In the past, various branches of Hollywood have tried to cash in on the ever-elusive fandom that surrounds tabletop gaming, especially of the Dungeons and Dragons lore. With both theatrical and straight-to-DVD releases failing miserably though (a 2000 box office failure and a made-for-TV movie that was later pulled from every source imaginable), the fantasy universe which included strategically slaying dragons and looting every treasure chest imaginable in pursuit of that perfect weapon was put on ice for over ten years.
Since the very beginning of that fateful hiatus away from any adaptations, the film studio Paramount Pictures seemed to be sharpening its work on a star-studded big-screen revival of the D&D franchise. With names like Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Hugh Grant connected to the project, the newest iteration, titled Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, seems poised to be the best adaptation yet.
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Formally announcing the title card image nine months ago in April, and then uploading the first official trailer three months later in July, a second brand-new trailer was just released. With many different exciting scenes packed into the two-and-a-half-minute preview, let’s see what this movie has in store for role-playing moviegoers around the world.
A Band of Unlikely Heroes Trying to Save The World
Paramount Pictures
Starting off with a mini trailer before the actual sneak peek, long-time fans that have been following the movie’s development are treated to a wide pan of the adventuring party which includes the aforementioned names plus Justice Smith as Simon the Sorcerer and Sophia Lillis as Doric the Druid. Smith has starred in the Jurassic World movies as well as Detective Pikachu and Lillis will star in the upcoming Asteroid City, a romance drama that takes place at a stargazer’s convention. Viewers are then treated with some rapid shots of the main villain, the Red Wizard of Thay (Daisy Head), a huge vengeful looking dragon that’s about to pounce on unsuspecting victims and our main group of thieves trying their best to run away from impending danger.
A cut is then made to a medieval setting, a darkly colored back alley where Pine and Rodriguez’s characters, Edgin the Bard and Holga the Barbarian, escape a beheading with some quick brutal action and comedic dialogue. With voice-over narration, Edgin then explains the initial premise of the plot with the visual imagery coinciding with his explanation. Assuming this took place before the events of the movie, the band of traveling bandits unknowingly snatched a very powerful item for the wrong type of person and now the fate of the world is in their hands. With a new glance at the formally introduced villain and his army in their hellish-looking home world, the dynamic is then shifted to some banter about the Red Wizard army by Simon and Xenk the Paladin, played by the sophisticated Rege-Jean Page, who brings the same stone-cold persona from his previous casting in Netflix’s The Gray Man.
Dungeons And Dragons
Not only is a new type of ability then introduced by Xenk, in which they fast travel through the ground by using a magical ability to fall right through and then wound up in a different location, but Xenk also talks about an intriguing land called the Orifice. Fastening a rope to a tree and then letting himself fall backward into a shrub-covered forest floor, viewers of the fast-paced trailer are then pleased to see an action montage that shows Edgin, Holga, and Simon facing off against a very strong wizard of the Red Army who brings a statue of a dragon to life with a chaotic spell. Trying to stall it by throwing a rod between its teeth, Edgin is temporarily pleased until the stone dragon crushes the weak planned defense with its indestructible teeth.
Starring as Forge Fitzwilliam the Rogue, Hugh Grant stands tall at the forefront of a packed stadium, raising his hands to celebrate with all the fans in attendance. The three most usual suspects of the party are then seen evading rising traps in the arena below, with Pine trying to ease Smith’s worries by telling him that there are worse things than dying. In the next few moments, a giant black leopard leaps toward the screen, an epic sword fight takes place between Xenk and a villain, Holga almost gets devoured by a slobbering and revolting mimic that is taking the shape of a stuffed treasure chest and finally, a white colored creature almost takes out one of the featured villains before she vanishes into thin air.
All For One Against a Wicked Enemy
We are then shown various clips of the heroes in perilous situations with Simon shoved by another’s magical spell and Edgin propelled backward by a Red Wizard attack and later strangled by mysterious tentacles, all the while being charismatically discarded by Forge the Rogue. With the last sequence of the teaser brilliantly paying homage to the actual Dungeons and Dragons game by showing off every character fighting off against Daisy Head’s portrayal of a superior Red Wizard with their unique abilities and skill sets in a colorful but deadly battle, the trailer concludes with a huge monstrous dragon about to bite into one of the many possible victims who are trying to run away.
After the end title screen, another comedic scene plays out where the band of thieves seems to be at an impasse where an ancient bridge holds a deadly trap if set off. While Xenk eloquently explains the deceitful trick, Simon aimlessly walks right on up ahead and destroys the only path ahead, showing more of the party’s aloof but serious chemistry at play.
With every action-packed sequence and so many references to the role-playing game stuffed into this small trailer, fans of the franchise and casual moviegoers alike will definitely be on the edge of their seats when Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves roars into theaters on March 31.
