The new Dungeons & Dragons reboot film is gearing up to be bigger and better than past movies based on the beloved roleplaying game. The world of Dungeons & Dragons is vast and full of storytelling potential; since the game's debut in 1974, players worldwide have put their imaginations to work to create unique stories within a fantasy universe filled with magic and monsters. However, despite the freedom that a film set in the D&D world should afford, the property has yet to spawn a film or franchise that resonates with audiences and truly captures the spirit of the game.
Dungeons & Dragons is no stranger to cinematic adaptation. In 2000, a film simply titled Dungeons & Dragons opened theatrically and was subsequently met with poor reviews and low box office returns. Despite the film's failure, the Dungeons and Dragons experience continued with two direct-to-video sequels: Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God in 2005 and Dungeons & Dragons 3: The Book of Vile Darkness in 2012. Both films fell victim to poor reviews.
With each new addition to the D&D film canon, a pattern began to emerge. Across the board, the trilogy was met with a consistent list of criticisms: cheap-looking visuals, poor acting/writing, lackluster directing, and an inaccessibility for viewers who weren't already well-versed in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Therefore, to finally craft a creatively and financially successful Dungeons & Dragons adaptation, a new film would require factors like a higher budget, a literate script, talented and charismatic actors, a strong creative vision in the director's chair, and a story that can appeal to fans of D&D while still being accessible for new fans. Thankfully, it looks like the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons film is checking all of these boxes, and if the creative team manages to pull it off, the movie could emerge as a new classic of the high-fantasy genre.
In order to elevate the new Dungeons & Dragons film above its predecessors, it will need a strong visual style that immerses the audience in the world of the film while avoiding a cheap, made-for-video look. Fortunately, the film is set to feature both directing and cinematography that will blow the first three films out of the water. The new film's directors, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, have a strong track record of delivering visually competent films, with some of their notable work including 2015's Vacation and 2018's Game Night. Cinematographer Barry Peterson's impressive resume includes films like Zoolander (2001), 21 Jump Street (2012), and The Lego Movie (2014). With this team on board, the visuals in the new Dungeons & Dragons film are in very safe hands.
One of the biggest criticisms of the original Dungeons & Dragons trilogy was the writing and acting, and the new film is also correcting this with a solid writing team and a stellar cast. Directors Goldstein and Daley penned the screenplay for the film, and their writing talents can be seen in films like Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). With their background in comedy and crafting relatable stories, it's likely that the new Dungeons & Dragons will include charismatic characters that take the audience on a journey of discovery through a world that many viewers will be unfamiliar with at first.
While no specifics have thus far been revealed, those characters are set to be played by an impressive cast of charismatic actors, including Chris Pine (the Star Trek reboot films), Michelle Rodriguez (the Fast and Furious franchise), Justice Smith (Detective Pikachu), and Hugh Grant (Notting Hill, Love Actually). With such an impressive list of talent both in front of and behind the camera, 2023's Dungeons & Dragons is shaping up to become the definitive big-screen adaptation of the game that fans have been waiting for.
