Is Chris Pine more of a lawful paladin or a neutral rogue? Deadline reports that the Wonder Woman and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement actor has closed a deal to star in the Dungeons & Dragons movie, which means we’ll finally have an answer to this very important question. (Personally, I think he’d kill it as a broody ranger.) Pine’s announcement is just the first in what will likely be a star-studded ensemble cast, which will both mirror the group dynamic of a D&D session and kick off a new franchise for Paramount.
The movie, which is scheduled to start filming early next year, comes at the apex of the role-playing game’s popularity — D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast saw its best sales year ever in 2019 — thanks in large part to actual play shows and podcasts like Critical Role and The Adventure Zone. It will be directed by the team behind the delightful dark comedy Game Night, John Francis Daley (who, incidentally, was also involved in one of the best D&D scenes in TV history) and Jonathan Goldstein, with a script they adapted from a draft by Michael Gilio. Pour one out for Joe Manganiello’s Dungeons & Dragons script.