Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Sequel Still Has a Finished Script, but Needs a New Studio

A sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has not disappeared entirely, but its road back to the screen has become considerably more complicated. According to comments from co-director and co-writer John Francis Daley, the creative team has completed a script for a second movie and remains proud of it. The major obstacle is no longer the screenplay: the project needs a studio partner willing to fund and produce it.

GamesRadar+ reported on September 4, 2026 that Daley discussed the sequel's uncertain status during an appearance on The Discourse Podcast. He said Hasbro continues to believe in the property and would like to move ahead if the company can establish a workable relationship with another studio. Paramount, which released the first film in 2023, is no longer producing the follow-up that had previously been ordered.

That puts the proposed sequel in a familiar, frustrating position for fans of both fantasy cinema and tabletop-inspired entertainment. There is a completed script, a recognizable cast and a well-received first entry, but none of those elements guarantees a green light in a business where expensive effects-driven productions are judged heavily by box-office returns and perceived franchise potential.

A completed sequel script is waiting for a path forward

Daley's comments offer more encouraging news than a straightforward cancellation would. He indicated that Hasbro is still a major supporter of the idea, while also acknowledging the practical financial concerns that could determine whether the film is ever made. In other words, the sequel is not confirmed for production, and no new distributor, production timetable, returning cast list, or release date has been announced. But the project has advanced beyond a vague intention to make another movie.

The existence of a finished draft matters. Film sequels can spend years in early development while studios decide whether to commission a screenplay, identify a story direction, or secure the participation of key talent. Daley's update suggests those first creative steps have already been taken. The team has a story they feel is worthy of continuing, even if the economic side of the project has not yet found its answer.

Daley said Hasbro believes in the sequel and would want to proceed if it can find a studio partner that makes the project viable. He also said the filmmakers were proud of the completed script, while stressing that financial realities mean there is no certainty it will reach production.

That distinction is important for anyone hoping to see the party reunite. A finished screenplay does not mean cameras are close to rolling, especially after the original studio has stepped away. It does, however, leave room for a future deal with another company rather than requiring the filmmakers to start from scratch if interest resurfaces.

Why Paramount's decision was understandable, if disappointing

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves arrived in 2023 as a lively fantasy heist adventure rather than a lore-heavy entry designed only for existing tabletop players. Written and directed by Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the movie centered on Chris Pine's bard Edgin Darvis and Michelle Rodriguez's barbarian Holga Kilgore. The pair assembled a group of unlikely allies for a mission involving an ancient and powerful relic.

The ensemble also included Justice Smith as half-elf wild magic sorcerer Simon Aumar, Sophia Lillis as tiefling druid Doric, Hugh Grant as rogue Forge Fitzwilliam, and Regé-Jean Page as paladin Xenk Yendar. That mix gave the movie the feel of a tabletop campaign party: heroes with wildly different skills, personalities and motivations trying to survive an increasingly chaotic quest.

Critically, the film landed well. It holds a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting the broadly positive response to its humor, character chemistry, practical sense of adventure, and willingness to treat Dungeons & Dragons' stranger ideas with affection rather than embarrassment. For a property that has historically had an uneven relationship with film and television adaptations, that reception was meaningful.

Box-office math, however, did not produce the kind of result that typically makes a large studio eager to commit to an expensive sequel. GamesRadar+ notes that the movie grossed approximately $205 million worldwide against a reported $150 million budget. A theatrical gross is not the same as studio revenue, and it does not account for marketing and distribution expenses. As a result, a movie can earn more than its production budget on paper without automatically being viewed internally as a strong enough commercial success to justify another lavish installment.

Paramount's move away from the sequel is therefore not necessarily a judgment on the movie's quality or its audience. It is more likely a reflection of the financial risk involved in mounting another visual-effects-heavy fantasy production at a similar scale. The first film needed convincing digital creatures, magical action, elaborate environments, period costumes and a substantial ensemble. Any sequel seeking to match or exceed that scope would face a similarly demanding budget conversation.

Dungeons & Dragons remains a powerful brand, but adaptation is expensive

The uncertainty surrounding Honor Among Thieves also illustrates a broader challenge for Dungeons & Dragons as an adaptation brand. The tabletop game has enormous cultural reach, decades of settings and characters to draw from, and a format that naturally encourages memorable party dynamics. Its influence can be seen throughout video games, fantasy media, streaming culture and modern role-playing communities.

Yet translating that creative flexibility into a screen franchise is not cheap. Audiences expect dragons, monsters, spell effects and fantastical worlds that look convincing beside the biggest contemporary genre productions. A lower-cost approach might make business sense, but it could also struggle to provide the spectacular scale many viewers associate with the Forgotten Realms and Dungeons & Dragons generally.

There is already a recent example of those cost pressures affecting another planned Dungeons & Dragons project. Shawn Levy's Forgotten Realms series had been ordered by Netflix before later being canceled amid cost concerns. That development does not decide the fate of Daley and Goldstein's sequel, but it reinforces the problem facing any prospective studio: a recognizable fantasy name alone may not be enough to make the projected spending feel safe.

For Hasbro, finding the right partner may mean determining what kind of follow-up can preserve the personality that made the first movie appealing while arriving at a more sustainable financial model. Nothing in Daley's comments establishes how such a deal might work, whether the original cast would return, or whether a new studio would want the sequel script as it currently exists. Those details remain unknown.

The first film's gaming appeal remains one of its biggest strengths

Even without a sequel, Honor Among Thieves has retained value as one of the more approachable modern films connected to gaming culture. Its story understands the pleasures of a tabletop campaign without demanding that viewers know rules, classes, settings, or the history of the franchise. A plan goes wrong, a character makes an impulsive choice, a supposedly minor obstacle turns into a major detour, and the group succeeds largely because its members adapt to each other's failures.

That tone is a large part of why players responded to the film. It treats Edgin, Holga, Simon and Doric as people first, rather than as a checklist of classes and abilities. The recognizable role-playing archetypes are present, but they serve the personalities and jokes. Xenk's paladin certainty, Simon's insecurity and Edgin's unreliable schemes all create the kind of party friction that tabletop players immediately recognize.

There is also a significant difference between a movie being commercially disappointing for a studio and being irrelevant to fans. The positive critical reception and continued affection for the cast leave a foundation for interest if a new studio partner appears. A sequel could potentially benefit from the first film's audience finding it later through streaming, home viewing, or word of mouth, though there is no indication that this has yet translated into a new production commitment.

What fans can expect now

For the moment, the most accurate description of the sequel is that it is in limbo rather than actively moving toward filming. Hasbro's interest and the finished script are encouraging signals. Paramount's departure and the lack of a replacement studio are the central barriers. Until a partner is announced, any discussion of casting, story specifics, production dates, or a return to theaters would be speculation.

Daley's comments nevertheless leave the door open. The filmmakers have not said they have abandoned the sequel, and they have a script they believe in. If the right studio sees value in continuing the adventure, the project has a creative starting point ready to go.

Meanwhile, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is available to stream on Paramount Plus. For fans who enjoyed its mix of fantasy spectacle, improvisational chaos and party-based adventure, that may be the best reminder of why a second roll of the dice is still worth hoping for.