Dungeons & Dragons Movie Trailer: Fun, Goofy Version of Lord of the Rings

The first trailer for Dungeons & Dragons starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant brings the fantasy RPG to life.

The first trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves debuted at Comic-Con 2022. The new adaptation of the fantasy D&D RPG game stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, and Justice Smith. Game Night directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are handling the writing and directing for the film. Initially, the film was being developed at Warner Bros. with D&D uber fan and Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello, but later changed hands to Paramount Pictures.

Based on the game created by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons has been a popular tabletop RPG since 1974, spawning a vast franchise of related products, from animated series comic books, novels, toys, spinoff games, and more. A live-action Dungeons and Dragons film was released in 2000, starring Jeremy Irons, Justin Whalin, Marlon Wayans, and Thora Birch. The latest adaptation finished filming in the summer of 2021 and was initially slated to be released in July 2021 but was delayed multiple times due to scheduling and the pandemic.

Now, the first trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has been released (via Paramount), showing off the style and tone of the new adaptation, which looks to be a fun, goofier version of Lord of the Rings. Numerous fantasy creatures, characters, and settings are shown throughout the trailer, highlighting the vast D&D universe that longtime fans are sure to recognize. In addition to the trailer, the first poster for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has also debuted, featuring the famed logo front and center with the cast in silhouette. Check out the trailer and poster below:

Click here to watch the trailer on YouTube.

While Daley and Goldstein may seem like an unlikely pair to adapt the sprawling fantasy property, they were also in contention to take on The Flash before director Andy Muschietti took the reins, showing that they’ve been primed to tackle bigger properties like Dungeons & Dragons. Pine is coming off his run on the DCEU as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman 1984, and his long-delayed return as Captain Kirk in Star Trek 4 is still a ways off, so establishing a new franchise with D&D feels like a good fit for the actor. Likewise, Rodgriguez, close to wrapping up her run on the Fast & Furious series, opens the door for her to explore new franchises.

While many folks are trying to forget the 2000 version of Dungeons & Dragons, which failed to move the needle on the property in live-action, this new adaptation shows real promise. The cast is excellent, and the tone/style fits the brand well, even if a little heavier on the comedy than initially anticipated. The effects, action, and fantasy elements are all in place, and Daley and Goldstein appear to have paid attention to what makes the brand special, delivering on the elements that hardcore fans want to see while inviting in new audiences for an extraordinary fantasy adventure. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opens in theaters on March 3rd, 2023.