Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of this year’s most anticipated action comedies. Featuring Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, and Michelle Rodriguez, the film is set to excite everyone — even the popular kids. Dungeons & Dragons, the table-top role-playing game (TTRPG), has been adapted into movies and television shows before, but nearly all of them have flopped and none have produced the buzz like this movie is getting today. A larger crowd seems excited to go see Honor Among Thieves. The film has a broader appeal and is meant for more people than just those who play the game.
But Dungeons & Dragons has grown more popular in recent years. It’s had more visibility in shows like Stranger Things, and there have been popular movements online to start series of live play events on big channels like Critical Role and College Humor. These factors of broader appeal, increasing popularity, and Chris Pine’s handsome face combine to make a movie that’s going to be a lot better than any other adaptation there’s been in the past. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is the D&D movie we’ve been waiting for.
Dungeons & Dragons is Difficult
Paramount Pictures
Dungeons & Dragons is, at its heart, a story telling game. The quality of your experience playing the game is largely determined by how well the Dungeon Master can suspend your disbelief and draw you into the world of the game, much like a movie. So in spirit, it seems like it should be prime for a film adaptation. In an age when almost every IP is being adapted into a series or movie, it’s surprising Dungeons & Dragons hasn’t had a successful run yet. From Sonic: The Hedgehog, and Tomb Raider to the Halo series on Paramount+, there are plenty of video games that have been adapted to film. And there are more on the way. Fans are hungry for this type of content, and they are champing at the bit to see The Last of Us and season two of Arcane.
But Dungeons & Dragons has already had a full trilogy of movies come out, and each one was worse than the last. So, what’s the problem with filmmakers who can’t tell a story with a storytelling game? You’d think it couldn’t get any easier. But the difference between adapting an IP that already has a story and trying to make a movie from D&D is in the writing. The D&D game set comes with certain stories that are available for the Dungeon Master to use as a structure, but trying to make a movie about Dungeons & Dragons is like trying to make a movie out of an empty movie studio. You’re given the tools to tell your own story, not the story itself. It would be just as easy to have made Lord of the Rings and called it a D&D movie, as it would have been to make Willow and do the same. So, when a director goes to make a “Dungeons & Dragons movie” what they’re really making is their own high fantasy film that hits a few common beats that will seem familiar to fans of the game.
It’s New, Yet Familiar
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has done just that. Even from the title we can tell the movie has made a story out of a group of people who are just going around, trying to steal valuable things. Anyone who’s ever played Dungeons & Dragons can tell you that more often than not, the structure of most games is as simple as that. The trailer also shows us some of the most iconic spells and recognizable monsters from the game, and they’ve done so in a friendly way that acknowledges their weirdness while retaining their familiarity. Finally, and probably most importantly, they’ve done all this without taking themselves too seriously. It lets everyone know they’re not out to make Game of Thrones, and gives the movie a self-awareness that invites people who aren’t fans of D&D to enjoy the film as well.
Honor Among Thieves comes with a broad enough appeal that doesn’t sacrifice a fan’s love of the original IP. They’ve hit that sweet spot between making everything look exciting and new, and showing that they have the experience to know what they’re talking about. The new fans will be drawn in with the casual vibe, having heard about D&D from other sources. But the hardcore Dungeon Masters will enjoy the film for its accuracy and references.
Honor Among Thieves is opening SXSW, so it’s already set for more success that the 2000 Dungeons & Dragons movie. In fact, Paramount+ has already ordered an 8-episode live-action series based on the IP as well. So, there’s a future ahead for more D&D based content. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves comes out on March 31 this year.
