Paramount will be hoping that the upcoming and unconnected Dungeons & Dragons movie and TV show fare better than New Line Cinema’s attempt at launching a franchise, with the 2000 effort bombing at the box office after failing to come close to recouping its $45 million budget in theaters while being panned by critics and fans alike, although it did eventually spawn two VOD sequels.
We haven’t heard much on John Wick writer Derek Kolstad’s episodic series since it was announced in January, but production on the big budget epic got underway last month in Iceland. Game Night‘s Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are directing from a script they also wrote, with Dungeons & Dragons having been awarded a March 2023 release date.
A solid cast has been assembled, too, as Chris Pine was first to sign on for the lead role before being joined by Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom‘s Justice Smith, It‘s Sophia Lillis and Bridgerton‘s breakout star Regé-Jean Page. In a new interview, the latter revealed his excitement about getting the chance to make a living fighting dragons in a huge fantasy blockbuster, saying the following:
“It’s a brilliant job. I’m literally paying my mortgage by fighting imaginary dragons.”
Hasbro’s acquisition of eOne and partnership with Paramount is set to lead to a number of recognizable properties getting all sorts of feature film and television spinoffs, with Dungeons & Dragons being joined by Power Rangers and G.I. Joe in receiving what the executives will be hoping is the shared universe treatment.
Fantasy on such a serious scale can often be hit-or-miss, but there’s a pair of talented filmmakers at the helm and a solid mix of established names and rising talents in the ensemble, so there’s no reason why the latest adaptation of the tabletop favorite can’t be a massive success when it arrives almost two years from now.