A Live-Action ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Series ‘The Forgotten Realms’ Is in the Works at Netflix

Netflix is moving forward with a live-action “Dungeons & Dragons” series titled “The Forgotten Realms.” The show is being developed by Shawn Levy, known for “Stranger Things” and the upcoming “Deadpool & Wolverine,” alongside writer-showrunner Drew Crevello and Hasbro Entertainment.

The series is set in the famous “Forgotten Realms” campaign setting, which has been a major part of the “Dungeons & Dragons” universe since its introduction in 1987. This fantasy world has been home to some of the game’s most well-known characters and stories, even serving as inspiration for the 2023 film “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

Crevello, who previously worked on “WeCrashed,” wrote the pilot and will act as showrunner. He is also executive producing alongside Levy and Dan Levine under Levy’s production company, 21 Laps. While neither Netflix nor Hasbro Entertainment have officially commented, sources confirm the project is now in development at the streamer.

The road to bringing “Dungeons & Dragons” to television has been a long one. In 2021, then-Hasbro subsidiary eOne made launching a live-action series a priority, with Paramount+ initially picking up a version of the project with a straight-to-series order. That version, overseen by filmmaker Rawson Marshall Thurber, didn’t move forward due to strategic shifts at Paramount+ and the sale of eOne to Lionsgate.

With Hasbro Entertainment now leading the charge, the series has been redeveloped under Crevello’s direction with a new concept unrelated to previous efforts. Levy, whose work on “Stranger Things” has already helped bring “Dungeons & Dragons” further into pop culture, joined the project, leading to its eventual landing at Netflix. The deal took time to finalize, as is common for high-profile intellectual properties, but the series is now officially in development.

“Dungeons & Dragons” has been a cultural force since its creation in 1974 by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The tabletop RPG, known for its expansive worlds and dice-driven mechanics, has inspired generations of players and storytellers. Over the years, the franchise has expanded into novels, comic books, video games, and streaming entertainment. More than 50 million people have played the game since its inception.

Previous adaptations have had mixed success. An animated series aired in the 1980s, and multiple live-action films have been released, with “Honor Among Thieves” being the most recent and well-received, earning over $205 million worldwide. While movies have struggled to capture the game’s depth, a TV series could offer a more immersive take, allowing for expanded storylines, deeper character arcs, and long-term world-building.

With Netflix becoming a hub for long-form fantasy storytelling, “The Forgotten Realms” could be the adaptation that finally brings “Dungeons & Dragons” to television in a way that captures its full potential. If successful, it may even pave the way for a larger interconnected universe within the franchise.

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