The first trailer for the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons flick Honor Among Thieves has arrived, and as much as I did not expect to say this, it doesn’t look bad.
The first 30 seconds of the trailer struck me as sort of a low-rent Lord of the Rings, and frankly I’ve had about enough with anachronistic mash-ups of fantasy action and Led Zeppelin. But the charm starts to flow once the action gets rolling and we meet our plucky band of heroes: Overlooked and underestimated but, like a tiefling who can turn into an owlbear, full of surprises.
In fact, that’s what really grabbed my attention: The owlbear. The very first D&D module I ever played featured an owlbear as its big monster (it was very low level) and they’ve had a special place in my heart ever since. I was thrilled to see one turn up in Baldur’s Gate 3 (opens in new tab), and now there’s going to be one on the big screen, too—an owlbear renaissance that’s long overdue.
The gelatinous cube, mimic, and giant spider are other fun Dungeons and Dragons touchstones, and Chris Pine as a bard who’s clearly winging it from moment to moment takes me straight to brave Sir Garrick (opens in new tab), also of Baldur’s Gate, the game that brought D&D back to CRPGs. Hugh Grant turns up for a quick appearance too, and he’s always good for a laugh.
Altogether, the trailer comes off as maybe a little edgier than I’d prefer—I like my D&D straight and nerdy—but you know, it might be fun. And if nothing else, to borrow a phrase from Sean Bean, they have an owlbear.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is set to debut in March 2023.
