Summary

• Success for future films in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise is still a possibility, despite disappointing box office results.
• A precedent for sequels in the high-fantasy genre, even after major failures, has been set by In the Name of the King.
• Direct-to-DVD-type releases, like the sequels to In the Name of the King, may provide a viable path for Dungeons & Dragons 2 to succeed.

After a disappointing performance at the box office, fans' chances of seeing a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves seemed pretty remote. The movie, despite receiving rave reviews, failed to find a significant audience, generating just $208 million against a $150 million budget. Ordinarily, such clear financial failure would mean curtains for future installments in a movie franchise. And yet, there is still hope for further cinematic installments in the story, thanks to the precedent set by action superstar Jason Statham's worst-ever movie.

Released in 2007, In the Name of the King is a high-fantasy game adaptation that sits squarely within the same genre as Dungeons & Dragons. Starring Statham, alongside an impressive ensemble cast, the movie follows the mysterious "Farmer" as he bids to stop the evil sorcerer Gallian (Ray Liotta) from taking over the kingdom. However, while the set-up promises thrilling adventure, the result was a disaster – bombing at the box office, and being ridiculed by critics. Finding hope for Dungeons & Dragons' movie future in this wreckage might seem unlikely. And yet, In the Name of the King actually offers an unlikely olive branch.

In The Name Of The King Got 2 Sequels (Despite Flopping)

It Proves Failure Doesn't Have To Be An Obstacle To Longevity

It's difficult to overstate the scale of In the Name of the King's failure. Directed by the infamous Uwe Boll, the movie boasts a scorn-worth 4% score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes – the lowest score of Jason Statham's career. Its financial performance was not much better. Made on an estimated $60 million budget, the movie made just $13.1 million globally – far worse than Dungeons & Dragons box office. And yet, despite this near-total catastrophe on all fronts, In the Name of the King still somehow received two sequels.

In the Name of the King is available to rent on Amazon Video.

Although his efforts were widely ridiculed, Uwe Boll clearly felt some affinity for the story's source material (the Dungeon Siege video games). Not put off by the critical reaction to his first film, he returned twice more to the franchise, directing both In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds (starring Dolph Lundgren) in 2010, and In the Name of the King 3: The Last Mission (with Prison Break's Dominic Purcell) in 2014.

Although Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is objectively a better movie on every level than any of the In the Name of the King films, the film can still look to the 2007 Statham project as a source of inspiration for how it can continue.

Both movies were as critically reviled as the disappointing original. And yet, the fact that the sequels happened at all proves that financial failure doesn't have to be an obstacle to a follow-up in the high-fantasy genre. Although Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is objectively a better movie on every level than any of the In the Name of the King films, the film can still look to the 2007 Statham project as a source of inspiration for how it can continue. It may seem contradictory to everything we understand about the film industry, but it's clear that for films like Dungeons & Dragons, pure financial return isn't the only factor at play.

Dungeons & Dragons Deserves A Sequel Much More Than In The Name Of The King

It's A Better Movie And Story

Superficially, there are clear narrative similarities between Dungeons & Dragons and In the Name of the King. Both stories are set in fictional kingdoms and embrace the idea of magic, swords, and sorcery, playing on tropes that have formed a key part of the genre since the days of Tolkien. However, while they clearly come from the same storytelling tradition, Dungeons & Dragons is streets ahead of In the Name of the King on almost every conceivable metric.

Not only did the 2023 movie make considerably more money than Statham's 2007 project, but its critical performance was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Dungeons & Dragons holds impressive audience and critic Rotten Tomatoes scores of 93% and 91%, indicating near-universal acclaim. If this wasn't enough, Dungeons & Dragons is part of a wildly popular wider fantasy franchise. Although Dungeon Siege is itself highly regarded, it has nowhere near the same name recognition as D&D. If In the Name of the King warranted a follow-up, there's no doubt Dungeons & Dragons is just as deserving.

In The Name Of The King's Sequels Provide A Perfect D&D 2 Template

There's A Great Way The Sequels Can Happen

Given how unpopular the first In the Name of the King movie was, the existence of its sequels seems somewhat perplexing. However, on closer inspection, the films not only begin to make marginally more sense, but also create an interesting potential precedent for the next Dungeons & Dragons movie. Whereas the original Statham film enjoyed a theatrical release, the following In the Name of the King projects were released direct-to-DVD. This removed any financial pressure and allowed the story to unfold away from the theatrical spotlight.

In the modern movie industry, DVD releases are almost non-existent. However, there's an argument to be made that their replacement – streaming movies – is the perfect way for Dungeons & Dragons 2 to thrive. Films made by services such as Netflix not only boast impressive budgets (meaning the movie could replicate the spectacle of the first film) but are also not judged by the same financial standards that have impacted Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' reputation. It may not be an ideal solution for fans who crave the big-screen experience, but it may offer the best path to a sustainable franchise future.