Chris Pine shows off his high kick at the Dungeons & Dragons panel at Comic-Con

Hugh Grant’s Comic Con debut got off to a memorable start as co-star Chris Pine showed off his impressive fighting skills while participating in the highly-awaited Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves panel on Thursday afternoon.

To the audience’s excitement, the 41-year-old actor entered the stage with a high kick and proceeded to greet castmates Grant, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis as they attended the San Diego event. 

For the festival that brings pop culture fans together, the Star Trek star looked handsome in a yellow, short sleeve button-up with a pattern of black geometric shapes on it, gold watch, cropped trousers and brown loafers. 

Fans roared in applause and filmed Pine’s every move as he displayed his enthusiasm for the fantasy film, which will hit theaters on March 3, 2023. 

British star Grant, whose fans are more familiar with his back catalogue of whimsical comedies, makes a surprise appearance in the new film as villain Forge Fletcher – but he admitted he almost turned the role down.  

‘My agent said, “I’m going to send you this Dungeon and Dragons thing,”‘ he told those in attendance. ‘I thought, “I don’t think that’s for me dear”. And then I read it, and it’s like really hilarious.

‘The two Jonathans who wrote and directed it must have been very steeped in Monty Python or something. Because it was a properly funny script.’

Reflecting on the influence British comedy played in the script’s drafting, co-writer/director John Francis Daley said: ‘[We’re] huge fans. The irreverence of it. The one thing in this that isn’t in Monty Python is the true stakes. This is not a comedy per se.

‘It was very important to us to make sure that we correctly straddled that line between humour and making sure that the stakes were high and the drama was real. So that was the real challenge.’ 

Bringing the energy: To the audience’s excitement, the 41-year-old actor entered the stage with a high kick and proceeded to greet his castmates including Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis

Highly-anticipated: Fans roared in applause and filmed Pine’s every move as he displayed his enthusiasm for the fantasy film, which will hit theaters on March 3, 2023

Funny: During the presentation, Pine admitted he never played the game until signing up for the project, prompting Grant to crack a joke

‘Well, I was a Dungeon Master,’ Grant quipped. ‘But it was more S&M and less D&D. It’s the English version’

During the presentation, Pine admitted he had never even played the game – which has enjoyed something of a resurgence thanks to Netflix drama Stranger Things – until signing up for the project, prompting Grant to crack a joke.

‘Well, I was a Dungeon Master,’ Grant quipped, according to THR. ‘But it was more S&M and less D&D. It’s the English version.’ 

The jest caused Rodriguez, who said D&D brought back memories of ‘being a kid in a basement with friends just goofing off,’ to crack up as she retorted: ‘I wasn’t expecting that!’ 

Later the moderator said he heard that the English actor, 61, was a lifelong D&D fan, to which Rodriguez joked: ‘I think you mixed it up with S&M.’

‘She’s not wrong,’ Grant stated. ‘I’ve been an enthusiastic Dungeon Master for some years now. That’s a British pastime, [a] national sport almost. I believe that’s why the Jonathans [the directors] thought of me for this, my reputation.’ 

Jokester: The jest caused Rodriguez, who said D&D brought back memories of ‘being a kid in a basement with friends just goofing off,’ to crack up as she retorted: ‘I wasn’t expecting that!’

Cracking up: Later the moderator said he heard that the English actor, 61, was a lifelong D&D fan, to which Rodriguez joked: ‘I think you mixed it up with S&M’

The adaptation of the iconic game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974 features a star-studded cast such as Pine, Rodriguez and Page

Pine added: ‘I don’t think that anyone needs to know anything about Dungeons and Dragons to enjoy it. It reminded me of films I loved from the 80s that encapsulated all the fields. Funny. Sad. Light. Dark. Left you feeling happy about the world. And happy to be entertained. 

‘It takes itself seriously and deals with some interesting and important themes. But at the end of the day, is just real nice salve for what can be a terrifying real world.’ 

The adaptation of the iconic game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974 features a star-studded cast such as Pine, Rodriguez and Page.

The trailer begins with Chris Pine’s character saying, ‘Here’s the thing. We’re a team of thieves, and when you do this, you’re bound to make enemies.’ 

The next shot shows a battlefield as a dragon swoops in overhead, while Pine and his team are seen running for shelter. 

Pumped: Pine couldn’t contain his excitement as he threw his arms in the air

Teasing the details: (L-R) Goldstein, Francis Daley, Pine, Rodriguez, and Page spoke about the project

Beaming: Grant looked dapper in a grey blazer over a white dress shirt as he stood next to his costar Chris Pine

Beaming: Grant looked dapper in a grey blazer over a white dress shirt

‘Truth be told, we helped the wrong person steal the wrong thing,’ Pine says, as a red horn is shown that has some sort of nefarious purpose.

‘We didn’t mean to unleash the greatest evil the world has ever known,’ Pine adds, while villainous characters are seen wielding that evil power.

Pine adds, ‘But we’re gonna fix it,’ while Rodriguez asks how they’ll pull that off, though he’s at a loss for words.

Waving: Grant appeared dapper in his grey jacket and olive green trousers

Handsome: Page looked dapper as ever in a black and green zip-up, black shirt and matching pants

Cast photo: The costars posed for a picture together at the panel during 2022 Comic-Con

Cast photo: The costars posed for a picture together at the panel during 2022 Comic-Con

‘Figure it out over a drink?’ she asks, as Pine immediately responds, ‘Probably best’ as they start walking, seemingly towards a pub.

Pine adds if they’re going to have a ‘fighting chance’ they’re going to need strength, which is seemingly provided by Rodriguez, who’s seen taking out a number of knights.

Pine adds they will also need courage, which Page supplies, magic, handled by Smith, ‘and you,’ he said, looking at Lillis.

Good or bad guy? Grant portrays the villainous Forge Fletcher

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson

This version of Dungeons & Dragons has been in the works for many years with Ansel Elgort once attached and Rob Letterman set to direct

The next shot show Lillis turning into a massive creature, which Smith tells Pine is an ‘owlbear’ to defeat some more enemies before morphing back into her human form.

The trailer winds down with a number of shots including Page fighting off several enemies as Rodriguez adds, ‘I’m glad he’s on our side.’

The trailer also shows a number of quick shots including Hugh Grant’s character along with a number of complicated visual effects shots.

Stars: The adaptation of the iconic game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974 features a star-studded cast such as Pine, Rodriguez and Page

Trailer: Paramount Pictures debuted the first trailer for their highly-anticipated Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Team: The trailer begins with Chris Pine’s character saying, ‘Here’s the thing. We’re a team of thieves, and when you do this, you’re bound to make enemies’

The trailer comes to an end with Pine saying, ‘But whatever happens, we’ll be ready’ and a shot where Lillis asks Pine what he brings to this particular operation.

‘I’m a planner. I make plans,’ he says, though Lillis counters he has already made the plan, though he adds, ‘If the existing plan fails, I make a new plan,’ as Lillis adds, ‘So you make plans that fail?’

Rodriguez adds, ‘He also plays the lute,’ as Pine adds, ‘Not relevant,’ as we see a quick shot of him playing the lute as the trailer comes to an end.

Wrong: ‘Truth be told, we helped the wrong person steal the wrong thing,’ Pine says, as a red horn is shown that has some sort of nefarious purpose

Courage: Pine adds they will also need courage, which Page supplies, magic, handled by Smith, ‘and you,’ he said, looking at Lillis

Release: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will be released in theaters March 3, 2023