“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is one of the spring’s biggest new movies, and while it features a star-studded cast (Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page), it also stars newer face Justice Smith. Known previously for roles in the “Jurassic World” movies and HBO’s “Generation,” the 27-year-old California native plays Simon Aumar in the “Dungeons & Dragons” blockbuster, which premiered on March 31. Below, WWD catches up with the actor on the heels of the movie’s premiere.
WWD: What has it been like over the weekend since “Dungeons” has been released?
Justice Smith: There’s been so much love for the movie by the critics and the fans. Lots of my family and friends are sending me really sweet messages about how they weren’t expecting to love the film as much as they did.
WWD: How did you celebrate the release of the film?
J.S.: I took a long nap and I bought a sewing machine. I don’t know how to sew. I just thought it would be cool to learn.
WWD: How did you first hear about “Dungeons”?
J.S.: My team sent me the script and I got some of my friends together to read through it with me. And it was so much fun. I met with John [Francis Daley] and Jonathan [Goldstein] shortly after and I told them I was in.
WWD: What interested you in the project initially?
J.S.: I wanted to do the accent because I knew I could and I haven’t gotten many opportunities to do accent work. So I thought it was a good way to showcase another skill of mine. And I thought having magic powers would be fun.
WWD: What do you like about Simon? Dislike?
J.S.: He’s an underdog. He’s incredibly powerful but he can’t access it because of his own insecurity. We all have moments in our lives where we wish we had just gotten out of our own way. There’s hundreds of self-help books written about that exact thing. I thought it was a cool character arc. Simon’s only villain is himself.
WWD: What is one of your favorite memories from shooting?
J.S.: The stunts. I’m a big fan of wire work. I have a couple of scenes where my character is chucked through the air and I had to act scared. But in between takes, I was doing flips and having the time of my life.
WWD: What do the next couple of months look like for you?
J.S.: I have two other films coming out this year although I can’t talk about them yet. In the interim, I’ve just been enjoying home life and recharging from the crazy press tour.
WWD: What is a dream next project?
J.S.: I’m looking to play a villain. And I really wanna do another play. Preferably Shakespeare. I want to play Hamlet before I’m too old.