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."

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Remember a few weeks ago when D&D effectively put up a job listing for a high paid "loremaster"? I wonder if this is why; they realized they need someone who can take half a century of D&D minutiae and turn it into something that a writer's room can use to make 10 44 minute long episodes.

 

[Morrus]

Remember a few weeks ago when D&D effectively put up a job listing for a high paid "loremaster"? I wonder if this is why; they realized they need someone who can take half a century of D&D minutiae and turn it into something that a writer's room can use to make 10 44 minute long episodes.

Drew Crevello is the writer/showrunner. He does not work for WotC.

 

[Lazybones]

Sounds like the standard Hollywood "Development Hell." The first two paragraphs of the article make it sound like the project is moving forward, but the final sentence indicates it's questionable whether they will even move forward to actual production. The big question I would have liked to see answered is whether they have lined up sufficient funding to actually make the show.

 

[Gadget]

"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,"

I think this is somewhat ironic in that much of major criticism of recently adapted major fantasy IP (Witcher, Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, etc.) has been that writers rooms are full of people who want to write and produce their own stories and consequently run roughshod over the IP source material, producing very mixed results at best.

Now I don't want to start an argument about the quality (or lack thereof) of recent adaptations, but this may show that starting with a blank slate, so to speak, is not as easy or desirable as some believe.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Drew Crevello is the writer/showrunner. He does not work for WotC.

I'm aware, but perhaps the brand manager role is intended to be a go-between between WotC and a writer guy like Crevello.

Kind of like how Lucasfilm has Pablo Hidalgo managing Star Wars lore but guys like Dave Filoni are still literally running the shows.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Now I don't want to start an argument about the quality (or lack thereof) of recent adaptations, but this may show that starting with a blank slate, so to speak, is not as easy or desirable as some believe

I would think the opposite is more likely - the writers could tell whatever story they wanted with D&D, especially if they go with a homebrew setting. Telling your own stories is what D&D is for.

Although they really need to ditch the live action idea. Top quality animation would be far more appropriate.

 

[Mark Craddock]

Why not adapt Salvatore's work? Drow can easily be purple to blue to avoid blackface.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Why not adapt Salvatore's work? Drow can easily be purple to blue to avoid blackface.

Because no one under 50 cares about his books?

 

[Gadget]

I would think the opposite is more likely - the writers could tell whatever story they wanted with D&D, especially if they go with a homebrew setting. Telling your own stories is what D&D is for.

Although they really need to ditch the live action idea. Top quality animation would be far more appropriate.

I think you misunderstand me. I was speaking in the context of writing a movie/show/book story vs adapting a previous story to another medium, not in the context of a D&D campaign. Surely being open ended is a strength of the game, but when adapting to TV that may not be such a strength, given the quote in OP, despite what many budding writers may want.