Dungeons And Dragons: How Honor Among Thieves Can Capture The Spirit Of The Game

gamerant.com:

Making a movie out of a game that is meant to be built by the unique players who enjoy it is a substantial uphill battle. After plenty of time to forget the earlier cinematic efforts, a complete cultural shift in perception, and a series of hostile negotiations, D&D is ready to take its chances again.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was revealed at this year's Comic-Con, where it teased its sense of humor and style of fantasy action. Some found it a fun proof of concept while others see a massive problem with both the premise and the execution.

The Problem With A Dungeons And Dragons Movie

Looking back at the D&D adaptations of the past, they are plagued with issues that are too numerous to list. On the other hand, adaptations of individual campaigns have seen tremendous success, both in financial returns and fan reception. Making a feature film out of the concept of D&D will run into the same problem every time. There's no central story that Honor Among Thieves intends to adapt, it's just set in the Forgotten Realms world. Its cast of characters feels vaguely like an adventuring party one might see around a table, but, just like the lowest common denominator of D&D groups, it all feels heavily based on other movies. The likely outcome of a D&D movie will always be a generic fantasy film with a ton of references. The studio hopes to send fans home happy after they see a mimic or a gelatinous cube, everything else is secondary. The only major difference between Honor Among Thieves and any other fantasy story is the license that allows them to use fan favorite designs. With that in mind, how can the film overcome its default state?

By its nature, a film can not and should not feel improvisational. This is a massive