STACK #224 June 2023

MOVIE FEATURE

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had a movie in our heads that we could bring to this giant world. Ultimately, we saw it as an opportunity to bring our approach, our humour, our style, to this grand scale, medieval, epic thing.” Astute cinephiles will recognise many influences in the filmmaking pair’s interpretation of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro’s beloved game, which they proudly admit. “We enjoy challenging ourselves and creating obstacles for ourselves,” says Daley. “This film was exactly that. We liked the idea of lending our sense of humour and sensibility to a world that had not ever really touched on that successfully, beyond The Princess Bride or Monty Python. And the studio was game.” “To their credit - and we’re grateful - the studio got what we were going for,” adds Goldstein, “which was walking that line of humour, but also emotion, stakes, and fun.” Daley eagerly interjects, “Spielberg’s stuff! I mean, Jurassic Park was very much a spirit animal for this film, in that it so expertly utilised the perfect blend of practical and visual effects. It’s also one of the cleanest and best adventure stories, down to the very opening, which we totally drew inspiration from: when the hobgoblin first arrives at the prison, as well as, obviously, a shot or two later on in the film,” he confesses with a smirk. “There’s also a sprinkling of Ocean's Eleven in there, with the heist aspects and such,” says Goldstein. “Our hope was to capture the spirit of what we loved as kids in ‘80s and ’90s movies - Raiders [ of the Lost Ark ], and the Amblin films - because they were such a great time in the theatre, you know?”

STACK chats with writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein about geeking out on Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves . Words Glenn Cochrane T he average moviegoer may be caught off guard by the breadth of hilarity in Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves , but it comes as no surprise for those familiar with its makers. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are the movie-making duo behind the

John Francis Daley Jonathan Goldstein

outrageous comedies Vacation (2015), and Game Night (2018). They also penned box office heavyweights Horrible Bosses (2011), and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Speaking with STACK over Zoom with coffees in hand, the pair discuss putting their stamp on the world of D&D . “I was a player as a kid,” says Daley. “I was first introduced to it as an actor on the show Freaks and Geeks , because my character is supposed to be a big fan of it.” Yes, Daley played adorable dork Sam Weir in the ‘90s cult series, sharing lead billing with Linda Cardellini (who played his older sister Lindsay). The series’ supporting cast also introduced the world to the likes of Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow, Martin Starr, Jason Segel, and James Franco. “And then I rediscovered it as an

• Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is out Jun 14

On set with Chris Pine

“And I hadn’t played since I was a kid,” admits Goldstein. “But I immediately saw the potential of this world, and turning it into something fun.” At the time, the pair had come straight off a certain massive project with DC films, which they’d left during the development stages. Goldstein explains the fortuitous moment the opportunity presented itself. “We had been on the Flash

GETTING YOUR GEEK ON

Once considered an insult, the term ‘nerd’ is now a badge worn with honour. The world as we know it is reliant on so-called ‘geeks', and Dungeons & Dragons is one pastime which unites this demographic - which boasts some unexpected members. Robin Williams was an avid D&D player, as are actors Vin Diesel, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew Lillard. Other diehard devotees include actor-directors John Favreau and Mike Myers, and electronic musician Moby.

movie for about a year, and we exited that, and it whetted our appetite for something on a larger scale than what we had done before,” he says. “John ran into an agent at a bar who said to him, ‘Are you looking for something?’ And

adult,” Daley continues, “about three years before we started shooting. It was one of the reasons why, when the idea of a D&D movie came across our desks, I jumped at the chance. It felt like a natural way to jump into a fantasy movie that hadn’t been done before.”

DYK?

D&D was subject to a wave of moral panic in the 1980s, and unjustly accused of corrupting young people. This theme was explored in the Tom Hanks movie Mazes &

Monsters (1982) and the TV series Stranger Things (2016 - present).

that turned out to be D&D . “We debated whether we

16 JUNE 2023

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