Michelle Rodriguez and Justice Smith are slated to join Chris Pine in Paramount’s, Dungeons & Dragons. Deadline reports that the film will feature an ensemble cast and take on a “subversive approach to the game.”
Rodriguez is best known for her work in Avatar and Resident Evil, as well as playing Letty in The Fast and the Furious franchise. Meanwhile, Smith starred in Jurassic World and alongside Ryan Reynolds in Detective Pikachu. Chris Pine was last seen in Wonder Woman 1984 and is currently shooting the Olivia Wilde-directed film, Don’t Worry Darling. As of now, not much is known about Dungeons & Dragons, as information about the plot and characters have yet to be released.
Hasbro’s popular fantasy entertainment franchise has been around for over 46 years. More than 40 million fans have played or interacted with D&D. The game is largely known for its use of imagination and incorporation of war games, treasure hunts, campaigns, and camaraderie. It is overseen by a host (the Dungeon Master) and primarily takes place alongside humans, elves, and orcs.
The last major Dungeons & Dragons film was released in 2000, and starred Jeremy Irons, Marlon Wayans, and Zoe McLellan. The film was considered a critical and commercial flop. According to Box Office Mojo, it grossed $15 million domestically on a $45 million budget. Over the past decade, D&D, whose rights are controlled by Hasbro, has been involved in numerous battles over its film rights.
At one point, Goosebumps filmmaker Rob Letterman was set to direct the next iteration for Warner Bros, but following a legal battle between Sweetpea Entertainment and Hasbro, the film’s ownership rights were moved to Paramount Pictures. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who co-directed, Game Night, and wrote Spider-Man: Homecoming and Horrible Bosses, were hired by Paramount to direct the project.
The film is expected to start shooting this year at the Game of Thrones studio in Belfast.
Source: Deadline