On paper, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves seemed poised to become Paramount's next major fantasy franchise. Upon its release, the film by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein was largely praised by critics, leading to expectations of significant commercial success. However, globally, Dungeons & Dragons barely crossed the $205 million mark at the box office, against a production budget of $150 million, not including marketing expenses.
The outcome: despite a growing surge in popularity since its debut on streaming platforms, the adaptation was ultimately a considerable flop, leading Paramount to abandon plans for a sequel. Yet, this setback has not deterred the directors, who firmly believe there are many more stories to tell within this rich universe. According to them, a second film remains a distinct possibility, provided they can secure the necessary funding.
Trapped in the Dungeon
During an appearance on The Discourse podcast, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein revealed that the script for Dungeons & Dragons 2 is, in fact, complete. Even though Paramount-Skydance has backed away from the project, neither Hasbro nor the producers of the first installment have given up. Goldstein expressed a hopeful outlook:
"Hasbro truly believes in it, and if they find a studio partner to secure the funding, they'll want to move forward. Our producers do too."
Daley supported his colleague's statements, sounding almost like a heartfelt appeal:
"This film is truly close to our hearts; we loved making the first one. We grew attached to the characters, and a sequel has enormous potential: no need to spend the first act introducing a group we already know; we can dive straight into the story. There are very concrete financial realities, and we don't know if this sequel will ever see the light of day, but we are proud of this script and hope it finds its path."
John Francis Daley attributes Dungeons & Dragons' commercial failure primarily to unfortunate timing:
"The release really came at the wrong time. The film arrived four days before Super Mario, which shattered all records. It also came out a month after Wizards of the Coast, the D&D publisher, modified its official license, which led some D&D fans to boycott the game. And I don't think the marketing sufficiently explained to the general public that this adaptation could also be for them. In short, a real confluence of unfortunate circumstances. We'll see what happens."
Indeed, Dungeons & Dragons opened just before The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This undoubtedly didn't help its box office prospects, nor did the controversy surrounding the tabletop role-playing game itself. Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of D&D, announced in early 2023 plans to change the licensing rules for creators developing products based on their game. These creators would have been required to pay a portion of their generated revenue to Wizards. Fans widely perceived this move as greedy and dishonest, prompting some to boycott anything associated with D&D.
It's highly probable that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves would have performed better with more favorable timing, but it's understandable that studios are hesitant to greenlight a sequel given its initial financial performance. The directors, however, remain remarkably confident, and perhaps their passionate appeal will garner enough attention to secure the necessary funding. While we await further news on a potential sequel, their action-comedy Mayday, starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, has been available on Apple TV since September 4th.