Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have cited a confluence of unfortunate timing as the primary reason for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' box office underperformance. The fantasy film, released in March 2023, faced significant headwinds from competing blockbuster releases and controversy surrounding Wizards of the Coast's proposed licensing changes for its tabletop role-playing game.
Daley explained in an episode of The Discourse Podcast that the movie debuted just four days before the record-breaking launch of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Compounding this, the film's release occurred only a month after Wizards of the Coast faced intense player backlash over planned alterations to its Open-Gaming License, which threatened the ability of creators to produce content based on D&D's fifth edition. Although Wizards of the Coast eventually reversed this decision, Daley believes the ensuing player discontent negatively impacted the film's reception.
"It was a perfect storm of all of those elements," Daley stated. He also felt the marketing efforts did not sufficiently appeal to audiences unfamiliar with the Dungeons & Dragons universe.
Despite its initial financial struggles, which led Paramount to pass on a sequel due to "financial" reasons, Honor Among Thieves has found a positive reception among fans post-release. Daley and Goldstein remain optimistic about the potential for a sequel, with producers and Hasbro reportedly interested in continuing the franchise if a suitable studio partner can be found. The directors expressed enthusiasm for returning to the characters and their world, noting that a potential sequel could launch directly into the story without extensive exposition.
While a film sequel is still uncertain, the Dungeons & Dragons franchise is expanding in other media. A live-action television series is in development at Netflix, focusing on the gothic-horror world of Ravenloft and the creation of the vampire Darklord Strahd von Zarovic. Additionally, a new third-person action-adventure game, Dungeons & Dragons: Warlock, is slated for release in 2027.