Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
A 2023 fantasy heist film based on Dungeons & Dragons.
In 2023, the fantasy heist film *Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves* was released, directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. They co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gilio, based on a story by Chris McKay and Gilio. The movie is rooted in the tabletop role-playing game *Dungeons & Dragons* and takes place within the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, sharing no narrative ties with the earlier film trilogy that ran from 2000 to 2012. Its cast includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. The story follows bard Edgin Darvis (Pine) and barbarian Holga Kilgore (Rodriguez) as they assemble a crew of unlikely heroes to pilfer an ancient, powerful relic, only to clash with malevolent forces.
Development on the project stretched back to 2013, beginning with Warner Bros. Pictures after it prevailed over Hasbro and Universal Pictures in a legal dispute over the game’s film rights. The project later shifted to Paramount Pictures, with numerous writers and directors attached over time. Goldstein and Daley ultimately took over as the final writers and directors, incorporating elements from an earlier version by director Chris McKay and screenwriter Michael Gilio. Principal photography started in April 2021, with locations in Iceland and later Northern Ireland.
The film premiered globally at South by Southwest on March 10, 2023, and hit U.S. theaters on March 31 through Paramount. Critics responded positively, highlighting the cast’s performances, the direction, visual effects, writing, score, humor, and overall tone. Despite these reviews, it earned $208.2 million worldwide against a $150 million production budget, which marked it as a box office disappointment.
- Release year
- 2023
- Directors
- Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
- Screenwriters
- Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Michael Gilio
- Based on
- Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game
- Setting
- Forgotten Realms
- Budget
- $150 million
- Worldwide gross
- $208.2 million
Lore & Background
Production went through various phases in development since 2013, beginning with Warner Bros. Pictures after beating Hasbro and Universal Pictures in a lawsuit over the film rights to the tabletop game, before moving to Paramount Pictures, each with various writers and directors. Goldstein and Daley were the final writers/directors, using elements from the previous attempt by director Chris McKay and screenwriter Michael Gilio. Filming began in April 2021 in Iceland and later Northern Ireland.
The plot follows bard Edgin Darvis (Pine) and barbarian Holga Kilgore (Rodriguez), who enlist a team of unlikely heroes to steal an ancient and powerful relic but come into conflict with evil forces. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2023, and was released in the United States on March 31 by Paramount. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of the cast, the direction, visual effects, writing, score, humor, and tone.
Reader's Guide
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves represents a significant attempt to adapt the iconic tabletop role-playing game into a mainstream film, breaking from earlier film adaptations by setting the story in the Forgotten Realms and avoiding connections to the 2000–2012 trilogy. Despite positive critical reception, the film was a box office disappointment, grossing $208.2 million worldwide against a $150 million budget. Its development history reflects the complex legal and creative battles over film rights, involving Warner Bros., Hasbro, Universal, and ultimately Paramount. The film's legacy lies in its successful integration of Dungeons & Dragons lore—such as the Harpers, Red Wizards, and the Underdark—into a heist narrative, and its use of practical effects and humor to appeal to both fans and newcomers. The cast, including Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez, was widely praised, and the film's world premiere at South by Southwest highlighted its cultural relevance.
Did You Know?
- The film has no connections to the previous Dungeons & Dragons film trilogy released between 2000 and 2012.
- Filming began in April 2021 in Iceland and later Northern Ireland.
- The main characters from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon make live-action cameos during the High Sun Games.
- Comedy group Aunty Donna provided the voices for corpses for the Australian release of the film.
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