Where is the Big Budget D&D Movie? - Spinoff Online

There is a pretty good article pondering the same question that many of us gamers have been pondering for years, "why can't they make a good D&D movie", over at Spinoff Online.
The author, Graeme McMillan, makes many of the same points I've seen repeated over and over around the net. The D&D name has almost as much recognition as many other big budget properties like Transformers and Star Trek. Plus there is a built in fanbase waiting for a good film. Why there has been no Lord of the Rings level D&D movie yet is beyond me.
As McMillan writes in the article, since Hasbro owns G.I. Joe and Transformers as well as a movie studio, there really is no reason that this movie isn't being made. Unless it is due to rights disputes or just fear of making another dud. Perhaps because there is no well defined story or characters that are recognizable to non-gamers, like in many other franchises, no one really knows what to do with it.
I'd be happy with a live action Forgotten Realms movie starring everyone's favorite Drow or even a live action Dragonlance movie. Although my personal preference would be an Eberron movie, but it is more likely they'd go with a "classic" D&D setting over Eberron. All I know is I want this movie. Hell, I want 10 of them, but only if they are good.

The 15 games that have influenced and inspired me as a gamer

1. Dungeond & Dragons (All editions) I may have started gaming with a mixture of basic and 1e books but 2eAD&D is when I really started gaming. 3e is the game that brought me back into gaming after several years away.
2. Villains & Vigilantes
3. D&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (Sega Genesis); I loved playing this game. As a matter of fact I think I will go find my copy and play it this weekned
4. Final Fantasy III & VII
5. Star Frontiers
6. Magic: The Gathering
7. L5R; I actually played the card game long before the RPG, but I enjoyed both.
8. Life; I still love this game
9. Werewolf (the original); I played the CCG before I knew this was an RPG as well. I've only played the RPG a few times and honestly didn't really like the system, but I always wanted to like it. Since werewolves are my favorite monster, it makes the list.
10. Pathfinder; 3e got me back into gaming and Pathfinder keeps me wanting to play.
11. Call of Cthulhu d20; this is just a great book to read and use for ideas, even if you don't use the system.
12. Clue
13. Heroscape
14. d20 Modern; a very underrated game IMO.
15. Mutants & Masterminds

Honorable Mentions & Games that are inspiring me now

1. OSRIC(I've played it using the pdf once, but I just got my print copy from lulu this morning, so it is time to role up some characters.)
2. Swords & Sorcery White Box (Too much fun to be a free pdf download. There is no excuse for not having this)
3. Dark Dungeons (The next best thing to having an actual updated Rules Cyclopedia)
4. Hollow Earth Expedition (this game just does not get enough love. Great game, super simple system and loads of fun)
5. Monte Cooks World of Darkness (probably one of the best Modern books in the d20 system. Combine this with CoC d20 and the d20 Modern books and you can play just about anything.
6. Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide
7. Pathfinder: City of Strangers 
8. D&D Essentials: Heroes of the Fallen Lands

Individual Gaming Books that have been the most influential/inspirational:

1.  Eberron Campaing Setting
2. Creative Campaigning (AD&D 2e): I still break out this book and read it when I need ideas or just for fun.
3. Rifts
4. The Rules Cyclopedia; I can't believe I forgot to put this one on the list.

Games I am most looking forward to playing right now:

1. Mutant Epoch
2. DC Adventures
3. Basic Fantasy, I just ordered by copy from lulu
4. The new Red Box; just got it and can't wait to tear it open