Dungeons & Dragons may have ruffled some feathers in the tabletop gaming world recently, but the massively popular universe is still making its way back to the big screen with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Written and directed by John Francis Daley, who’s been closely associated with nerd nostalgia since he was a teen starring in Freaks and Geeks, the movie seems like an entire tabletop campaign brought to life.
In a new trailer, we finally get a glimpse of the dynamic between the eponymous thieves, as well as who they’re facing off against.
We’re again introduced to Edgin the Bard (Chris Pine) and Holga the Barbarian (Michelle Rodriguez) as they attempt to escape execution. While Holga hulks out, as barbarians are wont to do, Edgin tries to cut the ropes on his wrist using a stair, quipping that there might be sharper stairs elsewhere.
It’s indicative of the mood portrayed not only by this movie, but by any game of D&D. There are going to be players who fight their way out of any situation, usually accompanied by someone else who’s there to goof around and try weird ideas. It’s the joy of the game: no matter how you play it, you’ll find the fun.
Watch the new trailer below:
Like all good fantasy movies — and all good D&D modules — there has to be a villain. In Honor Among Thieves, that comes in the form of the Red Wizards, a band of sorcerers who awaken a horde of the undead. Add an owlbear, a mimic, a gelatinous cube, and a weird, stone-like dragon, and you’ve got yourself a classic adventure.
Plus, of course, there’s that cast. The personalities of each character get to shine here, especially Regé-Jean Page as Xenk the Paladin, who, like most paladins, provides the perfect exposition machine and straight man for the goofier characters to play off of.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves pulls the classic game into the world of cinema, but the original homespun imagination quality seems to have survived the adaptation. It’s clear that not only do these characters have unique skills and personalities, but they also have their own playstyles. It’s about as close to the feel of a game as you can get without a basement, snacks, and a D20.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves premieres in theaters March 31, 2023.
