Amid controversy, Paramount casts a diversion spell with new Dungeons & Dragons trailer

The world of Dungeons & Dragons rocked a little harder than usual over the weekend as a months-long controversy regarding the game’s licensing agreements spilled over onto Twitter. As the hashtag #BoycottDNDMovie circulated online, confusing those without a working knowledge of the games, its rules, and expansions, Paramount prepped a rebuttal: A new trailer free of that conversation.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves hasn’t changed despite the controversy. In what still looks like a charming Chris Pine vehicle that gives modern fantasy a dose of Monty Python And The Holy Grail (as well as a heaping helping of Guardians Of The Galaxy for good measure), Honor Among Thieves is decidedly less thorny than the controversy. Still, with plenty of action, CGI, and Marvel-esque banter, there will be plenty for fans of the game to hate on its own merits.

That said, Dungeons & Dragons has had a heck of a time overcoming the last time someone tried to adapt one of the most influential tabletop games ever. And we thought making a good video game adaptation was tough. Thankfully, Honor Among Thieves looks more like Clue than Battleship.

For those interested, the controversy is over alleged changes to the games’ Open Game License (OGL), which allows third-party publishers to use elements from official Wizards Of The Coasts rulebooks for their content. As we reported over the weekend, Dungeons And Dragons executive producer Kyle Brink released a lengthy statement about the changes to the (OGL), hoping to deflect any damage to the brand ahead of one of the biggest mainstream crossovers in its history.

Still, if you ignore all that, the trailer looks like a blast. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein know how to make a great gaming movie, seeing as they helmed the wonderful Game Night. Additionally, Daley famously starred in one of the best pieces of Dungeons And Dragons fanart: The Freaks And Geeks series finale, “Discos And Dragons.” We’ll see if those skills translate to this new feature.

Boycott or not, Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves rolls into theaters on March 31.