The iconic role-playing game from Hasbro is being adapted for the big screen by Paramount and eOne, and it features a star-studded ensemble that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, and Justice Smith.
In what is sure to be an intriguing competition, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and John Wick: Chapter 4 will face off in the box office race this weekend.
Based on the popular role-playing game from Hasbro, Dungeons & Dragons is directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley and stars a star-studded ensemble including Chris Pine, Justice Smith, Michelle Rodriguez, Chloe Coleman, Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Daisy Head, and Hugh Grant.
The tracking indicates that the film will debut at a relatively modest $30 million domestically, but many box office experts anticipate that number to rise to owe to enthusiastic early audience response and outstanding reviews praising the film’s clever sense of adventure and upbeat attitude.
The high-profile fantasy film, which reportedly cost $150 million to develop before marketing, was co-produced and co-financed by Paramount and eOne, which is owned by Hasbro. Moreover, the movie opens in more than 50 foreign territories, including the U.K., where eOne is handling distribution.
The foundation of Dungeons & Dragons is the landmark board game that was initially released in 1974. In addition to other media, the game later served as an inspiration for novels, TV series, computer games, and movies, notably New Line’s unsuccessful 2000 film. If all goes according to plan, Paramount and eOne will begin a new film franchise with Honor Among Thieves. In either case, it broadens Hasbro’s total D&D world.
It has always been difficult to adapt games (whether video games or tabletop games) for the big screen, but there have been some notable successes in the video game industry recently, such as the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise from Paramount and Sony’s Uncharted, which had a $44 million debut last year.
The South by Southwest film festival in Austin hosted the global premiere of Dungeons & Dragons earlier this month. The game is aiming to dominate the weekend box office. Yet it necessitates passing over Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4, which made an impressive $73.8 million in its opening weekend and is expected to bring in at least $30 million in its follow-up. (The advantage of replacing John Wick with Dungeons & Dragons in premium format theaters.)
Dungeons & Dragons was directed by Goldstein and Daley from a screenplay they co-wrote with Michael Gilio.
