D&D Movie/TV Paramount+ Will Not Proceed with Dungeons & Dragons Live-Action TV Show

Deadline reports that the live-action Dungeons & Dragons television series will not continue at Paramount+. The show was originally announced in January 2023 as Paramount+ placed an eight episode straight-to-series order. Normally that’s the best you can hope for in terms of a guarantee of the show happening as the show would produce the entire first season instead of needing to make a pilot to be approved.

Two big corporate changes happened since then, however. First, Hasbro sold the show’s co-producer Entertainment One to Lionsgate in December 2023 and shifted the production to Hasbro Entertainment. Currently, Paramount is searching for a buyer for the company with the current front runner according to reports being Sony Pictures, who have partnered with private equity firms to place a rumored $26 billion offer for the studio.

Little was announced about the plot other than it would be character-focused and involve the Underdark. These tidbits plus the fact that the character of Xenk from the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was originally intended to be Drizzt Do'Urden but changed during pre-production led to speculation that the series would be an adaptation of the Drizzt novels, particularly the origin story novel Homeland.

Creator Rawson Marshall Thurber (Red Notice, Easy A, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) and showrunner Drew Crevello (The Grudge 2, WeCrashed) are still attached to the project. Hasbro will repackage and update the pitch for the show and stop it around to other distributors.

 

[Hussar]

LINK

I posted you the actual ticket price from an actual theater.

 

[MNblockhead]

That’s interesting because I’m one of those that bailed two episodes in. Is Vox released the same way?

It was. But IIRC, it was a little different because they released the first episode earlier to have a big watch party and early access for backers. Then the first three episodes were released to the general Prime audience. Then we had to wait for the next episodes.

To be clear, their is profanity, gore, and some rated PG-13 to R humor throughout the series. But it is more the occasional comic relief. There is a lot of more serious and mature drama and I liked the story a lot. It is one of the few shows I've rewatched.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It was. But IIRC, it was a little different because they released the first episode earlier to have a big watch party and early access for backers. Then the first three episodes were released to the general Prime audience. Then we had to wait for the next episodes.

To be clear, their is profanity, gore, and some rated PG-13 to R humor throughout the series. But it is more the occasional comic relief. There is a lot of more serious and mature drama and I liked the story a lot. It is one of the few shows I've rewatched.

Frankly, the toilet humour and sex references in Vox made if feel less mature.

I enjoyed the show, but I think it would have found a bigger audience without.

It’s the recent Star Wars animated shows that I think hit the right tone for a D&D show.

An issue with the original D&D cartoon it it treated children as if they needed to be wrapped in cotton wool. When that came out I had already been watching Doctor Who since the age of four. The Bad Batch isn’t afraid to show death and torture (non-gratuitously) and as such is watchable by both children and adults. Double the audience.

And if your show has a moral message it doesn’t need to be explained at the end, children are small humans, not idiots!

 

[Zardnaar]

Frankly, the toilet humour and sex references in Vox made if feel less mature.

I enjoyed the show, but I think it would have found a bigger audience without.

It’s the recent Star Wars animated shows that I think hit the right tone for a D&D show.

An issue with the original D&D cartoon it it treated children as if they needed to be wrapped in cotton wool. When that came out I had already been watching Doctor Who since the age of four. The Bad Batch isn’t afraid to show death and torture (non-gratuitously) and as such is watchable by both children and adults. Double the audience.

And if your show has a moral message it doesn’t need to be explained at the end, children are small humans, not idiots!

Original D&D show was aimed at children.

Alot of Star Wars animated not so much.

Some of the best Star Wars moments outside the OT/PT are in them as well.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Original D&D show was aimed at children.

Alot of Star Wars animated not so much.

Some of the best Star Wars moments outside the OT/PT are in them as well.

Doctor Who was aimed at children, and that didn’t shy away from death and violence. I would say D&D show was aimed at some imaginary idea of what children are like.

As for the Star Wars shows, they don’t feel the need to be “adult” by including excrement jokes (double meaning intended).

 

[Zardnaar]

Doctor Who was aimed at children, and that didn’t shy away from death and violence. I would say D&D show was aimed at some imaginary idea of what children are like.

As for the Star Wars shows, they don’t feel the need to be “adult” by including excrement jokes (double meaning intended).

Doctor Who could be horrific for children. Idk if I would say it was aimed at them.

Age restrictions were more of a recommendation in the 80s though (watching Aliens age 8).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Doctor Who could be horrific for children. Idk if I would say it was aimed at them.

It was supposed to be horrific for children, that was the point!

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Frankly, the toilet humour and sex references in Vox made if feel less mature.

I enjoyed the show, but I think it would have found a bigger audience without.

It’s the recent Star Wars animated shows that I think hit the right tone for a D&D show.

An issue with the original D&D cartoon it it treated children as if they needed to be wrapped in cotton wool. When that came out I had already been watching Doctor Who since the age of four. The Bad Batch isn’t afraid to show death and torture (non-gratuitously) and as such is watchable by both children and adults. Double the audience.

And if your show has a moral message it doesn’t need to be explained at the end, children are small humans, not idiots!

The toilet humour in Vox was fanservice. The live stream had a lot of it.

 

[Parmandur]

An issue with the original D&D cartoon it it treated children as if they needed to be wrapped in cotton wool.

I mean, for mainstream networks in the US in the 80s...that was just the style at the time.

Which IMO has a direct correlation with kids who grew up with that making stuff like Vox Machina as a reaction as adults.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If Hasbro wants a totally child-friendly animate show, then LEGO: D&D.

Ravenloft is perfect for horror one-shot stories. No previous lore is necessary to be known.