Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will attempt to finally give the iconic role-playing adventure the big screen adaptation it deserves. It’s been a long journey from tabletop to big budget blockbuster. And that road strangely enough went straight through the set of Freaks and Geeks. That’s where the film’s co-director John Francis Daley first fell in love with the game. So it’s only fitting Daley got together with his old Freaks and Geeks cast members for a crossover promo that will have fans of both D&D and the TV series feeling like they posses the Orb of Constant Pleasant Vibration.
Turns out (a still-waiting-to-hit-puberty) Sam Weir has been DM’ing a session of D&D for 23 years. He’s been joined at the table by his fellow Freaks and Geeks Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) and Neal Schweiber (Samm Levine). They’ve clearly been having a good time. You have to be having fun not to notice if your family is still alive or not. But it’s for the best that their long-standing game has finally come to an end. That means they’ll be able to go see Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Of course, like other fans of the RPG, they’re a little skeptical it can work as a movie.
At least they know the film is in good hands. Daley has previously talked about how his long love affair with D&D began on the set of their show. He started playing because his character was really into Dungeons & Dragons. In a case of life imitating art, that turned into a genuine and lasting affection for the adventure game. From there you can draw a long, straight, unexpected line to him actually co-directing a film based on it. That’s a monumental win for geeks everywhere.
Just imagine how different Hollywood might be if Sam had really loved Monopoly instead. Actually, don’t. We’re much more excited for Honor Among Thieves than we would be a Monopoly movie.
We also need to know if this promo is canon for Freaks and Geeks. Maybe to find out we should honor both Sam and John Francis’s admiration for D&D by rolling for the answer.