D&D Movie/TV Ravenloft TV series in development by Netflix, Forgotten Realms TV series is dead

Netflix is developing a live-action series telling the origin story of Strahd von Zarovich. Deadline reports that Netflix is developing Ravenloft, a new Dungeons & Dragons TV series covering the origins of Strahd. The series is described as a “prestige fantasy series” combining adventure, gothic horror, and tragic romance. The series is being written and executive produced by John August, who has previously worked with Tim Burton on movies like Big Fish, Corpse Bride, and Dark Shadows. Also executive producing the series is Alfonso Cuaron and Hasbro Entertainment.

In addition to the news that a new Ravenloft TV series is in development, Deadline also reports that a planned Forgotten Realms series is “no longer in development” at Netflix. That show was announced last year and featured Drew Crevello writing and Shaun Levy executive producing. No reason was given for the abandonment of the show, but previous interviews indicated that the writers were struggling to come up with a strong narrative for the story.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In contrast, a Strahd show is very clearly defined: medieval fantasy Dracula

It’s not even medieval. All the illustrations in the original module feature Victorian fashion and architecture.

 

[Parmandur]

It’s not even medieval. All the illustrations in the original module feature Victorian fashion and architecture.

D&D is always anachronistic.

 

[Seramus]

A pity it's not a Van Richten's Guide series, where they could do a monster of the week with an overarching plotline and explore more of the setting.

Agreed. They could do it one season at a time, American Horror Story style. A full season of Strahd, then someone else next season like Lord Soth, Artemis, or Manshoon.

 

[Remathilis]

Agreed. They could do it one season at a time, American Horror Story style. A full season of Strahd, then someone else next season like Lord Soth, Artemis, or Manshoon.

Only two of those are Dark Lords.

My AHS vision would look like this:
1. Barovia. Strahd's origin story, culminating in his becoming a vampire and the domains forming
2. Lamordia: Viktra and Eliza, starting with the origin, Eliza being turned partway, and ending in a confrontation between the two
3. Mordent: a group of investigators explore Gryphon Hill and learn its secrets
4. Kartakass: a young aspiring musician gets recruited into Lukas's stable and learns the price of fame.
5. Dementileu: a young woman's parents are murdered and to find the killer, she must brave Sadria's masked ball, where no one is who they seem.
6. Har'Akir: a traveller's birthmark reveals he may be the vessel for Anktepots ka, and must brave three trials if he wishes to survive.
7. Darkon: the world is collapsing after King Azalin has disappeared. Can anyone stop the.destuction before it's too late?

Each season focuses on a single Dark Lord, but some reoccurring side characters like Van Richten, the Weathermay twins, Alanik Ray or Ez can make cameos in multiple seasons.

 

[Parmandur]

I could be mistaken, and it probably varies project to project, but I think animation that looks GOOD is usually more expensive and definitely takes longer to produce than live-action.

Decided to do a full fact check here.

For live action shows:

• Game of Thrones: $6-15 million per episode, started on the lower end of $6 mil and worked up to $15 mil
• House of the Dragon: ~$20 million per episode
• Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: $6-9 million per episode
• Witcher: $11.5 million per episode in Season 1, up to $27 million per episode in Season 4
• Rings of Power: $58-60 million per episode (it shows in 4K, too)
• Wheel of Time: $10-16 million per episode
• Shadow and Bone: $3-5 million per episode

For animated shows:

• Arcane: $14 million per episode (per what I've heard, Riot lost money on this)
• Frieren: $150,000-$300,000 per episode (thousands, not millions)
• Delicious in Dungeon: $150,000-$460,000 per episode
• Legend of Vox Machina: $750,000-1.1 million per episode
• Demon Slayer (or Hunters, as ye will) : $80,000-$115,000 per episode (and this is one of the most successful animated shows)

So, outliers in both cases, CGI animation being more in the same realm of lower end Live Action for the budget.

 

[Maxperson]

How long until Strahd is abandoned?

Yeah. I can see it now.

Ravenloft D&D series on Netflix is undead. Dragonlance series is now in development.

 

[RageKage2250]

Decided to do a full fact check here.

For live action shows:

• Game of Thrones: $6-15 million per episode, started on the lower end of $6 mil and worked up to $15 mil
• House of the Dragon: ~$20 million per episode
• Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: $6-9 million per episode
• Witcher: $11.5 million per episode in Season 1, up to $27 million per episode in Season 4
• Rings of Power: $58-60 million per episode (it shows in 4K, too)
• Wheel of Time: $10-16 million per episode
• Shadow and Bone: $3-5 million per episode

For animated shows:

• Arcane: $14 million per episode (per what I've heard, Riot lost money on this)
• Frieren: $150,000-$300,000 per episode (thousands, not millions)
• Delicious in Dungeon: $150,000-$460,000 per episode
• Legend of Vox Machina: $750,000-1.1 million per episode
• Demon Slayer (or Hunters, as ye will) : $80,000-$115,000 per episode (and this is one of the most successful animated shows)

So, outliers in both cases, CGI animation being more in the same realm of lower end Live Action for the budget.

Thanks so much for taking the time to look into this and type it up.

It definitely looks like I was thinking of a couple rare outliers such as Arcane and K-Pop Demon Hunters where animation might be more expensive than live action in the fantasy genre.

Appreciate the knowledge-check!

 

[Seramus]

Only two of those are Dark Lords.

I wouldn't limit it to Ravenloft, just start with Ravenloft to draw people in. Branching out after Season 3+ gives a show more options to stay afloat.

 

[Scott Christian]

It is amazing, that when making the show for a broad audience, that the writers still try to niche it.

Just make a story about adventurers, each with an interesting past (some of which is nice, caring, and good), and then toss them into Ravenloft. Have Strahd toy with them. Have them meet the interesting NPCs. Have their pasts enter their motivations. Have one of them die. And eventually, after a few seasons, end the story.

This incessant need to have the bad guy be a primary focus is fun and good. But it is also just as tiresome of a trope as having the woman be screaming and worthless.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

In the past I said Ravenloft was "easier to be sold" to no-so-geek community.

The style of Ravenloft is enoughly flexible to be adapted to a cinematograpic production.

Ravenloft is not only gothic-horror but action-gothic-horror. This means some monsters can be terminated before the end of the story, and some secondary characters can survive or even kick-ass slashers.

Hollywood script-writters could rewritte the metaplot and this could be a very important detail. I mean that team plays in a league of a higher level and they could give a lot of ideas and suggestions about future events..

The most important nPCs of Ravenloft shouldn't be the main characters because we know they shouldn't die (even if the actor is cancelled before the next season).

I can't believe the wave of supernatural romance ended. Maybe after the movies of "Twilight" it was too saturated to tell the same story with a different creature. Well, I mean if dhampirs and reborn can be PCs then we could see some "homage" to Cullen clan.

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It would be funny to watch as easter-egg or "guest-artist" Vecna (that with Kate Bush's song "Running up that hill").

And also funny a youtube video with Ravenloft serie and Police's song "Every time you breathe".