While Dungeons & Dragons started out as a role-playing game (and is still incredibly popular in that regard), it’s morphed into a full-blown media franchise over the decades, with this fantastical world being explored across novels, comic books, an animated TV show and even in a live-action movie. Alas, 2000’s Dungeons & Dragons did not fare well critically or commercially, but now the property is getting a second chance at cinematic glory through a reboot, which Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Jonathan Goldstein and Jon Francis Daley are writing and directing.
Plot details about the new Dungeons & Dragons movie are being kept close to the proverbial chest for now, including whether this will be a straightforward fantasy tale like the last movie was, or if it will incorporate the actual game-playing elements in some form or fashion. That said, over the last several months, the cast has started coming together, so are all the actors who’ve been lined up to participate in this adaptation of the Dungeons & Dragons mythos, starting with one Hugh Grant.
Hugh Grant
Paddington 2 fans, get excited! The man who played Phoenix Buchanan has boarded Dungeons & Dragons, and while we don’t know the specific identity of his character yet, THR claims that he’ll play the main antagonist, who’s named Forge Fletcher. Outside of the last Paddington Bear movie and Cloud Atlas, Hugh Grant’s filmography is largely made up of more ‘down-to-Earth’ movies and TV shows, so it’s interesting that Dungeons & Dragons piqued his interest. Nevertheless, given his Golden Globe-winning talents, it’s likelier than not that Grant will deliver a memorable villainous performance in this fantasy movie.
Chris Pine
While there was a time when Baby Driver’s Ansel Elgort was being looked at to star in Dungeons & Dragons, this current iteration of the project snagged Chris Pine as its first lead actor. Pine has a little experience with traditional fantasy through starring in Into the Woods and voicing Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians, and he’s certainly no stranger to genre work, having played James T. Kirk in the Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies, Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman movies and Dr. Alexander Murry in A Wrinkle in Time. While no details about his character have been revealed yet, it’s a good bet he’ll be playing the main protagonist given the types of roles he usually scores.
Michelle Rodriguez
As far as major franchises go, Michelle Rodriguez is unquestionably best known for playing Letty Ortiz in the Fast & Furious saga, but she also has some experience in more fantastical settings thanks to Avatar, Resident Evil: Retribution and Alita: Battle Angel. Now she gets to dive into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and while it’s unclear who she’s playing, it’s easy enough to imagine her as a badass warrior fighting the forces of evil alongside Chris Pine’s character.
Justice Smith
Here’s an actor who has some experience dealing with all sorts of strange creatures. In 2018, Justice Smith fled from dinosaurs in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (and he’s reprising Franklin Webb in Jurassic World: Dominion), and in the following year, he explored a world filled with Pokemon in Detective Pikachu. As with the aforementioned actors, there’s no word on who Smith is playing in Dungeons & Dragons; maybe he’ll also be one of the good guys, or maybe he’ll get to shine in a more antagonistic light.
Rege-Jean Page
You might not have been familiar with Rege-Jean Page before Christmas Day 2020, even though he’d appeared in movies like Mortal Engines, and TV shows like For the People and the History Channel’s Roots miniseries. But now, thanks to his role as Simon Basset in the Netflix series Bridgerton, Page’s fame has skyrocketed, and now he’s slated to show up in Dungeons & Dragons as one of the lead characters. So if Bridgerton isn’t your thing, perhaps you’ll join the Page fan club after seeing his Dungeons & Dragons character in action.
Sophia Lillis
Between playing young Beverly Marsh in the IT movies and starring as Sydney Novak in the short-lived Netflix series I’m Not Okay With This, Sophia Lillis has made quite the name for herself in the entertainment space. Lillis also has a little experience in the fantasy realm from starring in last year’s Gretel & Hansel, but needless to say that Dungeons & Dragons is on a much different level. The actress’ character is reportedly named Doric, but it’s unclear how this individual factors into the story.
Chloe Coleman
She may be the youngest cast member in Dungeons & Dragons so far, but Chloe Coleman already has an impressive resume at her age. She’s appeared in TV shows like Transparent, Big Little Lies and Upload, and just last year, she starred alongside Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista in the action comedy My Spy. Dungeons & Dragons marks yet another blockbuster project Coleman is participating in, as she’s also attached to Avatar 2, among other high-profile movies. There’s no word on who Coleman will play in the fantasy flick.
We here at CinemaBlend will let you know when more actors are announced for Dungeons & Dragons (fingers crossed Joe Manganiello makes his way in), as well as any specific story information and when the movie is slated for release. For now, learn what movies are coming out later this year with our 2021 release schedule.
