The article contains mild spoilers for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley explain how Doric’s (Sophia Lillis) escape scene presented them with their biggest challenge during the film’s production. The fantasy film adaptation of the popular tabletop roleplaying game stars Lillis alongside Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Regé-Jean Page, and Hugh Grant. In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a party of rogue adventurers is caught up in a plot by an ancient evil to take over the world, leading them to take a stand against the threat.
When speaking to Entertainment Weekly about Honor Among Thieves‘ Tiefling druid Doric’s escape from the Neverwinter castle using her Wild Shape shapeshifting abilities, Goldstein and Francis Daley discussed the challenges that the action sequence posed. Daley stated that merging each of the sets used within the carefully edited scene was a challenging aspect, as the directors wanted to use as many practical elements as possible in the sequence. Check out Daley’s full response below:
“It was really challenging because, obviously, we were having to fuse multiple sets and outdoor locations in a way that feels like it’s all being filmed in one shot. We also tried as much as we could to rely on practical environments. Obviously, our animals were fake for the most part, with the exception of our cat, but it was a lofty endeavor and one that I’m so appreciative of the studio for allowing us to do because I think everyone knew going in that this was going to be über ambitious and really tough to pull off.”
Why Filming The Wild Shape Spell Was Challenging In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
With Honor Among Thieves pulling inspiration from Dungeons & Dragon‘s expansive lore, Goldstein and Francis Daley were allowed to pull from decades of lore to craft their fantasy world and characters. As such, both directors chose to bring the Wild Shape spell, a shapeshifting ability that allows characters in the Druid class to transform into animals depending on their respective levels. The Wild Shape sequence was a film element that went through much change throughout its journey from storyboarding and pre-visualization to filming. The final cut for the chase sequence ended with her transforming in five animal forms: mouse, hawk, cat, mythical bird, and deer.
While the Wild Shape spell offers the directors plenty of freedom to create their ideal sequence, Goldstein and Francis Daley experienced challenges in bringing the sequence to screen, having various concepts for different obstacles that Doric would face, including getting nearly bashed by drunk soldiers and a dog growling at her in cat form. Both directors also dealt with the decision of whether to present Doric’s transformation into her human form on-screen during the chase. Ultimately Goldstein and Francis Daley focused on other sequences in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to depict that transformation to avoid a moment that fell into the “uncanny valley territory” during the escape scene.
As one of the Druid classes’ most unique abilities, many existing fans will be relieved to see Wild Shape brought to life. However, with the game relying on players’ imagination, the two directors faced some difficulty in adapting the ability in a way that satisfies gaming and non-gaming audiences. But with Goldstein and Francis Daley successfully developing Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, existing players may wonder what other spells could be brought to life in potential sequels.
