Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was a great introduction to the legendary game for many, but it disappointed at the box office and Hugh Grant may understand why. Although not the first movie in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves offered a fresh, original perspective and a fun fantasy movie that anyone could enjoy. Unfortunately, that didn’t negate its box office failure, which may make an Honor Among Thieves sequel unlikely. Hugh Grant recently made some comments that help explain the problems with the movie and a sequel.

Honor Among Thieves was filmed around the world, helping to create a movie with gorgeous landscapes and intricate set designs. It was a significant departure from the previous D&D movies that had emerged between 2000 and 2012, and it amassed generally favorable reviews, unlike its predecessors. A sequel would be more than welcome, allowing the opportunity to adapt some of D&D’s most beloved characters. Hugh Grant’s words in a recent interview suggested what could be changed to make this more doable.

Hugh Grant Is (Partially) Right About Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Box Office

Grant Tackled The Issues With Honor Among Thieves

Hugh Grant suggested that audiences who weren’t familiar with Dungeons & Dragons were likely put off by the movie’s association with the classic tabletop game. Grant recently spoke to Vanity Fair about his attitude to moviemaking and provided some insightful comments about the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons movie. He asked “Why didn’t anyone do market research before? I think that’s what went wrong: Basically, people just thought, I don’t want to see a film about this game. Why had no one asked the public?”

The Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie was set in the Forgotten Realms of D&D legend, bringing viewers some core elements of D&D lore, despite changing it in multiple ways. Despite being a delight for D&D fans the world over, the movie may not have landed with those unfamiliar with the game. Dungeons & Dragons has huge cult status but remains a niche interest, by and large. What’s more, those unfamiliar with the scope and magic that the franchise has to offer may recognize it only as a pursuit of “nerdy” members of society and as a game only, rather than as a whole set of stories.

Hugh Grant’s Comments Highlight How Difficult Making Honor Among Thieves 2 Is

An Honor Among Thieves Sequel Presents A Challenge

Hugh Grant’s comments highlight how the movie’s many successes were counteracted by the box office frustration that it caused, rendering a sequel difficult to pull off. Paramount Pictures will be far less keen to work on a sequel to Honor Among Thieves without figures that prove it to be commercially viable. Honor Among Thieves’ high budget was what made it look so spectacular and brought in its fantastic cast, but the box office figures couldn’t justify it. The movie’s budget was needed for its effects and creatures, and a similar logic can be applied to a sequel.

Any sequel to Honor Among Thieves would want to utilize the same level of CGI and practical effects, lest it suffer a drop in quality from the first movie. Therefore, a sequel would demand a similar budget. As such, enabling a sequel through lowering the budget doesn’t seem particularly viable. Grant’s suggestion that Honor Among Thieves’ lack of commercial appeal was instrumental in its box office numbers is helpful, implying that Paramount should widen commercial appeal for a sequel, either downplaying its association to the franchise, establishing it as some kind of reboot, or widening the marketing campaign.

Is There Any Hope For Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2?

There Could Be A Sequel If Paramount Changes Strategy

There is hope for a Dungeons & Dragons sequel to Honor Among Thieves, but the team behind the movie would have to change some elements of the Honor Among Thieves strategy for it to work. Honor Among Thieves stood very well on its own two legs as a fantasy heist movie, even for those who didn’t know or care about Dungeons & Dragons. The positive reception proved this. One key learning from this is that a sequel could work if it stepped away from the IP in branding. Paramount could market the sequel as a D&D picture to the right segments, and retain the lore subtly in the background.

The recent cancelation of a D&D TV show is another sign of the difficulties the franchise is facing.

An expansive marketing campaign that leaned into an education piece on D&D for the general public is a different strategy that could also work. Either way, Paramount faces a challenge launching a follow-up to Honor Among Thieves. The recent cancelation of a D&D TV show is another sign of the difficulties the franchise is facing. However, if industry wisdom such as that touted by Hugh Grant prevails, there are certainly ways that audiences could receive a well-deserved continuation to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.