Inside The Box Office Stamina Of ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of the year’s biggest box office hits. Placing sixth globally at the time of writing, it has grossed $202.48 million worldwide, with $90.88 million of that coming from domestic audiences.

Six weeks after its theatrical debut, it remains in the top ten, continuing to pull people in. It has now also dropped on VOD to purchase with a 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on release to follow on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Inspired by the iconic tabletop role-playing game, the fantasy action-adventure boasts an ensemble cast that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, and Bridgerton‘s Regé-Jean Page.

“We’re excited about its home entertainment release because I think that opens you up to a whole new group of people that were uncertain about seeing it in theaters, putting in the time and money, to discover it,” explained co-director John Francis Daley. “This is a film that is intended to be seen en masse. It is big and appeals to a broad audience, so the level of success it is enjoying was definitely something we were hoping for.”

“The critical praise exceeded what I dared to imagine,” enthused co-helmer Jonathan Goldstein. “We knew we had made something that we felt was good, but you never know if critics will embrace that, especially with a title like D&D. They went in expecting it to be a certain thing, a cash grab, so for them to get past that negative expectation and say, ‘Hey, wait, this is good,’ or smart or whatever it was they thought was very satisfying. It wasn’t what we expected, but it was what he hoped for.”

Both Goldstein and Daley had an inkling that they might have a hit on their hands when they got to test screen it.

“We did as much as we possibly could when it came to the testing because when you’re in a bubble, making a film like this, especially during the pandemic, where you had a restricted amount of people to see it, it’s that catharsis, of being able to put in front of an audience,” Daley admitted. “Also, that’s not an audience of super fans at the premiere or a test audience you recruit. You want the ‘normies.’ Seeing it hit with these people was gratifying for both of us.”

Goldstein added that one of the most fun parts of the process was when Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opened in theaters, and they got to sneak into the theaters and watch the reactions of paying customers. However, there was one thing they didn’t see coming.

“One of the more unexpected reactions was the Marlamin scene with Bradley Cooper, the cameo he did for us,” Goldstein recalled. “We knew there would be initial laughs but ultimately, the scene is written and performed as a serious emotional, and sad reunion between former partners. People were laughing throughout the scene.”

The filmmaker continued, “I think that they couldn’t get their heads around the fact that Bradley Cooper was three feet tall, and that just continued. It didn’t hurt the scene. I think, ultimately, it successfully did both things, so that was a little bit of a surprise to us.”

Daley was particularly happy that they managed to keep the surprise quiet for so long. “Who knows for sure why people didn’t spoil it, but I’d like to attribute it to the respect people had for the film itself,” he hoped. “I hope it’s also because they got so much pleasure in seeing and discovering those moments and didn’t want to spoil it for their peers. That could be totally wrong, but that’s how I like to look at it.”

With the critical and box office success of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, questions about a possible sequel are to be expected. However, the current writers’ strike has impacted that out of the gate.

“We’ve spent so much time focusing on getting this film right that, frankly, we haven’t had a lot of time to think about what comes after,” Daley confessed. “Obviously, in the story itself, it does lend itself to a continuation of what our characters could be doing in a sequel, and I think there is a multitude of possibilities of worlds and characters that we could explore.

“Frankly, we haven’t discussed it too much, but it has been talked about a little. While we’re in this strike right now, we literally can’t do any work to it, so we’re at a bit of a standstill.”

Goldstein added, “It certainly does have an impact. We hadn’t got very far in any conversations with the studios about what a sequel might be, so we’re not really in a position during the strike to proceed with anything. It will throw a wrench in the works of that.”

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves isn’t the first time the directors have worked together. The partnership previously delivered the 2015 Vacation franchise revival and 2018’s Game Night. The latter grossed $117.7 million at the worldwide box office and continues to find new fans through social media buzz. As with D&D, people are hungry for more.

“We get bits and pieces of that love on the internet,” Daley admitted. “Anytime people discover something for the first time after the fact is really exciting. I don’t know if we would want to do a sequel as Game Night lends itself to a nice satisfyingly unresolved ending.”

Goldstein mused, “We’re always people who will err on the side of leaving audiences wanting more than giving them too much. We would only want to do a sequel to anything if we felt it could equal or surpass the original, and that’s a very high bar, especially when something is well received.”

“There is a varied success with sequels to cult movies, especially with comedies,” Daley concluded. “I don’t know if we would want to muddy the waters with a sequel for something we’re so proud of. Granted, I think there is probably a way in, but we haven’t really put much thought into it.”