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Dungeons and Dragons share how they bonded over the game

Despite Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves’ having a fantasy setting and jubilant tone, the movie’s production was not the easiest of rides for its cast. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is in UK cinemas from 31 March.

Video transcript

JACK SHEPHERD: My first question is about the bonding exercise you guys went through as a cast. I believe you all played D&D together. And playing as your characters, the events after the movie took place. I was wondering what was that experience for you?

REGE-JEAN PAGE: [INAUDIBLE] is he even talking to Sophia?

JACK SHEPHERD: What was that experience like? Do you have any fond memories of the D&D game?

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, it was good to get to know each other, and get a flash of the roleplaying process. I hadn't played since I was 18, 20 years old. So it'd been a good 20 years since I had played a good game of D&D. And so it all came flooding back when we were in that room together.

And you get to know each other a little bit, get to see who's competitive, who's not, where people's imaginations go, who's playful, and what kind of minds you're dealing with, who you're eventually going to make a movie with. But I'll tell you the most bonding process for me was shooting a movie for five months in Northern Ireland during lockdown.

REGE-JEAN PAGE: That keeps you intimate.

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ: It really does. Because we had to keep each other enlivened during this process. And so I think it bonded us more than anything, just to suffer together.

REGE-JEAN PAGE: Maybe that cabin fever level of insanity.

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ: Yeah. Having that thing shoved up your nose every morning. Imagine going to work every day at--

REGE-JEAN PAGE: Good morning.

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ: --6:00 in the morning. Good morning. Hello, how are You Nice to meet you, ma'am. Oh, OK.

JOHN FRANCIS DALEY: What was surprising to me was how quickly they all jumped into their characters. I think that's what's so special about D&D, is because it really encourages imaginative play. It allows you to reach that comfort zone as an actor a lot faster than you normally would, even in a regular rehearsal. I would recommend that any movie have a D&D campaign that is themed in that movie.

JACK SHEPHERD: What do you think this is going to be an ongoing journey then?

SOPHIE LILLIS: I really, really hope so. It was lovely working with you and all the other people. I was being genuine for once.

JUSTICE SMITH: It was lovely working with you too, Sophia.