“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” emerged victorious over last weekend’s champ “John Wick: Chapter 4” at the domestic box office, rolling $38.5 million from 3,855 North American theaters in its opening weekend.
Buoyed by positive reviews and enthusiastic word-of-mouth, Paramount and eOne’s adaptation of the popular role-playing game landed on the higher end of expectations, which had pegged the film with a debut between $30 million and $40 million.
Internationally, “Dungeons & Dragons” collected $33 million from 58 markets for a global tally of $71.5 million.
Ticket sales are expected to remain strong in the coming weeks, which is necessary because the film cost $150 million before its hefty marketing campaign. Inaugural crowds were likely boosted by hardcore D&D players, but analysts believe the film will appeal to broader audiences, who may not know as much about the game, as it continues its run on the big screen.
“The opening weekend performance of ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ is just the first step in the journey for this well-reviewed film,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst.
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, says “this is a good opening for an action adventure that has the potential to generate sequels.” He adds, “At a cost of $150 million, foreign is where ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ has to excel to be profitable and become a series.”
Though its box office campaign is far from complete, the “D&D” movie adaptation is considered another step forward for Hollywood, which has long struggled to bring games to the big screen. Adaptations have experienced a turnaround as of late with the success of Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” and its 2022 sequel, as well as Sony’s “Uncharted.” Universal and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which opens next weekend, is expected to continue the trend, with potential to become one of the biggest movies of the year.
“During the last 15 years, toys and video games have become good source material for new franchise films,” says Gross. “That wasn’t always the case.”
Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (“Game Night”) directed the PG-13 “Dungeons and Dragons,” which centers on a charming thief (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers (Michelle Rodriguez and Regé-Jean Page among them) who undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic. Audiences awarded the film an “A-” CinemaScore, which is a good sign, even though it’ll soon face competition from “Super Mario Bros.”
“These exit polls are stellar,” says Paramount’s president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson. “Our directors have been able to tell this story in a way that is accessible to everyone. They’re supremely talented.”
“Dungeons & Dragons” caps off an unexpectedly strong March at the box office, which fielded opening weekend franchise records for “Scream,” “Creed” and “John Wick” and could eventually ignite a new series in “D&D.” One newcomer in March that likely won’t be getting a sequel is “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which cost $110 million and has majorly stumbled with $53 million in North America and $119 million globally to date.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” took second place with $28.2 million from 3,855 venues, a stellar result for its sophomore outing. After two weeks on the big screen, the action sequel has generated $122.7 million in North America and $245 million globally. It’s aiming to catch up to 2019’s “Parabellum,” which ranks as the highest-earner of the franchise with $328 million.
In third place, “Scream VI” added $5.3 million from 3,016 locations, bringing its domestic total to $98.2 million. It’s already improved upon its predecessor, 2022’s “Scream,” which ended its North American box office run with $81 million.
The latest “Scream” placed just ahead of the faith-based drama “His Only Son” and “Creed III” on on box office charts. The movie opened to $5 million, which is impressive since it cost only $250,000 to make. “His Only Son,” about Abraham’s directive to make the ultimate sacrifice, is backed by a new company called Angel Studios, which gives creators the platform to crowdfund, create and distribute films and TV series with full creative control.
“Creed III” rounded out the top five with $5 million from 2,827 locations in its fifth weekend of release. The sports drama, directed by Michael B. Jordan who also stars in the film with Jonathan Majors, has grossed $148 million to date in North America.
Overseas, where Warner Bros. is rolling out “Creed III,” ticket sales have reached $110 million for an impressive global tally of $258 million. It’s already overtaken 2018’s sequel “Creed II” ($214 million) to become the highest-grossing entry of the spinoff series.
Elsewhere, A.V. Rockwell’s R-rated drama “A Thousand and One” debuted to $1.8 million from 926 theaters. The film, from Focus Features, landed in seventh place behind “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” with $4.17 million in its third outing.
Teyana Taylor stars in “A Thousand and One” as the free-spirited Inez, who kidnaps her 6-year-old son Terry from the foster care system and head to New York City. It premiered at Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury prize.
“Winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance solidified to us that ‘A Thousand and One’ speaks to audiences in a viscerally emotional way, and is a testament to A.V’s passion for telling this incredibly personal story,” says Lisa Bunnell, president of distribution at Focus. “The fantastic critical response coupled with Teyana’s raw, powerhouse performance gives us confidence this film will continue to resonate with audiences across the country.”
