Dungeons & Dragons has outperformed at the box office, but the road is tough

A successful fantasy film has a big budget, in this case $150 million (pre-market). That means we're talking about a movie that needs to gross at least $400 million worldwide to be considered even a modest success. That would put it in the same ballpark as something like "Pacific Rim" or "Uncharted." But both of these films had bigger opening weekends, with “Uncharted” debuting at $44 million last year, eventually smashing its way to $401 million worldwide. That being the case, "Dungeons & Dragons" has a long and difficult road ahead.

The film would need remarkably long legs to avoid becoming a flop. Not to mention doing enough to warrant a sequel, which is surely what Paramount had in mind. It was undoubtedly destined to be a potential franchise starter. The real issue is competition, as 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' is due to open this week, and it's going to draw massive crowds as the first family-friendly animated film to hit theaters since 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish". back in December. We also have Ben Affleck's "Air," which has garnered rave reviews from critics since its SXSW debut. Plus, just around the corner, we have a pair of horror in "The Pope's Exorcist" and "Renfield" en route.

All that to say, "Honor Among Thieves" may be able to generate positive word of mouth, and that buzz has helped it do better than many analysts expected. . Either way, the circumstances surrounding the release and the market as it currently exists suggests that this one won't have enough juice in the tank to save it on its own. And that's a shame, considering this one is a real crowd pleaser, but the realities of the business are what they are.