The year was 2000. New Line Cinema had just released "Dungeons and Dragons", a move based on the popular role-playing game, which tend to use vaguely medieval settings. The cast was largely American, with a major exception being Jeremy Irons, as the villain. It included two people of color; Marlon Wayans, who admittedly played an almost minstrel-show level of comedic sidekick, and Kristen Williams, playing the first-ever onscreen Tolkeinesque elf. With bad acting, supbpar special effects, and rote storyline, the movie was a critical and commercial flop. A year later, New Line took another go at the fantasy genre with the first installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Though people often cite J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" as the biggest influence, Gary Gygax and company also cited influences from American authors such as Robert E. Howard and Frtize Leiber.