According to directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves successfully captures the essence of the tabletop game without violating the “fourth wall.”
The movie draws inspiration from the beloved role-playing game and follows a group of misfits led by Chris Pine as they embark on a perilous journey to thwart an ancient force from destroying the world.
Alongside Pine, the film stars Justice Smith, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is scheduled for release on March 31.
Per Variety, Daley and Goldstein shared insights on their backgrounds with Dungeons & Dragons and explained how Honor Among Thieves reflects the game’s immersive experience.
Instead of breaking the fourth wall or adopting a meta-perspective, the directors incorporated aspects of the game through characters and narrative structure. Read the complete response below:
It’s a combination of things. Each character represents a different player and how they go about playing the game. Xenk, played by Regé-Jean Page, is very much the nerdy player that doesn’t make jokes and adheres strictly to the rulebook. Whereas Edgin, Chris Pine’s character, is the more casual player. He doesn’t bother to learn about the Bardic spells and would prefer to just hit people over the head with his lute.
JOHN FRANCIS DALEY
The movie is almost like the dungeon master. The plot twists that we throw at our characters are what a DM would do at the table, just to screw with you and make it more fun. It was our way of capturing what goes on when you’re playing D&D, without breaking the fourth wall or becoming meta with it.
JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN
Tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons have been gaining more popularity, thanks partly to the rise of streaming campaigns. However, the lengthy duration of these broadcasts can be overwhelming for some individuals.
To address this, the upcoming film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is expected to provide a holistic introduction to the game’s intricacies.
Daley and Goldstein stated that their production aims to attract non-players and those already familiar with the franchise’s lore.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves aims to attract a new audience by utilizing information from various game sourcebooks to create its characters and settings.
Edgin’s (Pine) team members represent distinct character classes that players use to construct their own heroes for their unique adventures.
Moreover, the challenges encountered in the movie are inspired by monsters in the game’s mythology. The film’s marketing emphasizes recognizable elements of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, especially monsters like Gelatinous Cube, Mimics, Owlbears, etc.
For many players, the camaraderie and shared experience of embarking on an adventure with friends is the game’s most enjoyable aspect.
Therefore, the dynamics and interplay between the party members may be the standout element of the film and could set the stage for future adventures.
About Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dungeons & Dragons is an upcoming American fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, based on the RPG of the same name and reboot of the film series of the same name.
The movie will take place across the Forgotten Realms, following the story of a band of thieves who unknowingly ended up helping in unleashing the greatest evil their world has known. The thieves-turned-heroes must now fix their mistake with the help of magic, courage, and a powerful Tiefling to fight the biggest battle of their lives.
The film will release on March 31, 2023.
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