Dungeons & Dragonshad its shot at the perfect TV show but lost its chance in 2024. The huge franchise is based on a tabletop game but has expanded to include movies, TV shows, video games, and much more. With a mass of loyal followers growing since the 1970s,D&Dhas had many opportunities to develop even further. For instance, theDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesendingis even more spectacular than the beginning suggests it will be. However, the box office performance didn’t reflect that fact, leaving moreDungeons & Dragonsadaptations uncertain.
The box office disappointment ofDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieveshad a big impact on the franchise,dissuadingDungeons & Dragonsexecutives from bold commercial decisions that would involve risk. For example, a ParamountD&DTV show was recently, unfortunately axed. Many fans were excited about the possibility of this bringing R.A. Salvatore’s character Drizzt Do’Urden to life, but now that will have to wait. Yet the cancelation of a TV series about theDragonlance campaign settingremains one ofDungeons & Dragon’sbiggest failures and missed opportunities to date.
Why Dragonlance Would Be A Perfect Dungeons & Dragons TV Show
Dragonlance Has All The Makings Of A Great Fantasy Show
Dragonlance would make for the perfectDungeons & Dragonsadaptation, with its sweeping narrative and high fantasy atmosphere. The world of Krynn is full of stories that have inspired gamers and readers for generations. Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis started writing Dragonlance novels in the 1980s, withDragons of Autumn Twilightin 1984 debuting the series. Perhaps onlySalvatore’sThe Legend of Drizztbookscan claim equal renown inDungeons & Dragons. Adapting these books would lock millions ofD&Dfans onto screens while converting new ones.
There’s One Episode A Live-Action Dungeons & Dragons Show Must Include To Reinvent A Classic Story
A live-action Dungeons & Dragons TV show needs to feature one specific episode to reinvent a classic story format from the tabletop.
ADungeons & DragonsDragonlance TV showwould make infinite sense, based on the books' success alone. The Dragonlance novels written by Weis and Hickman made over 20 bestseller lists in their time, with over $22 million in sales. But the campaign setting is successful in its own right, including the hitThe Shadow of the Dragon Queencampaign.There are clearly a good many players and Dungeons Masters who would tune infor this series. Additionally, a Dragonlance series could adapt pop culture icon Raistlin Majere, another one ofD&D’s best characters.
Joe Manganiello Was Hired To Adapt Dragonlance, And It Was Scrapped In 2024
Joe Manganiello Would Have Been The Ideal Dungeons & Dragons Showrunner
Fantasy and sci-fi TV stalwartJoe Manganiello was on board to adapt Dragonlance into a TV showbefore this fell through. American actor Joe Manganiello is known for his roles inMagic Mike,True Blood, andSpider-Man, with a voice part coming up in Netflix’s live-actionOne Piece. This exciting talent and historical Dungeon Master was passionate about adapting Dragonlance for about 10 years and got fairly far with the plan. However, it wasn’t to be. Manganiello confirmed thatDungeons & Dragonshad stepped away from the opportunity in 2024.
This 40-year-old series could have been the bestDungeons & Dragonsadaptation ever made.
Speaking withComicBook.comin February 2024, Manganiello said: “Dragonlance is not a property [Wizards of the Coast] are interested in developing further, currently.” Yet this 40-year-old series could have been the bestDungeons & Dragonsadaptation ever made — Manganiello’s credentials and plan said as much. Manganiello confirmed that a literary agent had called the script “the best fantasy pilot he had read since the original Game of Thrones.” Unfortunately, Hasbro sold eOne to Lionsgate at a bad time for the adaptation to be considered a worthwhile investment.
Could A Dragonlance Adaptation Still Happen?
There Is A Chance Of More Dungeons & Dragons TV
There are a lot of abandonedDungeons & Dragonsadaptations floating around,but still the chance of more in the future. Although the Paramount series has been canceled and Manganiello’s Dragonlance show likely won’t happen in the foreseeable future, the series that Paramount dropped out of is now being shopped. Hasbro has not shut down the idea, leaving the possibility thatDungeons & Dragons’necromantic Dragonlance dragonscould still see screens. There are a few reasons that a streaming giant should be happy to pick up thisD&Dshow.
The Legend of Vox Machinapremiered on Amazon in January 2022.
Thesuccess of Amazon’sThe Legend of Vox Machinapoints to a solid future forDungeons & Dragonson small screens. This animated series has a near-perfect streak on Rotten Tomatoes and is adored by fans for its blend of dark and adult humor with anime-style graphics that are perfect forD&D’s fantasy creatures, spells, and magic.Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesmay have underperformed, but movies getting a theatrical release face a far higher mountain to climb, in terms of success, than most TV shows. As such,D&DTV shows may be more likely than movies in the future.
With actual play web series garnering just as many viewers as live-action or animated series, there are many routes to the next DragonlanceDungeons & DragonsTV show.
WithLegend of Vox Machinapresenting a blueprint of a successfulD&Dshow while the ex-Paramount show is considered by others, fans could well be looking at a newD&Dadaptation within a few years time. Perhaps Manganiello’s Dragonlance script will get picked up if a major studio or streaming giant buys the Hasbro TV show. This would be ideal, but there is still scope for other creators to forge a new Dragonlance idea. With actual play web series garnering just as many viewers as live-action or animated series, there are many routes to the next DragonlanceDungeons & DragonsTV show.
Dungeons & Dragons
TheDungeons & Dragonsfranchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent filmDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves(2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.
