Shawn Levy Provides Update on Netflix D&D Show

Shawn Levy has provided a brief update on the Forgotten Realms series in development at Netflix. Speaking to Collider ahead of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, Levy was asked about the progress of the new Dungeons & Dragons series that he's producing for Netflix. "I think that the reason it's taken so long and the reason why it is a challenging process is you're not adapting story IP," Levy told Collider. "You're adapting a world and a lexicon and a spirit, but story needs to be invented largely from scratch. And it needs to be invented in a way that feels organic to everything that's great about DnD. So that one is in very active every day chipping-away-at-it development at Netflix."

Announced earlier this year, Netflix is developing a live-action television series titled the Forgotten Realms. No further details were provided about the nature of the series, but Levy's comments suggest that they're developing an original storyline as opposed to adapting a novel or adventure story into TV. Levy is serving as the producer of the series, with Drew Crevello serving as the writer/showrunner.

Collider also asked if the Forgotten Realms series would move forward, Levy replied "I really hope so. I really really hope so."

 

[Dire Bare]

Ah, the Drizzt-hate is strong in this thread, as it must be . . . (not because the Drizzt books are terrible, but because, well, cranky gamer-haters gotta hate)

I mean, if you don't care for Salvatore's Legend of Drizzt stories, that's cool, of course.

But to somehow pretend that your dislike translates into anything meaningful beyond your personal tastes . . . the Drizzt novels still sell ridiculously well, tons (yes, tons) of folks read and love them. Book 39, "Lolth's Warrior" came out in mid-2023, and we got the first "Drizzt's Daughter" book, "The Finest Edge of Twilight" just a month or so ago.

Adapting the Drizzt novels to a long-form TV show would be a smart move . . . except for the challenge of portraying Drizzt's people, the evil, dark-skinned elves who were cast out by God (Corellon) and cursed with the "Curse of Ham" (Lolth), driven underground, and had their skin darkened to jet black to mark them as outcast . . . Well, WotC and Salvatore have been working hard to soften that backstory, but it's still there . . .

 

[Parmandur]

Honestly, the intense popularity of BG3 is a great argument for the approach Levy and company are taking: nobody had heard of any of those major characters 6 years ago, Larien wrote them all from scratch.

 

[bedir than]

Honestly, the intense popularity of BG3 is a great argument for the approach Levy and company are taking: nobody had heard of any of those major characters 6 years ago, Larien wrote them all from scratch.

Even the non-success in the box office of Honor Among Thieves shows tens of millions of people who saw it in theaters and online, all seeing new characters and stories

 

[Dire Bare]

Honestly, the intense popularity of BG3 is a great argument for the approach Levy and company are taking: nobody had heard of any of those major characters 6 years ago, Larien wrote them all from scratch.

Yup!

I'd watch a show adapting the Drizzt stories, but I'd much rather see new stories with new heroes . . . just like they did with Honor Among Thieves and Baldur's Gate 3.

Although, in Baldur's Gate 3, we do get some nice cameos! I haven't finished the game yet, but I know Minsc and Boo show up, not sure about Drizzt . . .

Now that I'm thinking about it . . . I'll only support a new Realms TV show if the main protagonists are Minsc and Boo!!!

 

[Dire Bare]

Even the non-success in the box office of Honor Among Thieves shows tens of millions of people who saw it in theaters and online, all seeing new characters and stories

Honor Among Thieves didn't hit the level of profitability Hollywood wanted . . . but it was a successful film by any rational measures! It did fine in the cinema, especially considering it released just post-pandemic, and its been doing very well on streaming services.

 

[bedir than]

Honor Among Thieves didn't hit the level of profitability Hollywood wanted . . . but it was a successful film by any rational measures! It did fine in the cinema, especially considering it released just post-pandemic, and its been doing very well on streaming services.

It also gave a significant bump in sales of D&D the game. Recently Hasbro execs talked about how their movies, shows and games should be viewed as marketing -- not necessarily direct revenue.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Even the non-success in the box office of Honor Among Thieves shows tens of millions of people who saw it in theaters and online, all seeing new characters and stories

Non-success by people using a pre-streaming measuring stick.

The movie is 100% in the public consciousness. I remember Taylor Tomlinson shouting it out as what she watches as her comfort watch on one episode of After Midnight. It wasn't framed as "here's a weird niche thing you've never heard of," but as something she knew the audience would nod along to.

This wasn't Deathstalker 2025, where a only handful of hardcore aficionados went and saw it -- it was a mainstream popcorn film.

Only WotC -- and maybe not even them -- would know if Stranger Things has done more to get D&D in front of the public than DADHAT did.

From a marketing purpose alone, it was a huge success.

 

[mamba]

Recently Hasbro execs talked about how their movies, shows and games should be viewed as marketing -- not necessarily direct revenue.

if all of this is marketing, what is the direct revenue?

 

[JDazzle]

Well, since no one asked (and I'm truly offended now!) here is my outline for a D&D tv series
Vibes: Honor Amongst Thieves (Forgotten Realms: serious, people: real) + Game of Thrones (gritty, high stakes)
Characters: "Everyman" origin story, Mentor who departs early on (a la Gandalf), everyone else can literally die (and should, quite frequently). Cameos by low-popularity heroes and they should NOT interact with the main character(s)... except for Elminster who just cannot help but meddle in naughty word everything. They are doing this right if there is a lot of engagement after each episode about whether that vaguely visible blob in the background of a scene was Karlach/Astarion/Tav/JAHEIRA or some other character I can't think of because I have BG3 on my mind currently
Story: SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE A CANON REALMS-WIDE IMPACT EVENT (There probably should be some more hyphens/commas in that sentence). Highlight the Red Wizards... tangentially tie-in to Honor Among Thieves and every other D&D mass media story, naughty word things up, throw it all in the first season because Ao knows that even the best D&D series will likely only get one season/movie. Don't end on a cliffhanger for that reason... we don't need cliffhangers as there can always be one session/season more...
Location: Start in Waterdeep... end up in Sigil... go everywhere else from there

Result: Lots of angry D&D players who don't agree with the story and its impact on Forgotten Realms (and even more Pathfinder players who feel personally attacked by... well, anything)

 

[bedir than]

if all of this is marketing, what is the direct revenue?

Since their TV and movie projects are licensed/shared rather than owned, the direct revenue is their games (Monopoly, Clue, Magic, D&D) and toys (Transformers, GI Joe, Peppa)