The Super Bowl Spot has dropped

Way back in 2021, I created a Blog Post about the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves movie. Way back then, I was really hopeful, and after the few other trailers - it looked promising (and for the record - My bard, Brendillian the Blue, acted the way he did LONG before Chris Pine came on the scene).

Now, fast forward - Hasbro and WotC are in shambles over their OGL changes, Kyle Brink makes racist comments about the original core group of gamers and of course…..its all the player’s fault. Boycotts abound and people are switching to different gaming platforms out of protest. Recent news is even worse for the companies, 3 Days ago Hasbro begins layoffs, set to slash 15% of global workforce. In addition, itIt has gotten so bad that Hasbro (has been) Slapped By Bank Of America For ‘Destroying Customer Goodwill’ The board game market is hurting, and I am sure some of WotC’s self-inflicted wounds are going to come back to haunt them.

You know what WotC needs - A Super Bowl Commercial to keep the buzz going on the upcoming movie. In 2023, a 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs a record-high average of $7 million, according to Forbes. In 2022, a 30-second commercial slot during the Super Bowl was $6.5 million.

If you are going to make that kind of investment (not just the for the TV Spot, but also Production Time and Cost) when the industry is down, your customer base is turning on you and the industry has no confidence in your leadership…..it better be an outstanding commercial.

Well, the Super Bowl ad has dropped…..

Am I the only one underwhelmed?

Once again - we get a lot of re-tread footage and dialog. There are a few more clips that expand on scenes, a little more interaction and I have to admit Michelle Rodriguez’s Holga pulls off a funny stunt with a bow….but besides that, there is really nothing there. In fact, either this movie is so good that they are hiding the rest of footage to surprise us…..or it is so bad that we are seeing the best footage they have. Sadly, I am voting for the later.

As we have learned during the OGL scandal, WotC/Hasbro is really banking on expanding this IP and monetizing it as much as possible. There is a lot to like here - but I said the same thing back in 2000, at least until I was in the theater and the film rolled. Honestly, until I start seeing some feedback, this is looking more and more like a hard pass if I have to pay for it. I will watch it on streaming services, but definitely not in theaters - especially at AMC with their new pricing policy. If I am going to spend money on something, I want to be appriciated as a consumer - not just told to shut up and like it.

How about you…..are you planning on seeing this theaters? Let us know, but until I see something that dazzles me……

- Ed