Dungeons & Dragonshas a TV show coming out, and one of its biggest issues may spring from the excellentDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.The originalDungeons & Dragonsmoviesdidn’t leave the franchise in the best place, giving the impression that the game was about as exciting as the nerdy stereotype made it out to be. Released between 2000 and 2012, these movies took themselves far too seriously. Fortunately,Honor Among Thievescame out in 2024 to giveD&Da good name.
The problem is thataDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievessequelis unlikely because of its disappointing box office performance. But despite the numbers, the movie was a raging success among fans of the source material and critics. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video is also pumping out a stellarDungeons & Dragonsshow,The Legend of Vox Machina. All of these successfulDungeons & Dragonsproductions are great for the franchise overall, but they may actually cause problems forThe Forgotten Realms, the newD&Dshow due to come out on Netflix.
Honor Among Thieves' Popularity Means Netflix’s D&D Show Will Be Compared To It
The Forgotten Realms Won’t Escape Comparison To Honor Among Thieves
Those behindThe Forgotten Realmsare likely aware of the comparisons toDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesthat it will be courting. Through all theDungeons & Dragonsproductions over the years, the community has maintained high standards. This was a problem for theD&Dmovies, and it will be a challenge forThe Forgotten Realms.Honor Among Thievesgot a lot of things right about the universe it was adapting, and the new show will likely have to please the same audience.
Fans and critics will inevitably get wrapped up in discussions about the show and the recent movie, comparing the two to the detriment of both.
AlthoughTheLegend of Vox Machinamakes theD&Dshow seem promising, it has high expectations to meet afterHonor Among Thievesdoes.Honor Among Thievesenjoyed a resurgence on Netflix recently, despite its low box office returns. This confirms that even more people than originally suspected liked the movie. These fans and critics will inevitably get wrapped up in discussions about the show and the recent movie, comparing the two to the detriment of both. The truth is thatit will be hard to compare the two usefully, namely given the differences between a TV show and a movie.
Unfair Comparisons Could Set Netflix’s Dungeons & Dragons Show Up To Fail
The Forgotten Realms Will Be Best Appreciated In Its Own Right
The Forgotten Realmscould be facing unfair comparisons that set it up to fail if fans and critics maintain a rigid idea of what it should be. With the clue in the name,the show will be embracing what may beDungeons & Dragons’most famous campaign setting- the Forgotten Realms.Honor Among Thievesalso thrived in this setting, so the show may end up using similar locations. Neverwinter, the city ruled by Hugh Grant’s character inHonor Among Thieves, is a hugely important city in the Realms and may well end up used in the show.
Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urdenventures to Neverwinter in an important miniseries of American writer R.A. Salvatore’sThe Legend of Drizztbook series. Drizzt won’t be the main character of the show but may well end up having a key cameo, given his importance inD&Dlore and position as arguably the most belovedD&Dcharacter. This would help the show stand out, but still,it could risk looking like a lower-budget version of Neverwinter.This can lead to claims that the show should have invented an entirely new story, with original characters, likeHonor Among Thieves.
The New Dungeons & Dragons Series Shouldn’t Be Too Similar To Honor Among Thieves
The Forgotten Realms Should Be Unique
Shawn Levy’s reassuring involvement in theDungeons & Dragonsshowpoints toward it being an original venture, which is what it should be. There are not all too many details available aboutThe Forgotten Realms, but what is known is exciting. After all, there are many famous locations and characters for the show to explore thatHonor Among Thievesdid not touch on. In general,it is quite unlikely that there will be a huge amount of crossover between the movie and the show, if any. The team that put together the movie is far removed from the show’s team.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieveswas a joint venture between Hasbro, eOne, and Paramount Pictures.
Hasbro sold eOne, which helped produceHonor Among Thieves.Honor Among Thieves’unlikely best character- Jarnathan, of course - definitely deserves an appearance in any futureD&Dendeavors, includingThe Forgotten Realms.But all things considered,the main adventuring party of the movie most likely won’t appear in the TV show, whether or not the show adventures to Neverwinter or explores the Harpers. This is fantastic news, because a whole new set of creative minds will be covering the Realms, even if the show touches on similar ground to the movie.
Honor Among Thieves’Harpers are also explored inDungeons & Dragons’multi-author book series.
Shawn Levy’s involvement with the show is exciting because he worked onStranger Things, which is yet another fantasticD&Dproduction released in recent years. Up there withHonor Among ThievesandThe Legend of Vox Machina,Stranger Thingsis a dark fantasy live-action TV series, and therefore the closest thing toThe Forgotten Realmsaround.The Forgotten Realmswould be better off looking toStranger ThingsthanHonor Among Thievesfor inspiration, if it has to look anywhere. Fortunately, Levy can helpDungeons & Dragonsdo just that.
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
