‘Dungeons & Dragons’ sequel gets disappointing update despite script being ready
A second 'Dungeons & Dragons' movie is further along than fans may have expected, but it still has no greenlight. Jonathan Goldstein, who co-wrote and co-directed 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' with John Francis Daley, confirmed that a sequel screenplay has already been completed. Goldstein said the team was hired to write the follow-up, although he does not know whether it will move into production. The main issue, according to the filmmaker, is the cost of making another fantasy film on the scale of the 2023 release. Goldstein discussed the project during San Diego Comic-Con. He said, “We actually wrote a sequel to Dungeons and Dragons. We were hired to write it. I don't know that it will see the light of day for a number of financial reasons. They're expensive movies to make, but it'd be great fun to do it. We love that cast, and we think we wrote something that fans would like.” His comments confirm that the proposed sequel has already completed the screenplay stage.
The update comes three years after 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' opened in theaters on March 31, 2023. The movie starred Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. Pine and Rodriguez star as Edgin Darvis and Holga Kilgore. It earned about $205 million worldwide against a reported $150 million budget, according to Deadline. The total made a second movie difficult to justify, despite the response from critics and viewers. 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' holds a 91% critics score and a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also nominated for best fantasy film at the Saturn Awards. Goldstein, Daley, and co-writer Michael Gilio also won a Hugo Award for best long-form dramatic presentation. The writers have spoken before about continuing the story, and former Paramount Pictures chief Brian Robbins had said a sequel could be considered with a lower budget.
Goldstein's latest comments show that the sequel's screenplay has been completed, but the financial question remains unresolved. Beyond the film, the 'Dungeons and Dragons' franchise is still being developed for television. Paramount+ once ordered a live-action 'Dungeons & Dragons' series, but that version was later scrapped. The project was later redeveloped at Netflix as a new iteration titled 'The Forgotten Realms.' Drew Crevello is the writer and showrunner, with Shawn Levy and Dan Levine producing. For now, the Netflix series remains in development, while the completed movie sequel has not received formal approval.
