Hasbro to Create a “Dungeons & Dragons” Live-Action TV Show

Thora Birch in "Dungeons and Dragons" (2000). Photo by Francis Delia/New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock (5884284t)

Since its first release, 46 ago, Dungeons & Dragons has become a cultural phenomenon and has spread its wings outside of the role-playing world to other mediums. Now, Hasbro, who holds the rights for the franchise announced it’s developing a live-action TV show based on the D&D canon.

As reported on Comicbook, Hasbro’s CEO, Brian Goldner, said the new adaptation is in the early stages of development. Speaking in the company’s quarterly earnings call, Goldner said that they are going through the franchise’s extensive canon and mythology to find the right approach for the show. He said several broadcasters and streaming services are interested in the show.

The show builds on the rising popularity of the brand. It saw a 20% rise in sales compared to last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fantasy genre, in general, is on the rise in recent years. Alongside Netflix’s The Witcher, Amazon Prime has shows based on The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time in development. D&D itself has a live-action movie in pre-production. The movie, which is set for a 2022 release is directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.

A film series based on the role-playing game was released in 2000 with sequels in 2005 and 2012 but they were not well received by critics and audiences.