There’s a lot of reasons to be worried that the next D&D movie wouldn’t be good. The last few were not. Fantasy as a genre struggles to have blockbusters. There were also reasons to think it would be good. John Francis Daley and Jonathon Goldstein (co-directors, co-writers) have great experiences making good movies. They are both Dungeons & Dragons nerds. Daley is a credited writer on Rime of the Frostmaiden. The actors are what a big budget film needs. ILM did the effects. The location shots were where you want medieval fantasy to be shot (England and Czechia are the current leaders).

But lots of people were cautious.

Today’s trailer was as good as you can expect from any massive movie.

The party, or cohort of actors, have a vibe. It’s strong. They enjoy each other. All of them but Hugh Grant speak about their new (Pine, Jean-Page) or old (Lillis, Rodriguez, Daley, Goldstein) love of the game. Chris Pine said that every group of actors should always play the game.

Rege Jean-Page said that every high school should have a D&D club. That’s when Sophia Lillis and Michelle Rodriguez both played.

That’s when I started.

I’m not worried about this movie. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves looks to be a fun romp by a diverse group that conquer evil together while getting into more trouble with each bit of success.

And there’s an owlbear and a gelatinous cube and two dragons, and bad planning — that’s D&D.

You know what else is D&D? A group with different skills, different pasts, different presents, different races, genders, everything — then they bond together towards a common goal and the sum of their parts is stronger. Because as Jeremy Crawford once said “a diverse group is a strong group.”