'Dungeons & Dragons' TV Show: What We Know So Far
Dungeons & Dragons fans are in for a deluge of new content – not just on the big screen but on TV as well. In just over four weeks, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will premiere in theaters, marking what some are calling a "reboot" or "revival" of the franchise's screen adaptation arm. After that, a new series based on the tabletop role-playing game is coming soon to Paramount+.
Last month, a report by Deadline confirmed that Paramount had ordered a Dungeons & Dragons show straight to series. The show will reportedly have eight episodes in its first season and will be created and run by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Thurber is best known for writing and directing Netflix's hit film Red Notice, and he will write and direct the pilot episode of this D&D series in addition to serving as showrunner. The show will be a co-production between Paramount Pictures and eOne — the same pair of companies that worked on the upcoming movie — but there are no actors attached to the project yet.
So far, that is all the information that can be reliably confirmed about this project. However, many fans have their eyes on actor Joe Manganiello, who has a long-standing relationship with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast – the companies that publish D&D. Last week, Manganiello mentioned in a YouTube video that he is "developing a TV show for" Wizards of the Coast, but it's not clear if that was related to Thurber's project. The publisher works with several teams that make "live-play" shows, and Manganiello could just as easily be referring to one of those projects instead.
It's unclear if this new show will directly adapt any of the material published for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG). The game relies on a set of core rules and gameplay mechanics described in The Dungeon Master's Guide, The Player's Handbook and a few related texts. Most players will then buy supplemental books that lay out a pre-written campaign, with accommodations for the choices players are likely to make.
Many fans expect this upcoming wave of Dungeons & Dragons media to at least reference popular campaigns on offer, though they may also try to obscure their source material to keep the suspense alive. Already, meticulous fans have combed through the trailers for Honor Among Thieves to discern which settings, monsters, characters and stories it may borrow from published material, with no conclusive results. We do know that the movie will be set in The Forgotten Realms and will visit the city of Neverwinter, with appearances by the Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards of Thay. The franchise also has a deep library of companion novels to pull from.
The same will likely be true as new details of this TV show are revealed. For now, the only name attached to the creative team is Thurber, best known for writing and directing the Netflix action film Red Notice. There could be some crossover with the A-list cast of Honor Among Thieves, which includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Chloe Coleman, Jason Wong and Daisy Head. On the other hand, the show could expand the story in new directions, showcasing D&D's endless possibilities while making room for a cinematic universe.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves premieres on March 31, 2023, in theaters. The accompanying TV show has been ordered, but there is no word yet on when it will go into production nor when it will air. The TTRPG materials and accompanying novels are available now in print and digital formats.