation subtitles aren’t great and the people talk really fast, but it does offer a few more shots of the cast in action.  It does not really explain why this is being done for a car commercial, but hey, whatever it takes!

Here are a few still images to also tease you for the ad’s release:

 

 

UPDATE: Here are seven character posters, featuring the heroes and Dungeon Master:

Check back on the 23rd, for the finished video!

Were you a fan of the ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ series?  What do you think of this live-action take?