Classic roleplaying fantasy adventure game Dungeons & Dragons has weathered a rocky path to the screen. There was the fondly-viewed cartoon series back in the 1980s and then the floptastic 2000 movie, which castmembers such as Jeremy Irons would probably be happy if it were wiped from their CVs by a magic spell. A new movie is in the works, but Hasbro and production company eOne are looking for more, installing Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber as the overlord of a new live-action TV series.
Thurber has a deal to write and direct a pilot for a one-hour fantasy drama that will draw from the many variations of the game, so expect a whole load of warriors, dwarves, elves, trolls and all manner of other stalwarts to make their way to the screen if it all comes together.
And, obviously (because that's how things work these days, eOne is hoping this sparks a new TV universe along the lines of Lucasfilm's Disney+ Star Wars efforts) or how Game Of Thrones (perhaps an even more direct comparison) is now the source for 70 kajillion spin-offs.
eOne’s President of Global Television, Michael Lombardo, was candid about that plans when he spoke to Deadline in November. "We don’t want it to just be one show, so we are building out, developing out a multi-pronged approach for television, a number of scripted shows and unscripted, and we hope to be taking this out to the marketplace early next year," Lombardo said.
Though the show doesn't have a broadcast home yet, the Thurber connection could well signal a Netflix team-up via his deal there. Plus, the streaming service can keep tabs on his progress with the two planned Red Notice sequels.
As for the movie, the new cinematic take is now in post-production, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and starring Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith and more. It's currently targeting a 3 March, 2023 release.