D&D fans do not lose hope. Just when assumptions believed the underperformance of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves meant no sequel, more movies will be possible under one condition.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was facing the threat of discontinuation for not living up to box office expectations. Fortunately, Paramount has not given up the fight for more D&D movies. During an interview with Variety, the studio’s CEO Brian Robbins stated what needs to be done for the potential franchise.
Robbins said if there was to be a sequel for D&D, “We’ve got to figure out a way to make it for less.”
So, there’s Paramount’s answer if audiences wish to see their favorite D&D characters make a reappearance. You would think that having actors like Star Trek’s Chris Pine, Fast and Furious’s Michelle Rodriguez, Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page, and more would be enough to bring in that box office gold. The fantasy comedy heist initially showed promise in claiming the top spot at the box office at $37.2 million. However, it experienced a 61% drop to $14.5 million on its second weekend and made $7.5 million on its third.
According to ScreenRant, there were many reasons why Honor Among Thieves bombed. One reason was poor marketing with word of mouth used to generate interest. Fans would have to see it during preview screenings for anyone to see it during opening weekend. It also didn’t help that the movie’s image in trailers looked almost like a medieval MCU movie which we have plenty of already. D&D also had some heavy competition going against The Super Mario Bros. Movie, scoring the biggest opening weekend of any animated film. It proves an effective marketing team and a more original story would have done better to draw more people in.
What does the future of Dungeons and Dragons look like now?
A sequel may be up in the air currently, but it doesn’t mean it’s the last we’ll see of D&D. In February 2022, Paramount Pictures ordered an eight-episode television spin-off series that will “complement” the film. Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber will be the brains of the operation as the showrunner, creator, executive producer, and writer of the project. He’ll even be directing the pilot episode of the spin-off. Be prepared to find the eight-episode series on your Paramount+ subscription in the future. A lower-budget D&D sequel may be in the works, but you can use the Paramount+ series to tide you over for now. Make sure to find Honor Among Thieves now on your Paramount+ subscription as well.
