The Chinese film market has notably eschewed major Hollywood releases the last few years. However, China has slowly begun to reopen, allowing Hollywood films to air in its theatres. Paramount and eOne’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is the latest Hollywood film production to be given a March date for its Chinese release.
According to a report from Deadline, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is set to release on March 31 in China The adaptation of the iconic Hasbro role-playing game will arrive in theaters on the same day in North America. The announcement was made by Paramount on its Weibo account and it will be seen as welcome news. China is one of the largest viewing markets in the world, and this is sure to impact how well the film performs at the box office on a global scale.
This announcement follows on from similar moves by China to reopen its market to Hollywood. The country had, in recent years, placed somewhat of an embargo on films from the US with an almost laser focus on superhero films. Marvel hasn’t had any of its productions since Avengers: Endgame air in China and for DC, the recent release of the Dwayne Johnson led Black Adam was equally snubbed. The tide has seemingly turned with China granting screen time to Marvel productions like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever slated to play on Chinese screens along with the upcoming Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which will hit China on Feb. 17. DC’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods also received access to the market and will be released on March 17.
The ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ World is Already Expanding
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves follows Edgin (Chris Pine), who teams up with an unlikely group of individuals with the purpose of stealing an old relic. Their unification as a team is put to the test when things do not go according to plan and they are forced to work together having crossed the wrong people. With the film set to release at the end of March, Paramount has already revealed that it is expanding the franchise, with the announcement that a television series is being developed for its streaming arm, Paramount+. With a total of seven episodes in the first season, Rawson Marshall Thurber has been attached to write and direct the first episode.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves boasts an impressive cast that features Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis and the aforementioned Pine. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein will co-direct the film from a script written alongside screenwriter Michael Gillio (Kwik Stop). The film is set for an early screening at the 2023 SXSW.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves premieres in theaters on March 31.
via Collider