Netflix Develops Forgotten Realms Series
Netflix and Wizards of the Coast have announced a live-action Dungeons & Dragons TV series set in the Forgotten Realms. The project will be helmed by Shawn Levy of "Stranger Things" fame and builds on the world made famous by Baldur's Gate III and "Honor Among Thieves." The series marks Netflix's major investment in fantasy IP and serialized D&D storytelling.
- This series is a separate effort from a previously announced live-action D&D show; that project received an eight-episode, straight-to-series order at Paramount+ in 2023 before being canceled in May 2024 due to creative differences. - The Forgotten Realms setting was created by author Ed Greenwood in the late 1960s and was officially adopted by D&D's original publisher, TSR, in 1986 to serve as a primary campaign world. - Previous attempts to adapt D&D include a 2000 feature film that was a critical and commercial failure, followed by a made-for-TV sequel in 2005 and a direct-to-video film in 2012. - An animated *Dungeons & Dragons* television series aired for three seasons on CBS from 1983 to 1985, produced by Marvel Productions and Japan's Toei Animation. - The show's writer and showrunner is Drew Crevello, who previously worked on the *X-Men* franchise and co-wrote and produced the Apple TV+ miniseries *WeCrashed*. - Hasbro, the parent company of Wizards of the Coast, is developing the series through its in-house production arm, Hasbro Entertainment, which is also working on film adaptations of other company properties like *Monopoly* and *Clue*. - While the recent film *Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves* was also set in the Forgotten Realms, sources indicate the new Netflix series will be its own standalone story and not connected to the movie. - The project's move to Netflix follows the streaming service's success with fantasy series and its long-standing relationship with producer Shawn Levy, who also produces *Stranger Things*, a show heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons.
