Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

• 1. The Rights Battle

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  In May 2013, Warner Bros. Pictures and Sweetpea Entertainment announced a film based on Dungeons & Dragons with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick writing the script. Two days later, Hasbro issued a lawsuit saying that they were co-producing a Dungeons & Dragons film at Universal Pictures with Chris Morgan writing and directing. The legal dispute dragged on for years before U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee urged both sides to settle in August 2015. By March 2016, Rob Letterman was in negotiations to direct Johnson-McGoldrick's script. In April 2017, actor Joe Manganiello revealed he had written a script with John Cassel for the project. He worked in collaboration with Brad Peyton and Dwayne Johnson, who were both in negotiations to develop the film. The project moved from studio to studio as rights shifted hands. In December 2017, Hasbro moved the film to Paramount Pictures and scheduled a release date of the 23rd of July 2021. This marked the beginning of a long journey toward production.

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• 2. Directors Find A New Path

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  Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley began meeting with Paramount following Daley talking about his career with a literary agent at a sports bar in Sherman Oaks during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The agent asked if they were looking for work after they mentioned leaving directing duties on The Flash. Paramount presented Goldstein and Daley with the script for Dungeons & Dragons. They co-wrote a new draft by January 2020 alongside Michael Gilio. Goldstein stated that their movie does not take itself with great seriousness but honors the world of D&D. Daley highlighted influences including The Princess Bride, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Lord of the Rings, and Indiana Jones. He wanted the film to be accessible for those unfamiliar with the fantasy genre. The Austin Chronicle noted thematic parallels between heist movies and fantasy roleplaying campaigns offer a shared language for newcomers. Goldstein used the sorcerer character to address why magic cannot solve all problems.

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• 3. Filming In Iceland And Ireland

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  Principal photography commenced in early April 2021 with a crew of 60, 70 people in Iceland. Filming later moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland where it continued until the 19th of August 2021 when Daley announced completion. When the cast arrived in Northern Ireland they played a several-hours-long game of D&D with actors role-playing as their film characters. This game gave those who were not familiar with the game a quick taste of how you interact. It also informed the directors' takes on the characters. Goldstein commented that they incorporated things learned from that game into the final film. The production utilized practical locations while relying on visual effects teams like Industrial Light & Magic, Moving Picture Company, and Crafty Apes to bring the world to life. The immersive nature of the set helped ground the fantastical elements in reality.

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• 4. Magic On Screen

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  The visual effects team collaborated closely with the creative direction to visualize unique spellcasting mechanics. Goldstein stated that they decided against showing two people standing there with their hands out and rays coming out of their hands. Instead, the film pulls directly from the magic system of Dungeons & Dragons with magic users combining physical components and verbal spellcasting. Justice Smith worked with a choreographer to create unique gestures for each spell. Many spells incorporate actual sign language into the movements. Lorne Balfe scored the film using verbal chanting and rhythmic beats to enhance tension. Marisa Mirabal wrote that the score morphs into a creature of its own unlike soothing scores of other fantasy films. Balfe leaned into bard lore by composing songs that are light-hearted, poetic, and heavy with string instruments. The soundtrack album was released on the 31st of March 2023 by Mercury Classics Soundtracks & Scores label.

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• 5. Delays And Promotional Push

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  The film had its world premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on the 10th of March 2023. It was theatrically released in the United States on March 31 in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and ScreenX formats. Paramount Pictures handles worldwide distribution except for Canada and the United Kingdom where Entertainment One took over. The release date shifted multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally set for the 23rd of July 2021, it moved to the 19th of November 2021 then the 27th of May 2022 before settling on the 3rd of March 2023. In April 2021, the date was pushed back again to the 31st of March 2023. Marketing efforts included a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022 featuring cast and crew. A Tavern Experience showcased characters of the film. A teaser trailer released on the 21st of July 2022 featured excerpts from Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. A TV spot aired during Super Bowl LVII.

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• 6. Critical Response And Reception

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  Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A minus on an A plus to F scale. PostTrak polled them giving a 90 percent positive score with 77 percent saying they would definitely recommend it. Nicholas Barber stated that producers followed the Marvel Studios tactic of hiring comedy directors to make a blockbuster. Christian Holub highlighted that adapting Dungeons & Dragons is different from adapting novels by J.R.R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin. Rafael Motamayor commented that the film feels like the latest session in a years-long campaign. Benjamin Lee wrote that the script does a solid job making it accessible though Goldstein and Daley are less effective with many attempts at comedy. G. Allen Johnson asserted the film feels like ChatGPT wrote a Marvel movie except with D&D characters. Richard Lawson noted the plot is purely episodic coming down to a series of fetch quests. Critics praised performances while noting mixed results for comedic execution.

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• 7. Box Office Numbers

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  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves grossed $93.3 million in the United States and Canada and $114.9 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $208.2 million. The film made $15.2 million on its first day including $5.6 million in advance screenings. It debuted to $37.2 million topping the box office with 61 percent of the opening weekend audience being male. In its second weekend, the film made $13.9 million representing a drop of 62 percent. Outside the US and Canada, the film grossed $33 million from 60 markets in its first weekend. The film earned another $13.8 million from 64 markets in its third weekend. With a budget of $150 million, the global earnings resulted in a financial disappointment despite positive reviews. Kayleena Pierce-Bohen called the film a box office bomb citing poor marketing and tough competition.

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