Summary
Despite the success of the most recentDungeons and Dragonsadaptation on the big screen, a recent attempt to bring the iconic franchise to the small screen has failed at Paramount+, leaving the project in uncertain waters.
WhileDungeons and Dragonshas been one of the most popular tabletop role-playing games since its inception, the attempts to make it mainstream via a live-action adaptation have been far less universally successful. Despite the dicey history, Paramount would see fit to give the green light for a big-budgetDungeons and Dragons-inspired movie titledDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,whichhad mainstream appeal in the casting and compositionbut also appealed to fans of the tabletop scene, coming complete withgame-accurate stats for theDungeon and Dragonfilm’s cast. The Chris Pine-led film was a fair success, bringing in more than $200 million at the box office and positive words from critics and fans alike for both the cast and the movie itself.
This success seemingly emboldened executives to announce aDungeons And Dragonslive-action TV series set for Paramount Plus, which many fans were looking forward to. However, recent reports suggest that things might not be quite so straightforward anymore. As covered byTVLine, the plannedDungeons and DragonsTV series has beenscrapped at Paramount Plus due to some creative differences behind the scenes. The project, which was set to be directed by initial pilot writer Rawson Marshall Thurber working with Drew Crevello on board as showrunner, will now see a new as of now undecided creative team assembled to work on it. While it won’t be going forward at Paramount, IP holders Hasbro will reportedly shop the series around in hopes of finding a new home for the show. While this wouldn’t have marked the first TV adaptation of the property, Paramount Plus has passed on the first live-action adaptation for the small screen, albeit not one that was linked to the successfulHonor Among Thieves.
While it’s certainly not great news for anyone, fans shouldn’t despair at the current state of things just yet. Hasbro is unlikely to let such a tenured idea die, as theDungeons and Dragonsseries tapped John Wick’s creator as its scribeas early as 2021 and committed to finding a new studio to partner with to get the project to screens. There has always been a bit of a niche demand forDungeons and Dragonsmedia, as evidenced by the fact that even the failed 2000Dungeons and Dragonsfilm from New Line still managed to get two sequel films, albeit direct to TV/DVD. With the success of Honor Among Thieves and properties like Critical Roll and more, there’s never been a bigger audience for Dungeons and Dragons content. In addition to the more direct financial incentives, Hasbromight also be looking to deepen its consumer poolafter recent bad press and unpopular decisions have left some of the player base with sour attitudes towards the company and its upcoming rework of the board game.
Similar toDisney canceling a highly-anticipated adaptation project while cost-cutting, the decision to drop theDungeons and Dragonsshow from Paramount Plusmight have something to do with the highly precarious streaming landscapeand how the company has decided to move forward. Fans can only wait and see if the in-house team at Hasbro manages to pull off a coup that will make the decision look bad in hindsight.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thievesis available for streaming on Paramount+.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
