Dungeons & Dragons has been one of the most popular role-playing games of all time, and thanks to Covid-19 ruining everything in 2020 it’s mathematically 20% more popular than ever before. Although it used to be wrongly thought of as a game only for nerds with too much spare time on their hands, Dungeons & Dragons has become a hit with people from all walks of life.
Outside of a few hit video games though, it’s a property that Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have been struggling to adapt into other visual mediums, with most of the different movies failing to win fans over despite the wealth of lore on which they can build on. Though you could also argue that no true role-playing experience can really be adapted into a traditional narrative and those film studios should stop trying.
Nonetheless, Hasbro keeps on looking to create a new Dungeons and Dragons projects with the company previously announcing plans for a TV series based on the property. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the company, through its entertainment studio eOne, has hired John Wick creator Derek Kolstad to help write the first few episodes for it and try and shape the direction the series should go in.
There is still no word on what the series will be about and whether the studio will look to adapt one of the many pre-existing stories set in the universe or go in a completely original direction. I think it would be foolish to waste that rich lore, though I can see them wanting to also create some new characters and story threads around it to keep it fresh for fans.
Kolstad has also shown how he can create a world with a lot of rich lore and detailed characters that also moves along at a fast pace with lots of action and while I wouldn’t expect this series to be anything like John Wick, if he can bring a lot of that rapid intensity into the storytelling, then this series could easily have the right formula to attract more than just the D&D fans.
Last Updated: January 19, 2021
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 19, 2021 at 04:14
This news makes me happy, I’ve long thought a streamer like Netflix or Amazon should nab the license because there’s so much potential here thanks to the depth of its lore, multitude of settings, and variety of stories that can be told.
P.S. I have a bit of a soft spot for the third D&D movie, it’s good-bad.
P.P.S. The Mythica low budget indie movie series is probably the closest thing to D&D released in the last few years.
P.P.P.S. Dudes & Dragons. No roast for you!
BradeLunner
January 19, 2021 at 05:06
The Mythica stuff is rubbish but I dig em