Sequel script for Dungeons & Dragons film exists but may not be made
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A sequel script to "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" has been written but may never be filmed, co-director Jonathan Goldstein has confirmed, citing the high cost of producing such movies. Speaking to ScreenRant, Goldstein said he and creative partner John Francis Daley were hired to write the follow-up and would enjoy making it, praising the returning cast and the material they produced, but conceded it may not "see the light of day for a number of financial reasons." The revelation settles years of fan uncertainty by confirming that concrete sequel plans do exist, even as the project's future remains genuinely in doubt.
The 2023 original, directed by Goldstein and Daley and starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith and Sophia Lillis, was a critical hit, holding a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, but it underperformed commercially, taking $205.46 million worldwide against a roughly $150 million budget shared by Paramount and Hasbro's eOne. Grant has previously said he was mystified nobody tested audience appetite for a D&D film beforehand. Goldstein and Daley, known for comedies including "Vacation" and "Game Night," are now moving on to the action thriller "Renegades" and the next "Star Trek" instalment for Paramount, leaving the fate of a live-action D&D sequel unresolved after two earlier Syfy sequels followed a poorly received 2000 film.
- A written D&D sequel script exists but may never be made
- Co-director cites high production costs as the obstacle
- Original film was a critical hit but a box-office disappointment
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was a 2023 fantasy adventure film based on the long-running tabletop role-playing game, directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley and starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith and Sophia Lillis. It won praise from critics but did not make back its budget at the box office, leaving its future as a franchise uncertain.
Since then, fans and industry watchers have wondered whether a follow-up would ever happen, given the film's mixed commercial performance and the poor track record of earlier D&D screen adaptations, including a 2000 film and two television sequels. Goldstein and Daley have since moved on to other projects, such as the film Renegades and a new Star Trek instalment, adding to doubts about the sequel's prospects.
The film was made by Paramount alongside Hasbro's eOne, the studio arm linked to the D&D brand's owner. Any sequel decision would rest on weighing the high cost of blockbuster film-making against the film's underwhelming box office returns, which is the financial tension at the heart of ongoing questions about its future.
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Originally published by Variety as “‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Sequel Was Written but May Never Be Filmed Due to ‘Financial Reasons’”.