With a March 31. release date, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves looks to impress old fans, new fans, and non-fans alike. At least that’s what directors John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein hope to end up happening.
Known best for co-directing Vacation and Game Night, Francis Daley and Goldstein are no strangers to comedy, but when it comes to adapting D&D, they’ve proven just how serious they can be. In a recent interview with Empire, the dynamic duo sat down to discuss their work on Honor Among Thieves and the challenges of reinterpreting D&D for a wider audience.
Accessibility seems to be the name of their game, and Johnathon Goldstein understands that in order to get people on board for his new adventure — the creatives behind the film had to cater to circumstances.
“We created each sequence in a way that, if you know nothing about D&D, you’re still gonna enjoy it, because it’s not specific to your knowledge of the game. I would always go back to, ‘Would my mom understand this?'”
It seems as the Francis Daley and Goldstein have set out to capture the world of Dungeons & Dragons, rather than the gameplay — which is a good thing when you think about it. Frankly, most people aren’t THAT into tabletop games these days, least of all role-playing ones.
That’s not to say that the movie won’t appeal to hardcore fans either, as the adventurous new game spot released already showcases some D&D deep cuts. All anyone can do now is wait for the adventure to begin, and hope that it’s as good as the source material.