Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieveswas a great introduction to the legendary game for many, but it disappointed at the box office and Hugh Grant may understand why. Although not the first movie in theDungeons & Dragonsfranchise,Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesoffered a fresh, original perspective and a fun fantasy movie that anyone could enjoy. Unfortunately, that didn’t negate its box office failure, which may make anHonor Among Thievessequelunlikely. Hugh Grant recently made some comments that help explain the problems with the movie and a sequel.

Honor Among Thieveswas filmed around the world, helping to create a movie with gorgeous landscapes and intricate set designs. It was a significant departure from the previousD&Dmovies that had emerged between 2000 and 2012, and it amassed generally favorable reviews, unlike its predecessors. A sequel would be more than welcome, allowing the opportunity to adapt some ofD&D’smost beloved characters. Hugh Grant’s words in a recent interview suggested what could be changed to make this more doable.

Honor Among Thieves Magic

Hugh Grant Is (Partially) Right About Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' Box Office

Grant Tackled The Issues With Honor Among Thieves

Hugh Grant suggested that audiences who weren’t familiar withDungeons & Dragonswere likely put off by the movie’s association with the classic tabletop game. Grant recently spoke toVanity Fairabout his attitude to moviemaking and provided some insightful comments about the 2023Dungeons & Dragonsmovie. He asked“Why didn’t anyone do market research before? I think that’s what went wrong: Basically, people just thought, I don’t want to see a film about this game. Why had no one asked the public?”

Honor Among Thieves 2 Can Use 1 Dungeons & Dragons Spell To Fix This Character’s Class

Honor Among Thieves 2 can use this well-known Dungeons & Dragons spell to fix one character’s class minimized functions from the first film.

The Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesmoviewas set in the Forgotten Realms ofD&Dlegend, bringing viewers some core elements of D&D lore, despite changing it in multiple ways. Despite being a delight for D&D fans the world over,the movie may not have landed with those unfamiliar with the game.Dungeons & Dragonshas huge cult status but remains a niche interest, by and large. What’s more, those unfamiliar with the scope and magic that the franchise has to offer may recognize it only as a pursuit of “nerdy” members of society and as a game only, rather than as a whole set of stories.

The cast of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves laying on bones.

Hugh Grant’s Comments Highlight How Difficult Making Honor Among Thieves 2 Is

An Honor Among Thieves Sequel Presents A Challenge

Hugh Grant’s comments highlight how the movie’s many successes were counteracted by the box office frustration that it caused, rendering a sequel difficult to pull off. Paramount Pictures will be far less keen to work ona sequel toHonor Among Thieveswithout figures that prove it to be commercially viable.Honor Among Thieves’high budget was what made it look so spectacularand brought in its fantastic cast, but the box office figures couldn’t justify it. The movie’s budget was needed for its effects and creatures, and a similar logic can be applied to a sequel.

Any sequel toHonor Among Thieveswould want to utilize the same level of CGI and practical effects, lest it suffer a drop in quality from the first movie. Therefore, a sequel would demand a similar budget. As such, enabling a sequel through lowering the budget doesn’t seem particularly viable. Grant’s suggestion thatHonor Among Thieves’lack of commercial appeal was instrumental in its box office numbers is helpful, implying thatParamount should widen commercial appeal for a sequel, either downplaying its association to the franchise, establishing it as some kind of reboot, or widening the marketing campaign.

Edgin talks to Kira in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Is There Any Hope For Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2?

There Could Be A Sequel If Paramount Changes Strategy

There is hope for aDungeons & Dragonssequel toHonor Among Thieves,but the team behind the movie would have to change some elements of theHonor Among Thievesstrategy for it to work.Honor Among Thievesstood very well on its own two legs as a fantasy heist movie, even for those who didn’t know or care aboutDungeons & Dragons. The positive reception proved this. One key learning from this is that a sequel could work if it stepped away from the IP in branding. Paramount could market the sequel as aD&Dpicture to the right segments, and retain the lore subtly in the background.

The recent cancelation of aD&DTV show is another sign of the difficulties the franchise is facing.

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An expansive marketing campaign that leaned into an education piece onD&Dfor the general public is a different strategy that could also work. Either way, Paramount faces a challenge launchinga follow-up toHonor Among Thieves. The recent cancelation of aD&DTV show is another sign of the difficulties the franchise is facing. However, if industry wisdom such as that touted by Hugh Grant prevails, there are certainly ways that audiences could receive a well-deserved continuation toDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Cast

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves follows a cunning thief and a group of unlikely adventurers on a quest to recover a lost relic. The film details their epic heist, which takes a perilous turn as they encounter formidable adversaries, adding complexity to their mission.