(L to R) Vin Diesel, Director Louis Leterrier and Rita Moreno on the set of ‘Fast X.’
Preview:
Vin Diesel has announced the next ‘Fast & Furious’ movie.
‘Fast Forever’ will be with us in 2028.
Louis Leterrier will direct the movie.
Like a backfiring jalopy with engine trouble, there have been several frustrating false starts for the next –– and most likely final –– ‘Fast & Furious’ movie.
Despite multiple announcements (including more than one from star, producer and ‘Fast’ cheerleader Vin Diesel) about different dates, budget wrangling and schedule issues have given the potential franchise wrap-up flat tires along the way.
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Now, though, it appears that everyone is on the same page (or maybe dirt track?) as both Diesel and studio backers Universal have announced that the new movie, now called ‘Fast Forever’ will be with us in 2028.
Jason Momoa as Dante in ‘Fast X’, directed by Louis Leterrier.
The typically stunt-heavy final minutes of 2023’s ‘Fast X’ show Diesel’s Dom Toretto driving down the side of a dam and into the water below, as he and his son, Little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), race to escape a trap set by the villainous Dante (Jason Momoa), who arms a series of bombs. Then the movie cuts to black.
Two credit scenes follow, teasing the returns of Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs and Gal Gadot‘s Gisele.
Universal has confirmed that the movie will be screeching into cinemas on March 17, 2028.
(Clockwise, from left) Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Han (Sung Kang), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), Dom (Vin Diesel), Little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), Abuelita (Rita Moreno), Mia (Jordana Brewster), Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, back to camera) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson, back to camera) in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Vin Diesel as Dom in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
The past always has a way of catching up with Dominic Toretto and his gang. This time, someone from Dom’s past shows up in the most unexpected way, putting everyone in danger, including Dom’s son – Little B.
“Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they must confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced. Fueled by revenge, a terrifying threat emerges from the shadows of the past to shatter Dom’s world and destroy everything — and everyone — he loves.”
‘Fast X’ premiered in Rome on May 12, 2023. It opened in theaters domestically on May 19th. The film opened to $67 million and has grossed over $676.9 million worldwide since its release.
The Past Continues To Haunt Dominic Toretto
(L to R) Vin Diesel and Daniela Melchior in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Trouble always seems to find its way to Dominic Toretto’s doorstep, much like when ‘Fate of the Furious’ villain Cypher (Charlize Theron) shows up at Dom’s home badly injured. She tells Dom of a new threat named Dante, who turns out to be the son of drug lord Herman Reyes. Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) appeared in ‘Fast Five’ and met his end after chasing Dom’s team for the vault.
Played by Jason Momoa, Dante seeks revenge for his father’s death and will stop at nothing to hurt Dom – including kidnapping his son Brian. Dante may be the franchise’s most interesting and formidable villain so far – outsmarting Dom in ways we’ve never seen before. Fashionable, unhinged, and outright entertaining to watch, Dante steals every scene he is in.
New Players Entering ‘The Fast & Furious’ Franchise
(Right) Brie Larson is Tess in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Joining the Fast family are Brie Larson (‘Captain Marvel’), Alan Ritchson (‘Dark Web: Cicada 3301’), and Daniela Melchior (‘The Suicide Squad’). Brie Larson portrays Tess, who is revealed to be the daughter of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). She is helping Dom and his team in their fight against Dante Reyes. Alan Ritchson plays Aimes, the new head of The Agency. Daniela Melchior plays Isabel, a Brazilian street racer who is connected to someone from Dom’s past.
There is more than meets the eye with these new characters, so you should check out the movie to find out exactly who they are and if they’re on Team Dom or plotting against them.
Where Can I Watch ‘Fast X’?
Jason Momoa as Dante in ‘Fast X’, directed by Louis Leterrier.
The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 19th, 2023, and its follow-up is already announced to be released on April 4th, 2025. While the movie is already available on VOD, you can still catch the high-octane action in theaters. ‘Fast X’ is available in IMAX, Dolby Atmos, 3D, and 4DX format, so be sure to check with Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Fast X’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 21 minutes, making it the second-longest movie in the franchise.
You now have the option to rent or purchase ‘Fast X’ on VOD for $19.99 or $24.99, respectively. The movie is available on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Direct TV, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft, YouTube, AppleTV, and Redbox.
As the movie is distributed by Universal Pictures, Peacock subscribers (in both Premium and Premium Plus tiers) will be able to stream ‘Fast X’ once available – likely to be in late August or early September though no official date has been announced by the studio.
No official date has been announced for the DVD/Blu-Ray release of the film, though pre-orders are already available from stores such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.
(Clockwise, from left) Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Han (Sung Kang), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), Dom (Vin Diesel), Little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), Abuelita (Rita Moreno), Mia (Jordana Brewster), Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, back to camera) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson, back to camera) in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
Roll for initiative! The fantasy adventure movie based on the popular tabletop role-playing game ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ may be arriving on Paramount+ this month.
What happens when a Bard, a Barbarian, a Wizard, and a Druid meet at a tavern? Chaos, naturally. In ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein (both worked on ‘Game Night’) found the perfect balance of bringing elements of the original tabletop game and an epic fantasy adventure to the big screen. The film incorporated enough easter eggs from the game lore for the fans while making it appealing and interesting to those who have not played the game.
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The official synopsis for ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is below:
“A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.”
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ opened in theaters on March 31st to $37.2 million domestically and has grossed over $203.2 million worldwide since its release. Critics and audiences reacted positively to the movie, warranting the film 91% and 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes respectively.
(L to R) Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin and Sophia Lillis plays Doric in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
From Tabletop To The Big Screen
Tabletop Roleplaying games (or TRPG) have become increasingly popular, especially with the exposure from shows like ‘Stranger Things’, live-play web series from groups such as Dimension 20 and Critical Role, as well as the animated Prime Video series ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ (also created by Critical Role).
There’s a fine line between adapting the game to screen – how do you fit in all the lore while embracing the hilarity and havoc from a session and still tell an epic high fantasy adventure story? D&D fans may recall the ill-fated 2000 ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie. So bad it received a 9% score from critics and 20% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. However, thanks to the well-crafted script for ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, it manages to capture both the heart and comedy of the story and the amazing chemistry of the cast gives this movie a +2 to Charisma.
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
Ahead of filming, the cast did play a one-shot session of D&D together prior to filming, which is the best method of researching when it comes to prepping for their roles in the film. After all, what better way to study your character and bond with your cast mates than spending an hour planning out what you’ll do in the dungeon crawl just to have the entire plan go up in flames because of one failed dice role?
One of the great things about this ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is that it is just as much for the well-versed D&D players as it is for the general audience who may not have ever rolled a d20. Yes, those who have played the game might get an all-knowing chuckle at seeing Simon cast a spell to speak with the dead at the cemetery. Still, the scene was executed so well that the general audience would never feel lost from the references and easter eggs.
Aside from the cast of main characters and dungeon crawls, the film is filled with creatures and easter eggs from Dungeons & Dragons lore such as the original characters from ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Saturday morning cartoon, a gelatinous cube, a mimic, displacer beast, the beholder, and more.
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
Where Can I Watch ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’?
The film premiered at SXSW on March 10, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 31, 2023. While the movie is available to rent on digital, it is better experienced in the theater so be sure to check below for showtimes in your area. ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ below:
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Can’t make it out to the theater? You have the option to rent or purchase the movie on VOD. Services such as Amazon Prime Video, Direct TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, AppleTV, AMC On Demand, and Redbox allows you to rent the movie for $19.99 or purchase it for $24.99.
As for as streaming goes, an official date hasn’t been confirmed. The movie is released by Paramount so it is likely to end up on Paramount+ once it is ready to go to streaming. Seeing as the movie premiere on March 31, it is closing in on its 45-day theatrical release window. If it follows the same timeline, we could see the fantasy-adventure streaming on Paramount+ as soon as mid-May.
(L to R) Sophia Lillis plays Doric, Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
More High Fantasy Adventures Like ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’:
(Clockwise, from left) Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Han (Sung Kang), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), Dom (Vin Diesel), Little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), Abuelita (Rita Moreno), Mia (Jordana Brewster), Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, back to camera) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson, back to camera) in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
‘Fast X’ opening in theaters on May 19th, is the latest entry in the sprawling, wildly successful franchise that begun in much more humble fashion as a take on ‘Point Break’s undercover lawman genre in 2001 and his since spiraled into a bombastic action franchise revolving around the endlessly repeated theme of family.
After a muted, disappointing entry with ‘F9: The Fast Saga’ in 2021 (which nevertheless did good business), it’s a relief to report that fans of the franchise, led by star/producer Vin Diesel, is a return to the ridiculous, stunt-heavy, common sense-free form that we’ve come know and appreciate.
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What’s the story of ‘Fast X?
Dominic Toretto (Diesel) is back living in the family home in Los Angeles with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry). It’s a relatively quiet time for Dom and his gang, punctuated by family barbecues, driving lessons for Brian and a visit from his Abuela (Rita Moreno).
But Dom’s peace is ruined when old enemy Cipher (Charlize Theron) shows up badly injured at his door one night, spinning a story of a new threat called Dante (Jason Momoa). He, it turns out, is the son of Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), the drug kingpin that Dom and his team robbed and killed 10 years ago in Rio (as chronicled in the events of ‘Fast Five’ in 2011).
(From left) Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Han (Sung Kang) in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Soon, the flamboyant, crazed Dante is setting traps for our heroes, including luring Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Han (Sung Kang) on a fake mission to Rome where they and others, including spy agency member Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) must stop a giant, rolling bomb from destroying parts of Rome and the Vatican.
But when they’re all framed for the attack, the “family” is scattered to various parts of the world as Dante schemes and undermines them, stealing all their money and threatening their own family members.
Soon Dom is locked in a frantic battle with Dante, forced to rely on everyone he loves, even as they’re put in mortal danger. Can he succeed against this powerful villain?
(Right) Brie Larson is Tess in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
To put it bluntly, there are two main advantages to the new ‘Fast’ movie, and the biggest is easily Jason Momoa. Clearly understanding that he A) needs to bring some fun and B) have some fun in the role of the big bad, he’s the most entertaining villain, and possibly the most entertaining character, the franchise has had for a long time.
Extravagantly dressed, free of macho impulses and always ready with a quip, he’s a giant breath of fresh air that nevertheless also feels like a real challenge to Dom and co. Even his mantra of, “Never accept death when suffering is owed,” inherited from his late father (who is glimpsed in an opening blend of footage from ‘Fast Five’ and newly created shots) helps to justify why Dom and company usually tend to escape from their adventures all but unscathed. You might still find yourself shouting, “why don’t you just kill [insert name here]??” at various points, but that’s all part of the fun of the franchise.
And let’s be honest: people “die” in this movie series and have returned before (Han in particular). It’s rarely the end it might be elsewhere.
(From left) Little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry, back to camera) and Jakob (John Cena) in ‘Fast X,’ directed Louis Leterrier.
While there were real concerns after ‘F9’ felt like a tired retread of the usual tropes, a sign the movies are running out of gas, ‘Fast X’ actually comes across as a second wind, embracing the set piece silliness and leaning into the entertainment value. Aside from Momoa, it also succeeds by letting Cena embrace his more humorous side since switching sides from being the vengeful villain in the previous entry.
An early briefing for a new character lets the franchise poke proper fun at itself, nodding towards the physics-defying action and globe-trotting story. It’s a canny way to catch up anyone who has decided to make this their first ‘Fast’ movie (though it’s hard to imagine anyone rocking up to these films without having seen at least one other).
Plus, new director Louis Leterrier (who replaced veteran Justin Lin after the latter quit one week into production) is something of a revelation, bringing a combo of his ease with the sort of high-concept action where he started his career (such as ‘The Transporter’) and finding the emotional core these films need to work.
(L to R) Vin Diesel and Director Louis Leterrier on the set of ‘Fast X.’
What are the problems of the movie?
For all its advantages, there are also the usually clunky elements, this entry still boasting scenes that make it seem as though a straight-to-DVD B-movie broke out in the middle of a summer blockbuster.
Actors who have won Oscars struggle with dialogue that would trip any actor up, whole moments sounding like they were written by feeding to suggestions to a ChatGPT AI that was then dropped on its hard drive, so leaden and first base are the results. It’s especially glaring for any scenes set in the mysterious “agency” spy division currently run by Ritchson’s Aimes. The man who is Jack Reacher on TV doesn’t break free of the dodgy lines he’s handed. And even Larson can’t make Tess work beyond some basic motivations.
And Diesel, despite being the core of the film, remains the one who treats it all so completely seriously that it’s actually less fun when he’s growling and putting the pedal to the metal.
(From left) Queen (Helen Mirren) and Dom (Vin Diesel) in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Even as the movie acknowledges its own ridiculous nature, you’ll end up giggling at how many times the word “family” is uttered as usual, and the number of familial connections between characters is becoming ever more ridiculous. Everyone Dom knows at this point is connected to someone else in the franchise. It’s not hard to imagine him running into someone at the local auto parts store who is a long-lost cousin.
Fortunately, ‘Fast X’ is nimbler than ‘F9’ and papers over some of these typical cracks with gusto .
‘Fast X’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Vin Diesel as Dom in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
‘Fast X’ is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Samantha Vincent. The executive producers are Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr., David Cain, Chris Morgan, Amanda Lewis and Mark Bomback.
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
They’re helped by a charming cast that have solid chemistry, a witty script that channels everything from ‘Lord of the Rings’ to ‘Monty Python’ and an enchanting visual style that is bursting with impressive effects work.
If you’re a longtime player of the game, chances are you’ll have a good time spotting the various references and easter eggs sprinkled within the film, but if you don’t know your Paladin from your Cleric, you don’t need to swot up to understand the story.
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What happens in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’?
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ takes as its basis the tabletop gaming system invented in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and currently overseen by the company known as Wizards of the Coast. It’s the sort of elemental fantasy world that has been copycatted many, many times. And yet, it still feels original here.
We’re introduced to Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), a charming bard-turned-thief and his best friend, barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), who are cooling their heels in prison after being caught on a job trying to steal magical artefacts.
Betrayed by Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant) and dark magic acolyte Sofina (Daisy Head), the pair must make good their escape and recruit a band of unlikely adventurers (including Justice Smith’s lackluster wizard Simon Aumar and Sophia Lillis’ shape-changing druid Doric to undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
The stakes are high: the artifact that Edgin and his original associates retrieved has been used by Sofina and her group of evil red wizards to unleash an army of the undead and general chaos upon the fantasy world. Our heroes must make things right, assuming they can stop squabbling along the way…
(L to R) Hugh Grant plays Forge in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ is powered by fun performances
Making full use of the entertaining script written by writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the cast make this latest stab at ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ work far beyond the ill-fated 2000 movie.
Pine, who has proven he can handle a blend of comedy, heart and action with movies such as the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, here makes for a typically appealing leading man while sending himself up at times. His Edgin is such a charming rogue, just this side of annoying but never smug.
Key to his character’s appeal is the fact that he’s not your basic action protagonist –– he’s heroic and can handle himself, but he’d much rather let Holga deal with any fighting. Rodriguez, usually found within the ‘Fast & Furious’ ensemble, gets more of a chance to have fun here, similarly undercutting the expectations of her character and proving to have a great buddy comedy connection with Pine. One of the smartest moves was to eschew a basic romantic storyline for these two, making the story feel like it isn’t the 500th variation of a well-used tale.
Her character is also the focus of a very enjoyable cameo from a big movie star that has yet to be widely reported, so we won’t spoil it here.
Grant mostly channels his smooth-talking Phoenix Buchanan from ‘Paddington 2’ to play Forge, but while he’s a low-level antagonist who only has a few key scenes, he steals most of them.
Smith and Lillis make for a great duo: he the nervy wizard struggling with self-esteem and his magical abilities, she the cagey druid who can become almost anything she wishes to be but would rather not hang out with humans. And while Pine and Rodriguez enjoy the lion’s share of the material, Grant, Smith and Lillis all have enough moments to keep their characters memorable.
Plus, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Regé-Jean Page’s Xenk Yendar, who the crew seeks out for help. A ramrod straight hero in the classic mold, he’s a blend of Drax from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and Christopher Reeve‘s Superman. He doesn’t appear in a lot of the movie, but he certainly makes an impact.
The movie as a whole has been carefully calibrated to have as wide an appeal as possible, putting a truly entertaining spin on heroes, villains and even exposition –– the image of heroes getting information out of a series of resurrected corpses is one that will stick (and still make you laugh) for days afterwards.
(L to R) Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon and Chris Pine plays Edgin in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ might not be for everyone
There are still elements of the movie that could turn people off: if you’re not a fan of the “Marvelization” of blockbusters putting jokes into adventure or action, this movie might not be the best entry point.
The jokes tend to be more on the chuckle level than giant belly laughs (though there are certainly a few of those here, including a moment featuring both the “dungeon” and “dragon” part of the title). And, yes, it is another movie where a group of quippy heroes have to go on a quest to find a magic thing to fix a situation wrought by a magical baddie. But it does some interesting things with that very basic concept.
At more than two hours, there are small moments that drag and odd sections that don’t support the running time expended on it, but those are few and far between. And if you came to the movie expecting to see plenty of Page’s character, he’s in a couple of scenes and then vanishes for most of the movie until the end. That’s not necessarily a problem, but he works so well with the rest of the ensemble and is so straightforwardly heroic that you might actually miss him when he leaves (in a straight line, jumping over a rock… it’s a thing).
Fantasy is a tricky genre to infuse with humor, but ‘Honor Among Thieves’ pulls it off with aplomb. In a world where even the shoddy 2000 movie can generate sequels, this one deserves to roll a saving throw and spawn a franchise, as, handled correctly, these are characters you’ll want to spend more time with.
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves:’
If there was one major take-away from the ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, it was that Hugh Grant should be on as many panels as he wants to be. Whether he’s in the show, movie, comic or game being pimped or not.
If there was another major take-away from the panel, it was that ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ looks like a whole lot of fun.
While ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ as a concept doesn’t have the greatest cinematic history (the 2000 version, which starred Jeremy Irons, Justin Whalin and Marlon Wayans is infamously divisive among movie fans, and scored terrible reviews), ‘Honor Among Thieves’ – or at least the footage shown at Comic-Con – is certainly on a better footing so far.
(L to R) Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine and Hugh Grant from Paramount’s ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Daley and Goldstein, who previously made the likes of ‘Game Night’, both had history as D&D players, and the cast also made mention of the board games’ impact of their lives – even if it was limited to knowing it exists.
In a funny, relaxed panel dominated by Grant’s humorous reactions to every question – he ran the gamut from S&M jokes to dropping a ‘Notting Hill’ referencing while quipping that this was his first time at the Con “but we tried to come for ‘Sense & Sensibility’ – the cast and creators offered some insight into making the movie but also showed off their easy chemistry.
‘Honor Among Thieves’ promises the story of a charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers, who undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
Pine plays a Danny Ocean-in-fantasy world style character, who makes plans but also plays the lute. Rodriguez is a powerful barbarian who provides the muscle, while Page is a heroic paladin. Smith is a sorcerer, Lillis a druid and Grant appears as Forge Fletcher, a rogue and the movie’s main antagonist.
Paramount’s ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
There are magical items to find (naturally) and one in particular that has unleashed a terrible evil. But basic fantasy plot aside, the movie has a very Taika Waititi feel to it, blending comedy with action and subverting our expectations.
As the panel ended, the first full trailer for the movie played (find it above) and showed off just some of what the movie will have to offer. Dragons? Check. Dungeons? Yep. Magical mayhem? Sure. Creatures galore? You betcha.
Effects teams are still hard at work on this one (Daley shouted out ILM and Legacy Effects “who brought you Baby Yoda” as the main providers) and we can expect to see ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ in theaters on March 3 next year.
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Sophia Lillis plays Doric, Chris Pine plays Edgin and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures.(L to R) Chris Pine plays Edgin and Regé-Jean Page plays Xenk in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures.Paramount Pictures’ ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ opens in theaters on March 3rd 2023.
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Rita Moreno in the documentary ‘Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.’
In keeping with how most people find out about anything ‘Fast & Furious’, the most recent – and potentially most exciting – piece of casting news comes courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram.
The enthusiastic actor/producer hit social media with a video announcing that none other than Oscar winner and acting legend Rita Moreno is aboard ‘Fast X’, joining the ever-growing ensemble as Dominic Toretto’s (Diesel) grandmother.
“It’s been my dream forever to work with Rita Moreno, and the fact that she’s here playing my grandmother makes my soul smile,” Diesel says in the video.
“I think my old age was waiting for you to ask me, isn’t that nice, and I’m here, the answer is yes, I’ll do it, and not only I’ll do it, I am tickled,” Moreno responds.
It’s a lovefest! Which is in stark contrast to some of the other videos shot on set of the movie, with uncomfortable-looking co-stars (and former director Justin Lin) appearing to resent having to show up on camera with Diesel.
Casting Moreno represents just the latest addition to the ‘Fast’ team for this new movie, which has already seen the likes of Brie Larson, Jason Momoa, Daniela Melchior and ‘Reacher’s Alan Ritchson making their debut in the franchise.
In addition to the regulars, ‘The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood (as the government agent codenamed Little Nobody) plus ‘F9’s Michael Rooker (as mechanic/Toretto family friend Buddy) and Cardi B (as paramilitary leader Leysa) are also all back in the fold.
Moreno, of course, needs little introduction. An actor with decades of experience, she’s also known for her singing and dancing skills. She won an Oscar for her performance as Anita in 1961’s ‘West Side Story’, and notched acclaim for appearing in Steven Spielberg’s version of the same movie last year, albeit playing a different role. She’s also an “EGOT” – having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. And now she could be up for the MTV Movie Awards as Coolest Granny On Film.
She’s someone Diesel has been trying to get on board for a while now. Interviewed by Variety last year, the actor and Lin discussed the idea of Dom’s mother showing up but pivoted to talk of his grandmother. “Before we get to Mother Toretto, we will get to Abuela,” Diesel says. “And the person that I’m so excited to talk about that role is Rita Moreno.’”
For her part, Moreno seemed up for it at the time. “I’m waiting for his call,” she laughed. “I think it’s a fabulous idea. I hope he puts me in black leather…” Let’s see if that last part comes true!
‘Fast X’ has had to weather some recent drama, with Lin stepping away from the movie, to be replaced by Louis Leterrier. The switch has caused a brief shutdown in production, but the movie is back up and shooting now.
With luck, ‘Fast X’ will still be speeding into theaters on May 19th next year.
‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.
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‘Dungeons and Dragons’, of course, is the game designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and first brought to shelves in 1974. It works by gathering a group of players who create characters – warriors, elves, dwarves, wizards etc. – and sending them on a fantasy quest run by a Dungeon Master.
They explore dangerous locales and battle monsters, all using dice to determine the outcome of clashes or other situations. Players earn experience points (or XP) to level up.
The game has a patchy history of screen adaptations. Many will warmly remember the 1980s cartoon series, which saw a group of kids swept to a fantasy land filled with wizards, dragons and warriors.
Audiences were less happy with the 2000 movie, directed by Courtney Solomon, with Jeremy Irons as a tyrant named Profion looking to overthrow an otherwise peaceful kingdom ruled by Thora Birch’s Empress Savina. It was a notorious flop, though it did generate a couple of sequels, 2005 TV Movie ‘Wrath of the Dragon God’ and 2012’s ‘The Book of Vile Darkness’, which went straight to home entertainment.
Thanks to the rise in popularity of all things geeky (not to mention a big use of ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ by the kids of ‘Stranger Things’), Hasbro – which has been working with Paramount and other studios to mine the games company’s various properties – pushed more than the ‘Dungeons’ project back into development, including a planned, expansive TV universe under the purview of Rawson Marshall Thurber.
Photo of Rawson Marshall Thurber Courtesy of Twitter
Though Hasbro’s key deal is with Paramount these days, Warner Bros. had the ‘Dungeons’ rights for a while and, upon learning that Hasbro had partnered with Universal for a movie from ‘Fast & Furious’ scripting stalwart Chris Morgan, threw its weight behind a more obscure game created by Gary Gygax called ‘Chainmail’, hiring ‘Wrath of the Titans’/’Red Riding Hood’ writer David Leslie to adapt it. That got bogged down in a rights battle until Warners was able to work it out.
Nothing came of that effort, though, and Hasbro, under its Paramount deal, flashed the greenlight for a movie from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the directors of ‘Game Night’.
The directors co-wrote the latest movie with and been busy making the new movie, working alongside co-writer Michael Gilio. The latter had been in talks to direct the movie at one point, as had ‘The Lego Batman’s Chris McKay, and the pair are credited with the movie’s story.
Quite what that plot is remains locked in a treasure chest for now, though a filing for the movie with the US Copyright office last year listed the following basic synopsis: “An ex-Harper turned thief escapes from prison with his partner, a female barbarian, and reunites with a no-talent wizard and a druid new to their team in an effort to rob the cheating conman who stole all their loot from the heist that landed them behind bars, and used it to install himself as the Lord of Neverwinter. Only the traitor is allied with a powerful Red Wizard who has something far more sinister in store.”
‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.
Ever the one ready to reveal the slightest hint of ‘Fast & Furious’ news, Vin Diesel has once again taken to Instagram, this time with both title details and word of production cranking into gear of the tenth installment.
So, with a drumroll that somehow also sounds like the revving of a Dodge Charger, the word arrives that the new movie is called… ‘Fast X’.
It’s certainly a striking, short title, but offers little clues as to what the movie itself might be about. And it has, predictably, already fallen afoul of social media jokers, who have likened the title to a pill of some sort.
Not forgetting the camp who would rather the movie have been called ‘Fast 10 Your Seatbelts’.
Shrugging off all such concerns, Diesel simply captioned his logo image with, “Day One…” pointing to the fact that the cameras are now rolling and, if we know anything about this franchise, wheels are already turning. And likely jumping over/off things.
Despite the regular updates from Diesel – AKA family and car-obsessed Dominic Toretto in the movies – nothing has yet been said about the plot for this latest offering of ‘Fast’ fuel.
Given the reportedly returning presence of Charlize Theron’s Cipher, we can reliably predict that Dom and the team will have to thwart her latest nefarious scheme (unless, of course, she’s in the process of switching to Dom’s side, though that seems unlikely for now).
And aiding her this time around will be a new, mysterious baddie brought to booming life by Jason Momoa, who has already expressed his enthusiasm for playing an “amazing” character. “He’s ornery,” Momoa told Entertainment Tonight – when the show caught up with him at the LA premiere of ‘Ambulance’. “He’s misunderstood.” Again, we’re forced to wonder whether he might follow a traditional road of starting out as a villain but ending up helping Dom and the rest.
They’ll be joined by two new faces – at least to this franchise: ‘Captain Marvel’ star and Oscar winner Brie Larson, who chalks up another big franchise and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior, both of whose characters remain a mystery for now.
Justin Lin, who has directed more of the ‘Fast’ movies than anyone else, is back overseeing this new one and while all involved remain secretive about what we can expect, allow us to speculate that huge vehicular stunts, jokey repartee between Roman and Tej, possibly some dangerous McGuffin to be found/stopped and, of course, more references to “family” than your average Mafia miniseries.
‘Fast X’ will be headed into theaters on May 19th.
Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel.’
When it comes to news about the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, it’s often best to skip the usual PR announcements and just head straight to Vin Diesel’s social media feeds. Because the star and producer of the speedy franchise frequently offers up the first information about forward movement. Case in point? Revealing that Brie Larson has joined ‘Fast & Furious 10’.
Posting a smiling picture of himself hanging out with Larson, the man who plays Dominic Toretto remarked in his trademark style about the new addition. “Yeah yeah yeah… you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self [Sic] ‘that’s captain Marvel’,” Diesel wrote. “Clearly there is love and laughter in this image. What you don’t see however, is the character you will be introduced to in ‘Fast10’. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology. Beyond her beauty, her intellect… her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for.”
Quite what Larson will be doing in the film is anyone’s guess, beyond Diesel’s comment about her being “timeless and amazing” and adding “something you might not have expected but yearned for.” His parting comment of “welcome to the FAMILY” suggests she might be joining Dom’s crew, but there’s always a chance she’ll be on the other side of the equation, helping Charlize Theron’s scheming Cipher. But even if she is, expect a traditional ‘Fast’ switch to Team Dom.
It’s the latest blockbuster move for Oscar winner Larson, who is best known for playing Captain Marvel in her eponymous film and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (plus her brief credits cameo in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘). She’ll be back in theaters next year for ‘The Marvels,’ which will see her Carol Danvers sharing the screen with Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel (who has her own Disney+ series starting June 8) and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the adult version of the character we met in ‘WandaVision’.
The plot for the movie remains a mystery, but who are we kidding? Few people are looking to the ‘Fast’ franchise for its plot – we go for the massive, physics-mocking vehicular set pieces, banter between the cast, Diesel’s Dominic Toretto growling about “family” at every given opportunity and the wide array of twists and turns.
‘Fast 10’ is planned as the beginning of the end for the franchise, with a May 19, 2023 release date on the books and a follow-up film that will wrap up the story. We’d be shocked if Diesel and co. take their foot off the gas completely after that, though: the ‘Fast’ movies have been too lucrative for that. Expect spin-offs and other ways to keep things moving beyond that.
