Dungeons & Dragons Movie Has Spielberg Vibes, Says Chris Pine

With the trailer promising a light-hearted adventure, star Chris Pine says that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has major Steven Spielberg vibes. Pine is leading the ensemble cast of the fantasy adventure alongside Michelle Rodriguez, Bridgerton‘s Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Chloe Coleman, Jason Wong and Daisy Head. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the acclaimed duo behind 2018’s dark mystery comedy Game Night, are at the helm for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on a script they co-wrote with Michael Gilio, itself based on a story treatment from the latter and former director Chris McKay.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves centers on Edgin, a charming Bard and leader of a group of thieves who is hired to retrieve a lost relic. However, upon discovering that he’s delivered the relic to someone using it for nefarious means, Edgin and his team must step up and prove themselves as more than thieves and save the world. Audiences got their first glimpse of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves this week and one star is sharing an exciting tidbit of what to expect from the upcoming movie reboot.

While speaking with SlashFilm at San Diego Comic-Con, Chris Pine offered some insight for the tone audiences can expect from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The star said that the film has Steven Spielberg vibes and praised directing duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley for the “light” and “buoyant” energy they brought to the set. See what Pine shared below:

“There’s a — I guess I would kind of call it — it’s like a Spielbergian energy to it. It’s the films that I grew up with in the ’80s. It just feels open, light, and buoyant, and your job is to — like good improv, just kind of keep it alive — keep the energy and music of the scene alive … And I like that kind of filmmaking, and it makes for a nice energy on set, because you’re not trying to fix all of the world’s woes, the deep sadness or whatever. There’s a certain pathos and deep and great emotion in this, but I would say I guess the word I think of is kind of buoyant, keeping it fun — lively, popping energy to it that I think we all glommed onto.”

Pine’s tease that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has Spielberg vibes is sure to prove an enticing idea for fans of the tabletop game, pointing towards an entertaining combination of comedy and adventure, as seen in the likes of the Indiana Jones movies, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Hook. The first Dungeons & Dragons movie trailer, which premiered in time for SDCC, nicely pointed towards this balance of tones as Pine taps into his action star persona while also going against-type as a humorous Bard. With much of the ensemble surrounding Pine’s Edgin also looking to deliver a blend of laughs and thrilling action set pieces in the film, anticipation is on a much more positive track for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves after the infamously panned first movie adaptation of the games.

Those familiar with Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley may not be surprised to see the promise in their Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie. Though their directorial debut, a belated National Lampoon’s Vacation sequel, was poorly received, the duo proved their strength as writers with the likes of Horrible Bosses and Spider-Man: Homecoming and wowed critics and audiences alike with their sophomore directing effort Game Night, which was praised for balancing its darker comedy with its mystery, making them a great choice to bring the Wizards of the Coast game back to the big screen. Only time will tell if the new film fares better than previous efforts when Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves hits theaters on March 3, 2023.