The release of one of the most anticipated upcoming 2023 movies, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, is coming at a great time, factoring in growing interest in the classic game in recent years. That being said, anytime that a beloved property gets optioned for a movie or TV show, members of its fandom can, understandably, be a little apprehensive, and explorers of the Forgotten Realms especially have reason to be.
The last time that the game was brought to the big screen more than two decades ago, it was not very well received, but we have reason to believe that history will not repeat itself with the latest cinematic adaptation of the game. In partnership with AMC Theatres, where tickets are now on sale, we present four reasons why fans should feel pretty confident about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves when it comes out on Friday, March 31st.
The Directors Are Veterans Of The Game
There are some movies and TV shows based on an established property which experts can tell, just by watching it, that the people in charge of making it probably have little to no familiarity or interest in the source material. That being said, there is no greater relief than learning that the driving creative force behind an adaptation is a proud, full-fledged fan. Such is the case with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein – the directors of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which they also wrote the screenplay for with Michael Gilio.
During an interview with Variety, the duo – also known for helming Game Night together and co-writing Spider-Man: Homecoming – recalled their earliest experiences with playing Dungeons & Dragons. Years after he first tried the game while still in the Freaks and Geeks cast, Daley joined a campaign that predated the Covid-19 pandemic and lasted for much of it until he signed on for this movie. Goldstein also “came into it pretty young” – in the early ‘80s when he was about 12. The game was also pretty young at that point, having been first published in 1974. Goldstein was immediately fascinated by the creative opportunities and challenges that the game allowed.
There Are D&D Fans In The Cast
Not only do the people involved with the making of the movie have experience with the game, but some of the actors participating in this new cinematic journey are not strangers to the phenomenon either. In fact, during an interview with MTV News’ Josh Horowitz at 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves cast – namely Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page and Sophia Lillis – revealed that they played a round together to prepare for the film.
In the same interview, Rodriguez talked about playing the game while growing up in New Jersey years before she discovered that her Fast & Furious movie co-star, Vin Diesel, is a “Dungeon Master.” During the cast’s SDCC panel (according to ScreenRant), Page compared himself to Joseph Quinn’s Stranger Things character, Eddie Munson, citing his frequent experience with role playing games in his youth, and Pine – who, admittedly, was a late-bloomer to the Dungeons & Dragons – was introduced to it by his nephew and immediately fell in love with it.
Even A Non-D&D Fan In The Cast Didn't Want To Put The Script Down
One member of the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves cast – Hugh Grant – is actually not a veteran, but that might also be what makes him the perfect choice to play the villainous rogue, Forge Fletcher. The Golden Globe winner – who is better known for romantic-comedies like Notting Hill and Love Actually, but did lead a fantasy film years ago called The Lair of the White Worm – even jokingly recalls in the aforementioned MTV News interview that he “wasn’t invited” to his co-star’s D&D session. Yet, despite his lack of experience, he was still game to play along, as he shared in this anecdote from the aforementioned Variety article:
I had low expectations. I hate all scripts, pretty much. And I found myself amused and quite touched. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s incredibly accessible to the non-D&D-er. I hope! Christ, if it isn’t, we’re sunk! I mean, I don’t think you have to know what an owlbear is to enjoy an owlbear.
Most often, the secret to a great blockbuster franchise vehicle based on an established property lies in how well it appeals, not just to the experienced fans, but to the newcomers discovering this world for the first time on the big screen. The fact that Goldstein, Daley, and Gilio’s script spoke so profoundly to a D&D neophyte like Grant shows signs that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves could be a mass success.
Many Iconic D&D Creatures Will Appear
The trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves confirms Grant’s comment that an Owlbear – a creature from Forgotten Realms derived from the woodland bird and the furry apex predator – does appear in the film. However, it will be far from the only creature that fans of the game will surely recognize when they see the film, which will also feature the likes of Kenkus, Lizardfolk, and a Mimic.
A scene from the teaser taking place in an arena sees our heroes ducking out of the way of a tentacled, Puma-like Displacer Beast by jumping into a Gelatinous Cube, which experts should know is not a safe place to be given the deadly, acidic ooze inside. Finally, it would not be a Dungeons & Dragons movie without some dragons and the two species we can confirm are the acid-spewing Silver Dragon and fire-breathing Themberchaud.
With an experienced creative team and cast, a script that appeals to even the least experienced people, and an ensemble of wondrous creatures, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves could be the most faithful movie based on a tabletop game since Clue. Pick up your tickets for the film at an AMC Theatres location near you.
