Being the most famous and popular RPG system in the world, it is only natural that Dungeons & Dragons constantly be in the crosshairs of Hollywood studios. Much of what we know about medieval fantasy derives from it and the freedom that this universe offers is perfect for making any movie idea work. And that’s what Honor Among Thieves bet.
But the new feature produced by Paramount Pictures has a much greater challenge than honoring the legacy it D&D left to pop culture. More than that, the film starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez needs to remove the shadow of failure from the last attempt to bring this world to the screen.
For this, the new adventure bets on a much more uncompromising and even irreverent atmosphere with many games to win over the public and show that it is possible to bring good stories in this new roll of the dice.
What is Dungeons & Dragons?
The main focus of the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels is precisely in staying true to the original game. But what is D&D?
It is the best known and most used RPG system in the world. Created in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, it created a set of rules that served as an inspiration for other games in the genre and for the very imaginary of pop culture. Based on the influence of different sources — from Tolkien to other histories of classical literature —, D&D established an entire universe of medieval fantasy adventure that reverberates to this day.
Over these nearly five decades, Dungeons & Dragons evolved a lot and gained versions that were very different from each other. Currently in its fifth edition, it rescued the classic idea of the RPG of being a role-playing game and has dynamics that are very focused on this aspect of the game, which helped to renew the public’s interest.
However, the most notable achievement of D&D this whole time has been becoming a cultural phenomenon. Even those who have never played RPG know this universe or, at least, some of its elements. From orcs, goblins and dragons to magical artifacts, much of what we see today in fantasy stories in cinema and series is based on the system created in the 1970s. Not to mention, of course, the iconic cartoon Dragon’s Cavewhich marked the childhood of many people in Brazil
How Honor Among Rebels wants to stand out
Taking a ride on all this importance and on the growing public interest in fantasy stories in the early 2000s, New Line bet on an adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons for the movies. The idea was to create an epic that exploited all this potential that the game offered, but the result was a catastrophe: costing US$ 45 million, the feature grossed only US$ 33.8 million worldwide and suffered a huge loss.
For this very reason, it took more than 20 years for someone to decide to take D&D back to theaters. When Paramount Pictures announced Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebelsthe public looked at it with suspicion to the same extent that the studio itself was keen to say that, this time, things would be different.
The main criticism of the 2000 film was that it took itself too seriously in a story that was only basic – not to mention the bad effects even for the time. So, to distance itself from this failure, the new producer pointed out that the idea was to make something lighter and more humorous, like an RPG game between friends.
And that’s exactly what the trailers presented. With non-heroic characters and very misguided motivations, the film’s marketing sells the same chaotic spirit that made Guardians of the Galaxy one of Marvel’s biggest hits.
The reference even goes beyond the trailer packed with a fun soundtrack. The idea of a dysfunctional team of thieves who must survive and carry out their mission against all odds is reminiscent of what we’ve seen with superheroes — and that’s great.
Especially because this chaotic atmosphere is an important part of any RPG game. More than the seriousness of knights and paladins, what has made the game so popular all this time is its ability to allow players to play with the absurd and bring that irreverence into the story. AND Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels seems to have incorporated it very well.
Another point is the very reverence for the original material. In addition to representing very well the different classes that make up the game — bard, knight, barbarian, wizard and the like —, the film made a point of putting all the elements from the rulebooks in the foreground. They are iconic monsters, such as the mime and the owl bear, in addition to items, spells, cities and even jokes related to the game’s operation.
All of this promises to give the feature a familiarity that the previous adaptation failed to bring. the bet of Honor Among Rebels is in making the public see a match of D&D at all times on the screen. Not to mention, of course, the nostalgia for the old Dragon’s Cave.
What is the story of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels
From what the trailers showed, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels will focus on a group of adventurers who made a big mistake in the past. In search of easy money, they accept a mission to recover a magical item hidden in a dangerous dungeon – and they manage to get the job done.
The problem is that they didn’t expect their contractor to be linked to a sect of red mages who want to use the newly acquired artifact to resurrect an ancient entity and, with that, end humanity. Thus, they need to correct the mistake they made and carry out a new robbery.
Of course, there are more details in this plot, mainly involving the past of the protagonist lived by Chris Pine (Star Trek). From what has already been shown, he will play this bard who acts as the leader of the team and who has much more to fight for than just fixing a mistake in his group.
Beyond, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels still features Michelle Rodriguez (Fast and furious) as a barbarian warrior and young Justice Smith (Detective Pikachu) being this less-skilled mage — referring to the old Presto, from the classic Dragon’s Cave cartoon. The cast still has Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton) e Sophia Lillis (It: Chapter Two) in this group of adventurers, in addition to Hugh Grant (A place called Notting Hill) as the ruler of the iconic city of Neverwinter.
When Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels premieres
Let’s agree that the launch of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels it was quite confusing. The feature hit American theaters on March 31st and is scheduled to arrive in Brazil on April 13th.
However, Paramount has already been releasing some sessions across the country over the last few weeks. This means that, while you wait for these adventurers to arrive, many people have already seen the outcome of the story.
