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Tag: Dungeons and Dragons

  • ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Dethrones ‘John Wick 4’ with a Decent Opening Weekend

    ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Dethrones ‘John Wick 4’ with a Decent Opening Weekend

    the final numbers are in and the Dungeons & Dragons film has barely missed out on the $40M mile but still pulled in an okay $38.5M. While it is higher than its initial predictions, which were set relatively low but not surprising given how sci-fi and fantasy struggle at the box office at times, it’s still going to face an uphill battle to make up for its high $150M budget. Internationally, the film has made around $71.5M with a softer $33M global cume.

    The reviews and PostTrak score are hinting that the film might have a chance at some strong legs but with tough competition on the horizon, it’s anyone’s game at this point. Including a premiere at SXSW, the marketing spend on this film is quite high and it’ll definitely need those legs to keep going but The Super Mario Bros. Movie is already on the horizon next weekend. As both share a similar audience, this year might become quite the bloodbath at the box office.

    John Wick Chapter 4 faced a surprising 62% drop to $28.2M after its record opening. Some thought it would drop lower with its strong word-of-mouth. “Blockbuster” releases have faced much higher drops since the pandemic started as people are much more selective in their viewing choices but this won’t stop John Wick’s latest adventure to become the highest-grossing of the franchise.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Director Reveals How They Got [SPOILER] to Cameo

    ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Director Reveals How They Got [SPOILER] to Cameo

    The following article contains a major spoiler for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. So, only continue at your own risk if you haven’t watched the film.

    Dungeons & Dragons is a very self-contained story with an already stacked cast including Hugh Grant, Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and more. Yet, there’s a fun little cameo in the middle of the film that further explores Rodriguez‘ character of Holga Kilgore. We learn that she gave up everything for her love but not being able to let go would push them further apart.

    The funniest part, the cameo of her tiny lover was nonother than Bradley Cooper. It’s a very out-of-nowhere cameo that is perfect and it’s funny how Cooper keeps playing small characters in big-budget releases. Especially as we’ll see him return as Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in just a few more weeks.

    So, the question on everyone’s mind might be how they managed to get this A-list character to join the production. Well, it turns out that director John Francis Daley. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Daley reveals he sent him an unfinished film to convince him to join.

    Well, I co-starred with Bradley [Cooper] on the show KitchenConfidential when I was 19 years old, and we appreciated each other’s careers from afar after that experience. And so when this opportunity came up, we knew we wanted someone to inhabit the role that brought with it this sense of gravitas and just full-on acting chops. So I don’t remember who it was that pitched Bradley, but the second I heard the name, I thought, “Oh, let’s go for it.” So we sent him a copy of the unfinished film and he loved it. So he was ready to jump on board, and it was such an awesome day.

    John Francis Daley

    It was a great little surprise to see him in this tiny role. not only was it one of the funniest jokes in the film seeing Olga’s preference for men but having Cooper‘s sincerity in the role gave us one of the most heartfelt moments in the film.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Rolls the Dice to Take Down ‘John Wick 4’

    ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Rolls the Dice to Take Down ‘John Wick 4’

    This weekend will see an interesting battle between fantasy and gun-fu, as Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is rolling out in theaters worldwide. After pulling in a good $5.6M in previews at the domestic box office, the film is trying its luck on potentially dethroning last weekend’s big hit, John Wick Chapter 4. As of now, the film is eyeing an opening between $30M to potentially $40M but tomorrow’s numbers will give us a clearer picture.

    John Wick 4 is heading towards a stronghold in its sophomore weekend with around $36M expected. Though given its popularity it might even go higher as well. The only issue for Dungeons & Dragons lies in the fact that it has quite a steep $150M production window. So, it will have to bank on good word-of-mouth to keep it going as the summer box office is just around the corner with quite a line-up.

    March generally has been a strong month with some break-out releases on small to medium budgets like Creed 3, Scream 6, and John Wick 4. While Shazam Fury of the Gods floundered and didn’t even have a big opening like Ant-Man 3, it’s great to see some strong showings after the pandemic years making many wonder what the future holds for theatrical experiences.

    If the Chris Pine project manages to pull in some strong word-of-mouth and heads to the $40M opening, it might have a chance to balance its softer opening throughout the coming weeks. But, interestingly, it’s not too different from Shazam: Fury of the Gods which had a smaller budget of $100M but opened to $30M. Perhaps it’s not quite superhero fatigue but blockbuster fatigue in the off-season.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Series in Development at Paramount+

    ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Series in Development at Paramount+

    Dungeons & Dragons is set to expand further into the world of live-action Hollywood content. Paramount+ has ordered up eight-episodes straight-to-series based on the popular fantasy role-playing game from Hasbro. Rawson Marshall Thurber, the director of Netflix’s most viewed original film Red Notice, has written the script for the pilot episode and is also set to direct the series which will be a co-production between Paramount Pictures and eOne.

    Dungeons & Dragons was part of an extensive bidding war from eOne that included various major studios in the television landscape. Ultimately, Paramount came away the victors and will add the gaming stalwart to their library. This acquisition comes after the commercial success Paramount Pictures had with Halo on Paramount+. The move to work with eOne is logical as the two studios are already working together to produce and finance Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a major theatrical release set for March 31 of this year. There is no word on if there’ll be any connections between the feature film and this newly announced series.

    It’s been rumored that eOne has had the notion of adapting Dungeons & Dragons into a television series a top priority since acquiring Hasbro in 2019. The newly announced series is to be the largest project the studio has worked on by a significant margin. Assuming the project is successful, there is potential for eOne to expand into creating an expanded universe of multiple projects that interconnect to some degree. It will be interesting to follow if this iteration of Dungeons & Dragons can become one of the next major cinematic franchises in Hollywood.

    Source: Deadline

  • Rege-Jean Page Explains Why He Joined ‘Dungeons & Dragons’

    Rege-Jean Page Explains Why He Joined ‘Dungeons & Dragons’

    The celebrity of Rege-Jean Page has only just begun, and the actor can’t seem to wait for audiences to see his next project. Hot off the smashing success of Bridgerton‘s steamy first season, Page left the series and pursued other work. He can next be seen on the same streaming service that made him a star, portraying a lead character in Netflix’s action thriller film The Grey Man. There, he’ll act opposite Hollywood icons Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, under direction from blockbuster maestros Joe and Anthony Russo. If that wasn’t enough to solidify Page‘s spot as one of the industry’s next great leading men, his follow-up to The Grey Man will likely do the trick.

    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will be the first theatrically released, live-action adaptation of the world’s most famous role-playing game since 2000’s critical failure, Dungeons & Dragons. Page plays a Paladin named Xenk in the film, putting his name up with the likes of fellow cast members Chris Pine and Hugh Grant. The former Mortal Engines star is currently at San Diego Comic-Con promoting the movie, and offered a fantastic answer when asked by The Hollywood Reporter why he joined the cast in the first place:

    In a word, it was fun. It was really, really fun. I remember picking up the script and not knowing what to expect and hoping it was good and then it surpassing every hope that I had for it. It’s full of heart, and humor, and compassion, and adventure… You always love it when a job makes it hard to say no, and so I didn’t.

    Rege-Jean Page

    If Page is even the least bit accurate with this description, then Honor Among Thieves won’t be a release fans will want to miss. The reboot, directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, hits theaters on March 3, 2023.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • SDCC: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Actor Teases Film’s Monty Python-Vibe

    SDCC: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Actor Teases Film’s Monty Python-Vibe

    When it comes to films, Hugh Grant is an underrated actor who has seen the likes of Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually. Grant is known for his rugged good looks and his subtle quick-wit humor. He effortlessly nails his roles, though you can tell the amount of irony he includes in his performances is something he has perfected.

    And though Grant is known for his rom-com career, the actor joined the cast of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Grant and his castmates sat down for an interactive panel today at San Diego’s Comic-Con to give their thoughts on what brought them to lend their talents to the movie. Grant mentioned he thought the script was very funny, saying “I hate all scripts. I’m notorious(ly) negative…(but) I thought it had a very Monty Python vibe to it.”

    Obviously, there’s a bit of Hugh charm in that answer, but he’s making a statement. He expects this movie to pull elements from the greatness that is Monty Python. For those who might not know, Monty Python and The Holy Grail was released in 1975 to critical acclaim and forever changed the landscape of comedy with its wild humor. Movies like Austin Powers and shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons were directly influenced by this style of comedy. If Dungeons and Dragons is remotely in this stratosphere, hand Grant his Oscar now!

    You can get in on all the action when Dungeons & Dragons hits theaters on March 3, 2023.

    Source: SDCC

  • SDCC: ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Directors Wanted to Stay True to the Original Game

    SDCC: ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Directors Wanted to Stay True to the Original Game

    After a long wait, we finally got a first look at the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film. With a surprisingly stacked cast, we take a look at the long-running fantasy world through the lens of the silver screen. While it’s not the first time that an adaptation was tackled, this may be the biggest budget one has ever received.

    Still, directing duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to reassure long-time players that this film still remains true to what the original games were all about. They highlighted how they tackled the story and to keep that feeling alive that you get with any other DnD round.

    D&D is not just a game… it’s about the feeling when playing the game and that’s what we tried to bring to the film.

    John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

    The pen and paper game has gone through many iterations throughout the years, even being accused of summoning demons back in the 80s. Stranger Things gave it a new life as a main part of the game and even how they name the creatures from the Upside-Down throughout. It’ll be interesting to see how a movie adaptation could bring that feeling to life. They did highlight during the panel that they’ve worked closely to ensure their lore also remains true.

    It opens up the possibility that we may see a game master potentially voicing over their adventures. It could add some fun elements to twist up whatever they have planned. It’s uncertain if it’s a straightforward fantasy adventure or perhaps could even take a LEGO Movie direction midway through. For now, we’ll have to wait until it releases on March 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • SDCC Promotion Offers First Look at ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’

    SDCC Promotion Offers First Look at ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’

    Dungeons and Dragons, one of the most popular table-top games of all time, is finally returning to the big screen. Ahead of the first day of San Diego Comic-Con, we now have our first look at the Chris Pine-led film, which is slated to hit theaters early next year.

    Those lucky enough to be in attendance for SDCC’s preview night on Wednesday spotted the first promotional material for the film at the Tavern experience. Fans can get their first look at the entire band of characters that we’ll be following on this journey, along with the very first poster for the film.

    While unconfirmed it looks as if Regé-Jean Page will be playing a paladin, Chris Pine a Bard, Sophia Lillis a Satyr rogue, Michelle Rodriguez a barbarian, Justice Smith an elf sorcerer, and Hugh Grant possibly a cleric. 

    The very first poster is littered with quite a few notable creatures from the game including the classic Mimic, an Intellect Devourer, an Owlbear, and even a displacer.

    Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is set to have quite the presence at San Diego Comic Con this year, with a Hall H panel currently scheduled for Thursday, July 21st at 12pm PT where those in attendance can expect a special look at the film.

    SOURCE: Twitter

  • ‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber to Direct ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Series

    ‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber to Direct ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Series

    Entertainment One has been quite focused on adapting a TV series based on Dungeons & Dragons. It looks like they have also found the person to bring it to life with Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber signed on to adapt the classic role-playing game. He is set to write, direct and executive produce the pilot for the series. It’s uncertain if this will connect to the film that is currently in production by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.

    Derek Kolstad was tapped to create a series based on the franchise, but it’s uncertain if he’s moved on from the project given he’s recently signed on to adapt various projects like Battle Chasers. It seems their plan is to create a live-action cinematic universe based on the tabletop franchise. It’s uncertain how involved Thurber is in establishing the greater franchise besides this series.

    Before he worked don Red Notice, he was also the mastermind behind projects like Central Intelligence, Skyscraper, We’re the Millers, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. He does have some background in TV with Fox’s The Loop and NBC’s Marry Me. So, the writer and director is no stranger to long-form storytelling and it’ll be interesting to see how he might tackle a fantasy-based storyline.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter