You guys! They got crusty Hugh Grant to Comic Con! And he actually seemed to have a good time! Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was the only film panel in Hall H yesterday, and Hugh Grant showed up, ready to play. Check him out working the crowd with a bawdy double entendre:

 

Grant is playing the villain, and while I don’t think topping Phoenix Buchanan is possible, if he lands in the realm of Phoenix Buchanan, we’re in for a treat. Although it’s nearly impossible to tell when Hugh Grant is joking, he was talking up his performance on the press line, so maybe he actually is feeling himself in this fantasy movie, the way he was in Paddington 2.

 

Other people were present, too. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, and Sophia Lillis were also on hand, along with directors John Francis Daly and Jonathan Goldstein, the duo behind Game Night. This is what I love about the trailer, it has a real Game Night vibe. Sure, there’s all the D&D stuff—an owlbear, a Paladin, a wizard, the Gelatinous Cube, dragons—but there’s also an unlikely ensemble on a quest, which is what Game Night is at heart. The question is, then, who is the Gary of D&D? Definitely not Page, who name-checked a couple of RPG video games, Chrono Trigger and Diablo, as childhood favorites. Diablo is still going strong today, but Chrono Trigger is a medium-deep cut, so he can compare himself to Eddie Munson (RIP) in peace.

 

I also like that they’re not shoving the lore down our throats (yet). That sh-t is impenetrable to the uninitiated, and while most people have at least a vague understanding of D&D through pop culture, you can get into the weeds FAST with the particulars. The trailer, though, is focused on the ensemble and the action, basically the tone and style, while establishing that the not-so-good guys made a big mistake, and they have to fix it. Clear and simple setup, perfect for a first trailer. I am actually getting my hopes up for a non-terrible D&D movie.